Frequently Asked Questions

What is your therapeutic approach or orientation?

How are the Japanese therapies and Constructive Living different from Western therapies?

What are the key components of the Japanese therapies and Constructive Living?

Can you conduct therapy by phone or via the Internet?



What is your therapeutic approach or orientation?

I treat each client as an individual and therefore try to tailor my approach to the person rather than fitting the person to a particular approach. Some of the factors I consider when working with a person are his or her preferred learning style, values, culture, spiritual beliefs, and so on.

That said, my philosophical approach to therapy is highly influenced by two Japanese therapies, Morita and Naikan, that derive from Buddhist thought and practice. These therapies focus primarily on helping people change their actions, become clear about their life purpose, and learn to be more attentive to the world around them. These therapies were first introduced to the West by psychologist David Reynolds, who adapted them into an approach he calls Constructive Living. Today, places like the ToDo Institute in Vermont have expanded Reynold's work to include related modalities such as Meaningful Life Therapy, which focuses on people facing life-threatening illnesses.

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How are the Japanese therapies and Constructive Living different from Western therapies?

Traditional Western therapies such as psychoanalysis, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and Gestalt, among others, believe that for people to improve their mental health, they need to change their thoughts or feelings or develop insight into the root cause of their behavior by delving into their past.

In contrast, the Japanese therapies and Constructive Living teach that we can't control our thoughts and feelings (Try NOT feeling upset when someone breaks up with you or NOT thinking about food when you're hungry. You quickly realize that thoughts and feelings are out of your control.), nor can we necessarily pinpoint what event or events in our past led to our current behavior because our memories are unreliable. Likewise, events we do recall from our past are viewed through our own subjective lens and therefore can't be considered the absolute or whole Truth.

In this sense, the Japanese therapies and Constructive Living believe that we attain mental health not by trying to change our thoughts and feelings, but by accepting them, whatever they are, while still doing what needs to be done to lead productive lives. We can influence our thoughts and feelings through our behavior, but expecting them to change permanently is unrealistic. No one can be happy all the time!

For example, a person who is depressed can learn to eat healthy foods, exercise more often, and see friends, even when he or she doesn't "feel" like socializing by learning to practice these behaviors with support from a CL therapist. In this approach, the therapist works more like a coach, helping the person become clear on his or her purpose, as well as teaching him or her the difference between what's controllable and uncontrollable.

The Japanese therapies and Constructive Living also help people appreciate how others contribute to their well-being. While most Western therapies focus on the individual alone, these approaches help people see themselves as part of a larger web that includes not only immediate family and friends but also strangers (the grocer, the bus driver, etc.) as well as animate (animals, plants, trees) and inanimate (books, chairs, homes) objects that, through their existence, support life as a whole.

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What are the key components of the Japanese therapies and Constructive Living?

Morita therapy emphasizes the power of the individual and the importance of right action and purposeful attention in order to accomplish life goals. Morita also teaches people how to accept and coexist with unpleasant feelings and still do what needs to be done in their lives.

A few examples of key Morita principles include:

• Accept your feelings whatever they are.
  

• Pay attention to the world around you.
  

• Know your purpose.
  

• Do what needs to be done.
  

• You aren't responsible for your feelings, only for your behavior.

In contrast, Naikan therapy focuses on "other power" or the influence other people have on our lives. Naikan helps people develop a sense of gratitude and humility toward the larger world in which they exist. Naikan therapy involves asking people to reflect on the emotional and material support they have received from significant individuals in their lives (i.e., mother, father, husband/wife, etc.) or from the world at large.

The primary way this is done is through quiet reflection, reporting, and writing using three questions:

• What have I received from...?

• What have I given...?

• What troubles have I caused...?

Not all clients need both Naikan and Morita. The presenting issue determines which approach is most helpful.

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Can you conduct therapy by phone or via the Internet?

Since Constructive Living is more like coaching than traditional therapy, it's possible to conduct Constructive Living sessions by phone or via the Internet. It's usually helpful to have an initial session by phone so I can understand more clearly a person's goals and expectations. After that, however, phone or Internet sessions can work for many people. If someone is in severe crisis or immediate distress, however, I typically recommend she or he see a therapist in the local community, if at all possible. Phone and Internet therapy are not appropriate in all situations.

If you're interested in a personal consultation, either in-person, via the phone, or Internet, please visit the Consultation Page.