Psychotherapy without the Self

“The book is an autobiographical journey based on the author’s personal experience and professional expertise, backed up by solid research findings from Buddhist scholars and well-known psychologists… . Ultimately, the author finds that both Buddhism and psychology can foster the willingness to be fully alive through accepting the unknown in ourselves. What is key is how in touch we are with what we are internalizing, even in our confusion.“—Library Journal

“An excellent introduction and amplification of connections between Buddhism and psychotherapy and what they contribute to our understanding of the human condition. This is not just an interesting read, but a meaningful one.“—Michael Eigen, author of Feeling Matters and The Sensitive Self

”Psychotherapy without the Self is mandatory reading for anyone seeking to understand today’s axial event in psychoanalysis—the encounter of the Freudian and subsequent schools with the Buddhist psychological tradition. Epstein’s insights are utterly penetrating, brilliant in uncanny comparisons and clear critical contrasts, altogether illuminating. It is elegantly and wittily written—a real pleasure to read. And don’t worry, there is a self, just different from the one that can’t be found!“—Robert A. F. Thurman, Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Buddhist Studies, Columbia University, author of Inner Revolution and Infinite Life

Mark Epstein, M.D., is a psychiatrist in private practice and clinical assistant professor of psychology at New York University. His previous books include Thoughts without a Thinker, Going to Pieces without Falling Apart, Open to Desire, and Going On Being.