Non-Traditional Therapeutic Techniques

COURSE SYLLABUS

Psy 758: Special Topics in Theory

[This is a graduate course for clinical PsyD students.]

Bulletin Description

Presents various therapeutic techniques of a nontraditional nature.

Prerequisites

Matriculation in graduate clinical program or permission of instructor.

Course Objectives

After completing this course, the student will be able to:

To clarify objective and subjective aspects of experience and how they pertain to psychotherapy, personality theory and psychology;
To understand alternative conceptions of mind and self;
To see the operation of beliefs and attitudes in their own and other's behavior;
To have an understanding of how happiness and suffering operate as major motivators for human behavior and have experienced alternative approaches to how to respond;
To have an intellectual and experiential understanding of how to get free from established patterns;
To integrate anew the conception and practice of psychotherapy;
Have a clearer and more sensitive self-awareness;
Be able to relax, process the body's tension more effectively and apply that in treatment;
Appreciate and understand differing conceptual approaches and other cultures.

Overview

This course integrates many aspects of the phenomenological, existential and humanistic orientation. The texts are written by a Tibetan Lama, currently a United States' citizen, who brings together his understanding of Western science (for example, sub-atomic physics and quantum mechanics) and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. This new synthesis cuts to the heart of assumptions made about who we are as people, how culture perpetuates ways of thinking and acting, the experiential consequences of technology and the pervasive role of measurement in Western society, and what it means to be human and embodied.

This course is multicultural in considering and questioning the most deeply held assumptions from both Asia and Europe. Furthermore, it is multidisciplinary in demanding philosophical, analytical, logical, self-reflective and experiential activities. Lastly, the conclusions and approach set forth by Tulku are surprisingly avant garde in mirroring some of the most current thinking in particle physics, brain research, chaos theory, medicine and other disciplines. Students will be expected to examine current areas of leading edge research in the context of the textual material.

Tulku, T. (1977) Time, Space and Knowledge: A New Vision of Reality. Emeryville, CA: Dharma Publishing. TSK.

Tulku, T. (1978) Kum Nye Relaxation. Vol. I. Emeryville, CA: Dharma Publishing. KN.

Tulku, T. (1994) Dynamics of Time and Space: Transcending Limits on Knowledge. Emeryville, CA: Dharma Publishing.

Special requirements of the course (if applicable)

Attendance, weekly papers, daily journals and a final paper.

General methodology used in teaching this course

Lecture, class discussion, "exercise" practice, journaling.

