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Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart: The Best of Buddhism & Psychotherapy - Sponsored by Tibet House US
August 22 - August 24, 2025
Mark Epstein, M.D.
Robert A.F. Thurman
For many years, much of Western psychology has promised fulfillment through the building up and strengthening of the ego. We are taught that the ideal is a strong, individuated and confident self, constructed and reinforced over a lifetime. But Buddhist psychology has always counseled a different approach. While the ego has its place, happiness is not seen as coming from any kind of acquisitiveness, be it material or psychological, happiness is understood as coming from letting go. In Western psychology, this understanding, which sits at the center of Buddhist thought and practice, has been articulated most clearly by the British child analyst Donald Winnicott when he wrote of the need for what he called ‘unintegration,’ differentiating it from both ego integration and complete disintegration. Unintegration is the ability to go to pieces without falling apart, as can happen in meditation, in play, in imagination, in love and sex, or even, at times, in therapy. In Tibetan Buddhism, this insight is codified in the nicknames given for the four stages of Highest Yoga Tantra: Looking, Smiling, Embracing and Orgasm, because the closest we can come in ordinary life to the happiness of the Buddha comes in our love relations.This weekend’s workshop will encourage the relaxation of the ever-vigilant mind in order to experience the freedom that comes from relinquishing control. We will draw on the best of psychotherapy and Buddhism: the teachings of Winnicott and the great 14 th century Tibetan lama Tsongkhapa, as filtered through, and interpreted by, Mark Epstein and Robert Thurman. Weaving meditation, discussion, personal reflection, and, ideally, inspiration, we will invite participants to experience how this neglected capacity has the potential to reinvigorate our minds. Please note that 13 CE hours are being offered for this retreat for psychologists:Information on Continuing Education Credit for Health ProfessionalsTHIS PAGE IS FOR IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE REGISTRATION. TO REGISTER FOR ONLINE/VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE, PLEASE CLICK HERE
* The style of the upcoming teachings differs from traditional, academic presentation. What is being relayed is not simply information, but an invitation into a living wisdom tradition. At the heart of the retreat experience, is the presence of teachers, and the presence of yourself, as student. This relational emphasis, and your innate capacity to absorb, question, and clarify are your keenest assets in an unfolding, and at times, unpredictable atmosphere of learning.ScheduleFriday, August 22
ABOUT THE TEACHERs
Mark Epstein, M.D.
Mark Epstein, M.D. is a psychiatrist in New York City and the author of a number of books about the interface of Buddhism & psychotherapy, including Thoughts without a Thinker, Going to Pieces without Falling Apart, Going on Being, Open to Desire, Psychotherapy without the Self, ...
Robert A.F. Thurman
Robert Thurman is Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University as well as co-founder and President of Tibet House US and it's Menla Retreat & Spa. A world-wide lecturer on Tibetan Buddhism, activist for the plight of the Tibetan people, translator of Buddhis...
MENLA
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