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  Self-esteeem, self-entitlement, self-gratification, self-awareness, and self-knowledge.  Yet, our spiritual and psychological well-being is not measured by self-concern, but by a directional shift of attention which involves understanding , appreciation and compassion for others.

 This ground-breaking conference, rooted in Buddhist psychology, will present other-centered approaches, which offer fresh new tools to address challenges in the fields of mental health, education, religion, human relations, chaplaincy, and more.

Exploring Other-Centeredness

In counseling settings: Other-centered approaches draw on a number of therapeutic, social and educational methods. It can involve mindful connection with others, deepening our appreciation of the physical and human world. It encourages clients and practitioners to develop empathy for others in their lives and awareness of those who provide for our daily needs.

Interacting with each other and the world: Other-centered approaches can help us to strengthen our relationships with loved ones and to understand the position of those with whom we have difficulties. It can increase our connection with and sensitivity towards the environment, and draw us into fresh encounters with day to day experiences.

Other-centered approaches are grounded in Buddhist psychology. They help individuals and society to benefit from expanding their horizons beyond the limits of habitual ways of being and perceiving. Looking beyond self-structures, we learn that more possibilities exist in life than we ever thought possible.

 - Presentations, Panels & Workshops -

 The Conference brings together five pioneering teachers and practitioners

Caroline Brazier  is a psychotherapist and leader of the psychotherapy training program at the Amida Trust in UK.  She lectures internationally and in several UK universities.  She is the author of five books:  Other-Centred Therapy: Buddhist Psychology in Action; Listening to the Other; The Other Buddhism; Buddhism on the Couch; and Guilt.  She holds a Master of Philosophy degree from Keele University and has been deeply involved in the development of other-centered theory and in the Western presentation of Buddhist psychology.  She currently plays an important role in the development of Buddhist chaplaincy in the UK, contributing to national committees developing standards and to chaplaincy education at the Universityof Cardiff and elsewhere.

 David Brazier, Ph.D. is the author of seven books and the leader of a worldwide spiritual community.  He is a psychotherapist,social innnovator, social worker and Buddhist teacher.  His books include: Beyond Carl Rogers, Zen Therapy, The Feeling Buddha, Who Loves Dies Well - On the Brink of Buddha's Pureland; Love and Its Disappointment: The Meaning of Life, Therapy and Art. He is the head of the Amida Order, a Pureland Buddhist community with a wide-range ofsocially and culturally engaged projects and commitments.  He has been a pioneer in the presentation of Buddhist psychology in the West and regularly lectures in Asia, Europe, and North America.

Rev. Daijaku Judith Kinst is a licensed psychotherapist with a private practice in SF.  She is a trainer of Buddhist chaplains and psychotherapist integrating Buddhist teachings into their practice.  Ordained in 1988 and trained at the San Francisco Zen Center, she is now a teacher of Buddhism at Ocean Gate Zendo in Capitola, California.  After completing her monastic training, she completed a Master's degree in Psychology and a PhD in Buddhism and Psychology (California Institute of Integral Stories).  She trained as a chaplain at UCSF. She teaches courses in Zen Buddhism, Buddhist Pastoral Counseling and Contemplative Psychology at the Institute of Buddhist Studies, California Institute of integral Studies and was a founding clinical director of a counseling center training students to integrate spirituality and psychotherapeutic practice.

Gregg Krech has served as the Executive Director of the ToDo Institute since 1992. Gregg is one of the leading authorities on Japanese psychology in the United States and the author of several books including the award-winning book, Naikan: Gratitude, Grace and the Japanese Art of Self-Reflection (Stone Bridge Press). His work has been featured on public TV and radio, and in books, professional journals, and magazines such as Body & Soul, Utne Reader, Cosmopolitan, SELF, Tricycle, and Counseling Today. He is the Editor of Thirty Thousand Days: A Journal of Purposeful Living and frequently conducts programs for audiences ranging from Zen Center students to mental health professionals.

 Clark Strand is an internationally known author and lecturer on spirituality and religion.  A former Zen Buddhist monk, he was the first senior editor of TRICYCLE: THE Buddhist Review in 1993.  In 2000, he founded the Koans of the Bible Study Group, a weekly inter-religious discussion forum devoted to finding a new paradigm for religious belief and practice.  He is the author of Meditation: without Gurus: A Guide to the Heart of Practice; and How to Believe in God: Whether Your Believe in Religion or Not (2009) a reinterpretation of the Bible in light of Pure Land Buddhist teachings on Self and Other Power.  He writes on a variety spiritual and ecological themes, including Green Meditation -- and environmental-historical approach to religion and spiritual practice. 

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 Continuing Education Units:

Institute of Buddhist Studies (provider #PCE4834) is authorized to provide CEUs for MFTs and LCSWs in accordance with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences ("Board").   Details on number of hours and cancellation policy are available at

www.shin-ibs.edu/icoca.php

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