Abstract
In this chapter, we will introduce the fundamentals of Buddhism to provide a framework for our discussion of the role of acceptance in conceptualizing the self, ameliorating psychopathology, and spurring new developments in the field of psychotherapy. We will use Albert Ellis’s Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) as an example of a Western psychological and psychotherapeutic approach to achieving unconditional self-acceptance, and we will examine this perspective from the vantage point of Buddhist views of the self. We focus mainly on REBT because it has advanced one of the oldest, original, most straightforward, and elaborated theories regarding the self and unconditional self-acceptance, as an alternative to self-rating (e.g., self-esteem). However, we will also describe how a growing number of psychotherapies are capitalizing on newfound interest in Buddhist approaches to cultivating acceptance and contending mindfully with maladaptive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
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David, D., Lynn, S.J., Das, L.S. (2013). Self-Acceptance in Buddhism and Psychotherapy. In: Bernard, M. (eds) The Strength of Self-Acceptance. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6806-6_2
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