A Buddhist Sutra of Use in Psychotherapy

One of the challenges in the work of psychotherapy is the discouragement and self-criticism that our patients frequently experience and often express. My fundamental intention is to inspire and support growth and to promote compassion for oneself as a fallible, mortal human being. When I have the pleasure to work with a person doing what he or she is able to do to own their thoughts and feelings and to take responsibility for decisions and actions -- there are times when it helps to share this enigmatic wisdom:

Don't judge yourself. And then, don't judge yourself for judging.

There is comfort in acknowledging the universality of the challenge of self-criticism. We are not alone in our efforts nor in the tendency to slide backwards in spite of them. We are not alone.