May 13, 2022

Western European notions of identity are to see the person as a fixed material self that is used as a reference point for reality—the individual’s compass for navigating the world. Buddhist conceptualizations of the self differ greatly. The Buddha taught that there is no stable or individual self and that identity is fundamentally the product of ignorance and doesn’t exist, or at least not as something that can be grasped intellectually. This is referred to as anatta in the original Pali text, translated in English as non-self or substanceless. In this presentation I will discuss the use of Buddhist Psychotherapy in exploring gender, and specifically the clinical application of Buddhist teachings on impermanence (anicca in Pali), compassion and anatta in working with gender expansive individuals. This presentation will present a theoretical framework for Buddhist psychotherapy as well as align with the Buddhist emphasis on personal exploration through providing an opportunity for direct experience.