Thoughts without a Thinker

Thoughts Without a Thinker is the landmark book that brought the worlds of Buddhism and psychotherapy into contact with each other, and changed thousands of lives. Drawing upon his own experience as therapist, meditator, and patient, Mark Epstein, a New York-based psychiatrist trained in classical Freudian methods, integrates Western psychotherapy and the teachings of Buddhism. In accessible, intimate language, this enlightening guide explains the unique psychological contributions of the teachings of Buddhism, describes the path of meditation in contemporary psychological language, and lays out the possibility of a meditation-inspired psychotherapy. Mark Epstein's new introduction reflects on the impact of the book and on the evolving relationship between psychotherapy and Buddhism.