Course Outline

Outline for non-Traditional Therapeutic Techniques

Date Readings Exercises Week 1 Jan 13 KN p. 1 - 34 KN 1 - 5 KF Sect 1 - 4 Emphasize 4 & 5 KN 5 is especially important Week 2 Jan 18 KF Sect 5 - 7 KN 6, 7 & 8 Jan 20 KF Sect 8 - 10 Continue KN 5 & 8. Energize the hands and do a massage. Short 1 Page Paper What are the goals you would like to attain through this course? Through your education? What questions do you want to ask? It is natural to have goals, but by taking time to become clear on those goals, we can lessen the tendency for these goals to also become limits. Ask and answer this question and all of the other questions without judging the answer as good or bad, desirable or undesirable. Week 3 Jan 25 KF Sect 8 - 10 According to KF, what is knowledge? Jan 27 Continue KN 5 & 8 and do a second massage Select a topic on which to write your final paper. Week 4 Feb 1 TSK Chpt 1 TSK 1 & 2 KN 15 & 16 Feb 3 Short 1 Page Paper What do you mean when you say "something is real"? How might you question this? Week 5 Feb 8 TSK Chpt 2 TSK 3 - 4 KN 17 & 18 Feb 10 Short 1 Page Paper Discuss examples of "knowing our not-knowing is knowledge in action" and "when we view whatever happens to us as a manifestation of knowledge, knowledge shows itself in the results of our actions." Week 6 Feb 15 TSK Chpt 3 & 4 TSK 5 - 8 KN 19 & 20 Feb 17 Short 1 Page Paper What is mind? How does the self manifest in your experience? In your mind? What kind of "space" do "they" "occupy?" Week 7 Feb 22 TSK Chpt 5 TSK 9 - 12 KN 21 & 22 Feb 24 Short 1 Page Paper How do you actually experience attitudes and beliefs? Are they different or the same as thoughts? For example, do beliefs provide an underpinning for thoughts, and thus are not thoughts but "something" different from thoughts? Week 8 Mar 1 TSK Chpt 6 TSK 13 - 16 KN 23 & 24 Mar 3 Short 1 Page Paper Does our constant search for happiness produce results? How often are you really happy? If the strategies for happiness you have chosen do not seem to work well, why do you cling to them? Week 9 Mar 15 TSK Chpt 7 TSK 17 KN 25 & 26 Mar 17 Short 1 Page Paper Are there basic emotions that you can find in your experience? Which ones seem the most basic? How do they relate to time? to space? Week 10 Mar 22 TSK Chpt 8 TSK 18 - 24 KN 27 & 28 Mar 24 Short 1 Page Paper In KF, TT writes, "Knowledge that binds us can also be the knowledge that opens the path to freedom" He also writes that fear can be a gateway to knowledge. In the context of time and space in KN, KF and TSK, how would this work? Week 11 Mar 29 TSK Chpt 9 KN 29 & 30 Mar 31 Short 1 Page Paper Notice your experience of need and satisfaction. How do they "work?" How do they function in space and time? How are they "knowledge?" Week 12 Apr 5 TSK Chpt 10 TSK 25 - 28 KN 31 & 32 Apr 7 Short 1 Page Paper What is the relationship between the physical feelings of relaxation, well-being and energy and the feelings of love,joy and compassion? How are these experiences space and time? Week 13 Apr 12 TSK Chpt 11 TSK 29 & 30 & 12 KN 33 Apr 14 Short 1 Page Paper Describe an everyday Level I experience. Now describe this same experience from a Level II and III TSK perspective. Week 14 Apr 19 TSK Chpt 13 TSK 31 & 32 & 14 KN 34 Apr 21 Short 1 Page Paper How can "you" "apply" "TSK"? How might TSK spontaneously manifest through and as you? Since TSK simply describes, do you need to do anything to "get" the results? Week 15 Apr 26 TSK Chpt 15 TSK 33, 34, 35 & 16 KN continue. Apr 28 Short 1 Page Paper From a "TSK-perspective," what is psychotherapy? How does it work? What changes? Finals May 5 FINAL PAPER DUE 2 - 4 p.m.

DAILY PRACTICE JOURNAL

The journals are due each Monday. No late journals will be accepted.

Throughout the week do both TSK and KUM NYE "exercises" (see following section)--though not necessarily at each session.

Be sure to do the exercises scheduled for that week when you begin. Later in the week proceed with others that "call to you" or return to those with which you are unfinished or want to keep working on.

Please include the date and the number of the exercise (e.g. TSK 6 or KN 5).

Your entry should be at least 4 or 5 sentences long.

For each entry, describe what happened when doing the exercise. What kind of progression of experiences were you confronted with? What were your struggles? If you had new or different experiences, can you describe them? What were your reactions? insights?

Each acceptable entry is worth 1/2 point. This totals to a maximum of 56 points.

Consistent daily practice pays off in the long run.

Note that over one-half of the points going toward the final grade come from the journal entries.

EXERCISES

These exercises are complex and "deep," need to be done repeatedly and with awareness. They must be fully explored and regularly done to get their "full benefits." In doing the exercises, be sure to do the ones assigned for the week at first. That way you will be exposed to them. On the other hand, they might not suit you right now--earlier ones might "call" to you or you might find another, someplace else in the readings or in the tapes that seems right. Follow your internal guide. MOST IMPORTANTLY THOUGH, DO THEM EVERY DAY!!!

