American Buddhism and Psychotherapy

Abstract

Abstract For over two centuries, so-called convert US Buddhist communities have taken a keen interest in the disciplines of psychology and psychotherapy. This chapter surveys the history of how these highly specific communities and their scholarly observers have explained their approaches to psychology. Buddhism has been described as having a “dialogue” with psychology or a “relationship” with psychotherapy that others believe is “developing” or even “maturing.” Ultimately, the way that Buddhist communities talk about their approaches to the psychological, and in particular the metaphors they use, often conveys differing opinions on whether it is positive or negative to mix the Buddhist with the psychotherapeutic, and how diligently boundary lines between the Buddhist and the psychological should be maintained in defining what it means to be Buddhist.