Buddhism in Australia Traditions in Change

146 PHI/[viaSherwood

program

sawus

trainingapplicants

from Buddhistcommunitiesin

Bangladesh.

Malaysia

andSriLankaaswellasblackAfricansfromZululandand

indigenous

Australians.

Special scholarships

areavailable for

members oftheBuddhist

sangha

ormembersof

religious

orderswhoare

workingactively

to

promote

the

well

being

oftheir

communities.

and

monks,

nunsand

priests

haveattendedour

trainingprograms.

Theseincludefee

scholarshipsup

tothevalue

«$5,500

dollars

forour

diploma

awards,

In

2006

Sophia College

hada

graduatediploma

inBuddhist

psychotherapy

and

counselling nalionally

accredited for

psychologists,

counsellorsandother

mentalhealth

practitioners

wantingspecialized

training

inthefieldofBuddhist

psychotherapy,

Thiscourseis

being

deliveredin

Perth,

MelbourneandBrisbane.

together

with the

diploma

in Buddhist

psychotherapy

and

counselling

this

remainsthe

onlygovemment—accreditedcourse in

Buddhist

psychothempy

and

counselling

inthe

Australian

tertiary

education

sector.Thesecourses

emphasitc

the

place

of

meditation. mindfulnessand

associatcd

breathingpractices

inIlk’

cultivationof

mental

healthandwell

heing,

with

clinical

applications

suchas

pa!“

andstress

management.

mind-body

health

andwell

being.psychosomatic

issues.

practices

for

working

with

grief

and

loss.

palliativecare,

aswellaskarmaand

ethics.

They

also

give

attentiontothe

roleofthe

therapist

inthe

psychothcmpeitltc

encounter.

panicularly

theroleof

the

therapist

in

cultivatinginsight

intotheiruvm

mental

states

and

transformingthem.ratherthan

projecting

themontothethem-

pcuiic

encounter.

.

The

courses

aim

tobe

comprehensive,

not

sectarian,

andembracethethreetradi-

tionswithin

Buddhism:

Mahayana.Theravadaand

Vajrayana,

Theteachershave

it

wide

diversity

of

training

in

their

Buddhist

backgrounds,

as

wellas

beingprotesr

stunallyqualifiedintheir

fieldsas

psychologists.

psychotherapists,

socialworkers

and

counsellors.

The

Current

teaching

team

comprises

Dr

KwongDice.

amedical

doctor‘wtth

extensive

experiencein

counselling,

widelypublished

in

thefieldof

Buddhism

and

palliativecare

work

andwho

has

extensivetranslation

experience

with

Master

Hs-ing

Yuri,

in

the

Ch'an

traditionin

Buddhism:

DrDaleMartin.

a

mindfulness-trained

therapistwho

completed

pioneering

workinAustralia

after

gaiglnglyvtth

Dr

Kabat

Zinn.andwho

specializesin

pain

andstress

management:

'

l“

'P

Greenway.

a

lecturerat

Monash

University

and

experienced

Buddhist

.

a

psichotherapist

andsocialworker

published

iii

_

t

extensive

Buddhist

meditationex

nenceiii

the

K85!“

lineage:

and

Dr

Patricia

Sherwood,

who

specializes

intheincind-hiidv

CDIXIEC‘IOI'I

asa

Buddhist

psychosomatic

therapist.

'

leads!

:lfifihzgfi‘inagz‘figfig‘mined

PSychotherapist.

tknow

that-l

can

onli’

I
have
spent

manyhoursex

1

Viscuzered

in

myself.

Iam

the

first

client

and 50

well

being

and

the

consequgnzgngft

e

connection

between

breathing

and

bodily

trigger;

of

fear,

or

anger averssi

o

contracted

breathing

in

response

to

external

forest
pool‘ within

my

"2in

Afnhor

estre.

Occasionally.

I

glimpse

the

still

Sophia

Colle

e.

.

• 
  

8

heartor

all

theeducational

programs

in

.

3

'5

[he

Commitment

ofstatf

and

studentst th h I' Wishunit
inneistiites
of

feeling

and

thought.Onl

'

o

6-

ca

mg”. -

.

y

1n

the

degree

to

whichthosein

training

Ltlllt'tllmt:

hisMidi».and [47

In

psychotherapy

nod

counselling

canbecomeas

lumps

in

ihernsetmvuli

the,

beabletoshed

light

onthe

ptithwny

forclients

suiting

ttt

mumtheir\tntnof

inner

peace

and

happiness.

Thisisreflectedinthemottoiii

stiphin

t'iitteirr

'rnini

wisdomIU

healing‘.

References

Sherwood.P.

(2004)

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