You need to get familiar with KN Exercise 5, Expanding Feeling, since it is one of the foundations of the later Kum Nye practices.

The second foundation is merging expanding feeling with the breath. This is developed through KN Exercises 6, 7 & 8. You need to pay special attention to these foundational exercises before proceeding with the later Kum Nye exercises whether the massage or the movement or the meditation.

The taped exercises can be very helpful in providing you a sense of how some of these might proceed. They include additional practices as well as more traditional mediation.

It is important with the KF, KN or TSK exercises to do them for extended periods of time, like half an hour or more. Try to arrange a regular time in your schedule every day to do them.

PAPERS

These short papers are designed to develop your understanding of the material. The question is to act as a stimulus for further thinking and application. You do not have to agree with the notions expressed in the readings. I do, however, expect you to attempt to struggle with those readings and to relate them to the question for the paper. Rote parroting of any position is not the idea here. Open to excitement, originality, involvement and clearheadedness.

When you do the papers, the objective is not to be purely abstract and theoretical nor for you to rely on standard or accepted points of view. Consider the questions afresh. Examine your actual experience and how your experience is FOR YOU, being aware of pre-conceptions you bring to it. Try not be judgmental. Be descriptive. When you find concepts, beliefs, assumptions and so on, simply continue to question them.

FINAL PAPER

Due Finals Week.

This paper is your chance to connect the theoretical and textual material in this course to the scholarly and scientific literature in psychology, psychotherapy as well as other disciplines.

1. Select a topic area. There are many but following are a few: mind-body healing, spontaneous remission of illnesses, hypnosis, meditation and altered states, relaxation, creativity and problem-solving, qualitative research, issues in measurement, psychotherapy process, pain management, and so on to cite only a few.

2. Define an interface between TSK and your topic, making an outline of the issues and topics to be covered by your literature search. Attempt to specify questions you will attempt to answer.

3. Do a literature search of the literature, emphasizing the past five years. Focus on two issues in particular: issues of theory, and scientific results.

4. Connect 3 back to 1 and 2. Please make a critical synthesis both of TSK and of the current literature on your topic.

5. Develop a conclusion and a direction for further exploration.

Syllabus prepared by: Donald Beere, Ph.D.

October 24, 1994

Bibliography

(1993) Mastery of mind: Perspectives on Time, Space, and Knowledge. Emeryville, CA: Dharma Press.

Tulku, T. (1993) Visions of Knowledge. Emeryville, CA: Dharma Publishing.

Tulku, T. (1990) Knowledge of Time and Space Emeryville, CA: Dharma Publishing.

Tulku, T. (1987) Love of Knowledge. Emeryville, CA: Dharma Publishing.

Tulku, T. (1984) Knowledge of Freedom. Emeryville, CA: Dharma Publishing.

Tulku, T. (1981) Hidden mind of freedom Berkeley, CA : Dharma Publishing. BQ4302.T37

Moon, R. H., & Randall, S. (Eds.) (1980) Dimensions of thought : current explorations in time, space, and knowledge. Vols. I and II. Berkeley, CA : Dharma Publishing. BF467.T373 D55 1980

Tulku, T. (1978) Kum Nye Relaxation. Vol. II. Emeryville, CA: Dharma Publishing.

Tulku, T. (1978) Openness mind. Emeryville, CA: Dharma Publishing. BQ7805.T37

Tulku, T. (1978) Skillful means. Emeryville, CA: Dharma Publishing. BF481.T37 1978x

Tulku, T. (1978) Gesture of balance: a guide to awareness, self healing, and meditation. Emeryville, CA: Dharma Publishing. BF637.M4 T37

Tulku, T. (1975) Reflections of mind: Western psychology meets Tibetan Buddhism. Emeryville, CA: Dharma Publishing. BQ4570.P76 R43

Simmons, L. (Ed.) Journal of Time, Space and Knowledge. Nyingma Centers, Berkeley, CA.

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