Coming to Peace by Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.

Coming to Peace is a hybrid conflict resolution method that was born out of core mediation practices from a variety of earth-based wisdom traditions and Buddhism. The essence of resolution lies in the recognition of the deep and unbroken connectedness that we share as human beings. This book shows how the processes of Coming to Peace meet those in conflict and provides them a pathway to reconciliation and wholeness.

About the Author

Isa Gucciardi is the Founding Director and lead teacher of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream. The workshops and training programs of the Foundation are part of her larger vision for helping people who are interested in stepping into greater consciousness and leading happier lives. Her primary focus is on teaching, writing, and curriculum development. Isa is also the creator of the groundbreaking therapeutic model, Depth Hypnosis, which is born from her studies in transpersonal psychology, cultural and linguistic anthropology, comparative religion, hypnotherapy, and transformational healing. Isa has lived in eleven countries and she speaks five languages. The mother of two children, she is a potter and gardener, a stained glass artist, a piano enthusiast, and an herbalist. In addition to her busy teaching schedule, she has an active Depth Hypnosis counseling and consulting practice in San Francisco, CA.

Website: depthhypnosis.org

Reviews

“Isa’s Coming to Peace is just the ticket for these challenging times! It is both easily accessible, born of deeply lived experience, and profoundly transforming, tried and tested in therapeutic practice. Coming to Peace powerfully captures the intensities normally controlled by mental addictions, like rage, obsession, and envy, and how to deploy and transform them for the good of self and others. Isa conveys the practical how-to of this process that makes it possible to bring it into your life. I heartily recommend this book.” – Robert A.F. Thurman, Ph.D., Je Tsongkhapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University

“In everyday idiom and sharing transformative experiences of her clients, the author brings to life, in a powerful way, what it means to truly let go, develop genuine self-acceptance, and tap into the creative energy of suffering. What Isa teaches in her remarkable book is a journey of mindfulness and self-acceptance—in short, true self-discovery through the path of compassion. This is a genuine offering to the world and I thank my friend for her writing this important book.” – Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D., Principal Translator to H.H. the Dalai Lama

“Dr. Isa Gucciardi has written a magnum opus of psychological and spiritual transformation that will appeal to therapists of all theoretical backgrounds and to seekers wishing to go beyond the superficial “how-to books” of popular culture. Her twenty-year development of Coming to Peace and Depth Hypnosis builds upon her broad and deep appreciation of and experience with teachings from many cultures that have stood throughout the ages. With fierce compassion and heart wisdom, she reveals practical pathways to inner and outer healing that will truly bring peace and deeper understanding to many who embark on the journey of Coming to Peace.” – David G. Bullard, Ph.D., Clinical Professor of Medicine and of Medical Psychology (Psychiatry) University of California Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital

Excerpts

“It is remarkable to see the same principles of equality, common purpose, truth-telling, and the invocation of a higher power echoed in the Native American traditions of North America, in Hawaii and other Pacific islands, and in the indigenous African values of Ubuntu. These traditions of peacemaking were developed worlds away from one another in both time and space, yet carry very much the same intentionality. Interestingly, the African Customary law—practiced for centuries before the convening of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission at the end of Apartheid—has nearly identical goals and objectives as those laid out in the convening of the Great Law of Peace of the Iroquois Confederation.Coming to Peace brings these and other conflict resolution practices, as well as those from the Buddhist tradition, to help bring each of us back to wholeness.”

“In a world where we have so little control, it may come as a pleasant surprise to learn that how we respond to the events in our life is entirely up to us. The only catch is that we must take personal responsibility for our experience, including our role in the conflicts we engage in with others. It is easy to blame the other guy when the interaction gets heated. We may feel justified in our upset and stand behind the outrage we feel. In some cases, it may be true that we are being treated unfairly. But it is our reaction to this unfairness that dictates whether we have a wholly frustrating or contented life. Make no mistake about it: how we react to conflict is our choice alone. Certainly we can all relate to having the friend or acquaintance who blames others for his negative experience and wonders why he feels so miserable. By blinding ourselves to the role we play in our conflicts with others we are refusing to take personal responsibility; thus, we become the creator of our own unhappiness. Even when we truly are wronged, there is a way to address the injustice without blame. Holding others responsible for their actions is much different than blaming them for the negative feelings we experience as a result of their infractions.”