Editor’s Introduction for Special Section: Mental Health, The Mind and Consciousness—Tibetan and Western Approaches

Excerpt

When Dr. Geoffrey Samuel originally approached me with the idea of a selection of articles having to do with the differences and points of similarity between Tibetan and Western approaches to mental health and therapy, I was intrigued. As a psychiatric hospital chaplain exclusively and later in part for much of my career, I remain committed now as an editor to finding out more that might improve therapeutic outcomes, deepen understanding of the self in health and illness, and encourage hope for the future. Dr. Samuel and his colleague as Guest Editor, Dr. Susannah Deane, persuaded me that this collection of essays would be a step in that direction. Their commitment to scholarship and care for those suffering is clear as the following essays demonstrate. …