Meditation and Psychotherapy:
Working with Hostility

Meditation and Psychotherapy:
Working with Hostility

Our culture is becoming increasingly polarized as systemic inequities reveal themselves and global problems intensify, resulting in elevated anger, hostility, hatred and aggression in our discourse. Clinicians and their patients alike are affected by these cultural trends and are seeking solutions to these problems. 

Historically, meditation and psychotherapy have been methods for working with difficult states of mind. What do clinicians need to know about this cultural moment to engage effectively in psychotherapy and in society at large? How can clinicians work most effectively with anger and hostility in psychotherapy? How might meditation help clinicians and their clients to maintain emotional stability during these challenging times and be agents of positive inner and outer change?

These important questions will be explored and discussed in a collegial environment with a curious and compassionate community of clinicians and contemplative practitioners.. The course will deepen clinicians' understanding of the neural, psychological, social/historical, ecological, and political factors that foster polarization. Participants will become better equipped to address anger, hatred and hostility in their therapy clients as well as themselves.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

Describe the neural, psychological, social/historical, ecological, and political factors that foster polarization in our current culture Outline effective methods for addressing anger, hatred and hostility in their therapy clients Devise strategies to integrate these methods into their clinical practice Identify their own challenging emotions in the clinician's role, and how these may affect the care they provide to patients Create personal pathways to resolve their own hostilities

Target Audience

This course is targeted to psychologists, nurses, nurse practitioners, primary care physicians and specialty physicians. This course may also be of interest to physicians who practice in psychiatry, internal medicine, lifestyle medicine, psychology and mental health, family medicine and geriatrics.

Course Directors

Karen J. Kuc, MPH
Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD
Christopher K. Germer, PhD
Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD