Press Release

Naropa University's Contemplative Psychotherapy Department Hosts 30th Anniversary Conference

Symposium Explores Connection of Spiritual Practices and Mental Wellbeing

BOULDER, Colo. (April 19, 2006)-For three decades, Naropa University's MA Psychology: Contemplative Psychotherapy program has integrated the wisdom traditions of Buddhism and the clinical discipline of Western psychology. To celebrate 30 years of its pioneering work in this growing field, Naropa's Contemplative Psychotherapy and Extended Studies departments are hosting a conference the weekend of May 19 to 21, 2006, featuring a number of workshops and breakout sessions on contemplative psychotherapy, the role it plays in modern psychology and the many forms it takes.

The Buddhism and Psychotherapy Conference offers mental health professionals a variety of formats to experience and explore the integration of Buddhist practice and the training of psychotherapists. Those in the helping professions, as well as interested community members, will hear from thought leaders in the field. Key speakers include:

• Mark Epstein, author of Thoughts Without a Thinker and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychology at New York University, who will deliver his keynote address, "From Eros to Enlightenment: Desire as Subject of Meditative Awareness"
• Longtime MACP faculty member and former chair Dr. Karen Kissel Wegela, author of How to Be a Help Instead of a Nuisance, who will explore "The Sacred Space of Psychotherapy" in her keynote address
• Harvey Aronson, co-founder of Dawn Mountain Tibetan Temple in Houston, Texas, and author of Buddhist Practice on Western Ground
• Gay Watson, author of The Resonance of Emptiness, coeditor of The Psychology of Awakening and teacher at the Sharpham Centre in Devon, England

Other events include presentations from Lauren Casalino, Susan Nimmanheminda and Robert Unger; a panel discussion on contemplative psychotherapy; and workshops on clinical practice, group treatment, and the intersection of spirituality and clinical therapy. For more information or to register, visit http://www.naropa.edu/sacredspace or call 303-245-4800. A detailed schedule of events can be found on the web. Affordable housing options are available.

Naropa's MACP program, founded in 1975, is the only one in North America to offer a master's degree combining the study of Tibetan Buddhist psychology with the training of psychotherapists. According to Dr. Karen Kissel Wegela, who served as the department chair for many years, "Students practice mindfulness/awareness meditation for three years and become intimately familiar with their own minds, both in sanity and in confusion." Unique to this program are the three maitri retreats, which combine sitting practice, residential community living and the maitri space awareness practice developed by Naropa's founder, Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche. A nine-month internship in the community completes the program and provides the necessary background for students to become Licensed Professional Counselors in Colorado.

Accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Naropa University is a private, nonprofit, nonsectarian liberal arts institution dedicated to advancing contemplative education. This approach to learning integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational traditions, helping students know themselves more deeply and engage constructively with others. The university comprises a four-year undergraduate college and graduate programs in the arts, education, environmental leadership, psychology and religious studies. It offers BA, BFA, MA, MFA and MDiv degrees, as well as professional development training and classes for the community. In addition, the university runs study abroad programs in Sikkim, India and Prague, Czech Republic. For more information, visit www.naropa.edu.

Contact:

Jane Rubinstein
Director, Marketing & Communications
Naropa University
PH 303-245-4643
FAX 303-245-4676
Jrubinstein@naropa.edu
www.naropa.edu