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Professor uses Zen to reach counseling clients

The Eastern philosophy of Zen has long been credited by its adherents for helping them center their lives. Professor Andrew Bein says practitioners in psychology, counseling and social work can also use Zen principles to better reach their clients.

Bein’s new book, The Zen of Helping: Spiritual Principles for Mindful and Open-Hearted Practice, has been released by Wiley publishing and is already receiving accolades from practitioners.

“The Zen of Helping is a must-read, must-have book for anyone who is serious about helping those in need of care, understanding and comfort,” says Shauna L. Smith, co-founder of Therapists for Social Responsibility.

Using scientific and medical criteria when sizing up a client can supply only so much information, Bein says. How does the practitioner interact with someone he or she may not know very well? How do they listen to them or decide on which direction to take?

That’s where the “strong back – soft front” philosophy of Zen can be used, he says. The “strong back” is used to keep the practitioner from giving up on a client as a lost cause. At the same time, though, you don’t want to try to pound the truth into them, so the practitioner must also have a “soft front” of open-heartedness, Bein says.

“It’s a little different slant,” he says of the approach offered in the book.

Specific chapters emphasize radical acceptance, practitioner mindfulness and compassion for the client, something that traditional approaches may see as “soft” or non-scientific, Bein says. To that end, Bein asks the practitioner to “view one person’s suffering as a river that flows through everyone.”

The practitioner should also recognize that being with the client is an opportunity—a gift—to help that person, Bein says. If just a few circumstances were changed, it could be the practitioner who was seeking help, he says.

Bein’s approach is not limited to just those practicing Eastern spiritual traditions. Practitioners from all religions can use this method. If they don’t wish to meditate, they may wish to pray and bring a sense of the divine to the encounter, Bein says. Even an atheist can view the approach more along the lines of relaxation, he says. “It’s about being inclusive.”

Bein embraced Zen Buddhism 10 years ago as a way to manage some challenges in his personal life. He incorporated the philosophy into his profession shortly afterward, finding that it fit with the acceptance required in social work.

The book is available at the Hornet Bookstore, the Avid Reader bookstores in Sacramento and Davis, and at Amazon.com. Bein will hold a book signing at the Avid Reader in Sacramento at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 11. Bein notes that Amazon already ranks the book in the top 30 of all books on Zen Buddhism over the years, and second in sales for new releases on the subject.

For more information on The Zen of Helping: Spiritual Principles for Mindful and Open-Hearted Practice visit http://andrewbein.com/ or call 278-6170.