Counseling, Depth Psychotherapy, Spiritual Awareness
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Reseda Blvd., Los Angeles
Time is not separate from substance. They are both versions of the same unknowable, unnamable suchness.
"Forget what others say. Forget so-called "nonduality." It's only a word. Just be yourself, and find out what NOW is."
A recent interview on the WCOM-FM radio program Conversations With Avant-Garde Sages
An interview with John Lekay of Nonduality Magazine about spiritual awakening, spiritual teaching, and the nature of "nonduality.
Awakening Never Ends,a memoir about my work as a psychotherapist and teacher, and some words about what the experience of "awakening" or non-duality is not.
A radio interview with Jerry Katz of Nonduality Salon, discussing psychotherapy, nonduality, and spiritual awakening.
The Psychology of Awakening: A recorded conversation between Robert K. Hall M.D. and Robert Saltzman PhD.
Noticing awareness, and abiding in it requires no effort at all. You do not have to earn it, and you do not have to deserve it. It is here now, always has been, and always will be. Nothing needs to be added to this moment, and nothing can be added to it. But when I tell you this, you doubt it, and so you continue the relentless seeking—which is simply more egoic seeking. Calling it “spiritual seeking” or “practice” changes nothing but the name. Although this very moment is all we ever have, you continue to seek something “better,” something “higher,” something more “evolved,” some accomplishment you will eventually realize by following a supposed path. That fruitless search continues, and will continue until the fantasy of becoming exhausts itself and you find yourself at last, just as you always were.
A radio interview with, Benjamin Smythe, John Troy and Trip Overholt.
In this moment, things are as they are and cannot be any different. Ignorance of this simple and obvious fact is a principal source of psychological suffering.
---Claire, writing on the Dr. Robert Forum.
Claire understood that the "past" no longer exists, except as thought. Then she saw that "oneself" is the KNOWING of thoughts, not the thoughts themselves. No one has to TRY to know, and no one can avoid knowing. Knowing simply arises spontaneously. That arising IS "you." The key to that door is the understanding that the past is gone forever. Although this seems obvious, some people have difficulty with that idea. The late great philosopher, Alan Watts, had wonderful ways of clarifying it. Here is one of them:
- your words, "how absurdly frightened" the ego is... they hit the mark.
- Is life pointless? Isn't everything just meaningless?
- How Can I Let Go Of Fear?
- Awakening Never Ends.
- Is awakening the same as forgetting the past? Isn't everything just meaningless?
- How Does a Doctor Deal With the Terrible Suffering He Sees Every Day?
- How Can I Awaken From Delusion Into Nonduality?
- Does the "I" Prior to Ego Have Any Characteristics? How is Nondual Awareness Different From Ego? What Did Joko Beck Say About Awakening to True Nature?
- Does awakening involve the disappearance of the ego or sense of a separate self?
- How Does An Awakened Person See The World, and How Can I Jump From Here To There?
- The Entire Spiritual Dilemma Boils Down To One Problem: Denial.
- What Is an Awakened State? What Is Non-Duality? How Can I Realize Freedom?
- I Love My Husband But I Am Not Attracted To Him, and I Fantasize About Other Men.
- They Say That When You Are Ready a Spiritual Teacher Will Come. Is This True?
- Can You Identify a Psychopath By the So-called, "Soulless, Psychopathic Stare?
- I Am a Young Muslim. I Found Out That My Girlfriend Is Not Pure. Now I Want To Kill Myself.
- Is It "Normal" to Wonder What People Look Like Naked?
- Confessions About Love, Relationships, Guilt, and the World From a Young Sociopath.
- How Do I Deal With Erotic Feelings Towards My Therapist?
- What is the Difference Between Love and Infatuation? (part two)
One common reason for consulting a psychotherapist seems worthy of urgent special mention here. If you suspect that you or someone you care for may be suffering from depression, please read am I depressed?, which deals with brain chemistry and depression, and discusses treatment of depression with medication, psychotherapy, or spiritual understanding as required.
Careful attention to diet, as well as daily physical exercise, is good not just for bodily health, but for improved emotional health too. In other words, mood disorders such as anxiety and depression should be not treated with medication and talk therapy alone, but rather with a combination of psychotherapy, medication (if necessary), properly chosen food and drink, daily aerobic exercise, and other healthy choices.
A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that finding happiness in life can improve physical health in profound ways. Mental health (insight and philosophical well-being), emotional health (happiness, contentment, and gratitude), and physical health (a sound body) are simply various aspects of a total state of being--the human being--and all three must be considered together in the course of any effective therapy
Increasing the proportion of beneficial foods in the diet can sometimes make dramatic changes in how one feels both physically and emotionally, and can often reduce the incidence of serious disease. A recent study, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, suggests that one specific approach to diet, the so-called Mediterranean diet, probably is optimal for many people. If you have not been feeling well, please begin self-treatment by adopting some of my dietary recommendations.
If you you have questions or concerns that you have wanted to ask a psychologist--whether about lifestyle changes, about counseling and psychotherapy, about spirituality and spiritual unfoldment, or just about human life in general, please post your questions on the Dr. Robert Forum where they may open a discussion among forum regulars, many of whom bring intelligence, experience, and wisdom to these conversations. I check in on the forum regularly, and will contribute if and when necessary.
In addition, you may send an e-mail requesting a personal consultation. Please state your reason for wanting a meeting along with your times of availability.
Please be aware that the information on this website is not intended to replace the personal relationship between patient and physician or therapist, and that Dr. Saltzman's replies to "ask the psychologist" questions are not a substitute for psychotherapy or consultation with a physician. Indeed, there is absolutely no substitute for such a relationship, so if you are troubled, please get the personal counseling you need.
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The information on this website is not intended to replace the personal relationship between patient and physician or therapist. Indeed, there is absolutely no substitute for such a relationship, so if you are troubled, please get the personal counseling you need.