Library
Article: Reflections on Loss at the Winter Solstice
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
We are gathered here this evening of the winter solstice. This is the longest night of the year, and it is honored by many traditions as a sacred and rich time. In Latin, solstice means sun set still and winter solstice is the great stillness before the sun’s strength builds, and days grow longer. It is a time when everything lies dormant in the silent night. At this time of year, the earth reaches into the darkness of the winter night and our experience is driven by that darkness. The days are shorter and shorter as the nights invite us to focus more deeply inward, to reach more and more fully into the deepest recesses of our psyche.
Article: The Eightfold Path as an Ethical Compass in the Therapeutic Environment
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
Ethics is generally defined as a process of determining right and wrong conduct or as the study of morality. In many traditions, both sacred and secular, there is an effort to come up with a set of principles to govern behavior. In many traditions, there is an emphasis on “what bad thing will happen if you don’t do the right thing.” The motivator to good behavior is fear. This is an effective method of crowd control when the luxury of understanding personal motivation and intention cannot be understood on a case-by-case basis. But it falls short in creating conditions under which people can learn how to truly trust their motivation and intention in making decisions regarding their conduct.
Article: Depth Hypnosis: Where Fierce Compassion and the Path of the Wounded Healer Converge
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
Dr. Robert Thurman, noted Buddhist scholar, has stated that the future of Buddhism in the West lies in meditational therapies. One such meditational therapy is Depth Hypnosis. Depth Hypnosis is a therapeutic model that incorporates the wisdom of two very ancient healing and spiritual modalities (Buddhism and shamanism) with two more modern approaches (hypnotherapy and transpersonal psychology) to address emotional and spiritual imbalance.
Article: Buddhism, Ethics, and Psychology
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. and Laura Chandler
The idea that there is a connection between Buddhism, in particular mindfulness practice that is derived from the principles of the Eightfold Path, and psychology, is not new. There are numerous books, research studies, and even college courses on the subject.
Many prominent psychologists, theorists, and scholars have cited the relevance of Buddhism. Leading Buddhist scholar and professor at Columbia University, Robert Thurman, in his book Infinite Life, suggests that Buddhism is the original psychology. Most recently, cognitive psychology has given the most attention to the study of Buddhism, mindfulness practice, and meditation. Yet, interest in these subjects dates back to the origins of the field.
Article: An Interview with Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. on Soul Retrieval
By Gerri Ravyn Stanfield
I was introduced to Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. through a mutual student and friend who told me “You two are up to the same things.” Through our email correspondence, I came to agree, the Foundation of the Sacred Stream is a place where spiritual seekers and healers can find education and inspiration from a variety of spiritual traditions. I spoke with Isa Gucciardi in September of 2012 regarding her work in the study and practice of soul retrieval.
Podcast: Episode 29: Geshe Pema Dorjee on the Nature of Compassion
Today’s episode is an excerpt from a lecture by Tibetan monk Geshe Pema Dorjee.
Article: Personal Responsibility: A Buddhist Perspective on Relationship
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
Relationship forms the core of our experience as humans. We define ourselves and are defined by the nature of our relating. In Buddhism, there is a concept called “interdependence” which postulates that nothing exists independently. Everything exists interdependently. Applying this concept to relationship implies that we do not and cannot exist independently of one another.
Podcast: Episode 28: The Path of Service
In this excerpt from a talk given to acupuncture students at ACTCM in San Francisco, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses the nature of healing, the role of the healer, and the difference between healing and curing.
Podcast: Episode 27: Empathy and Compassion in Buddhism
In today’s episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses the roles of empathy and compassion in Buddhism, and offers a practice for maintaining balance when faced with the suffering of others.
Podcast: Episode 26: Ho’oponopono
Ho’oponopono is a mediation technique found in the Huna tradition, which is generally used in community or family groups to bring peace or harmony to a situation. It is a simple, direct and profound way of working with conflict. In today’s episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses Ho’oponopono and its role in our Relationship and the Inner Self workshop as a process for mediating internal conflict.
Podcast: Episode 25: The Intersection of Buddhism and Shamanism in Depth Hypnosis
In today’s episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses the influence of Buddhist ideas about suffering and shamanic approaches to healing in the Depth Hypnosis method.
Podcast: Episode 24: Power Loss and Addictive Behavior
Addictive behavior can often be a strategy for managing power loss. In today’s episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. describes some indicators of power loss and what can happen when addiction is used to manage power loss.
Article: Depth Hypnosis and Relationship Counseling
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
Depth Hypnosis is a meditational therapy that incorporates many Buddhist principles. Depth Hypnosis weaves these principles into a therapeutic paradigm for individual and couples counseling. This paradigm can be easily digested by westerners who are willing to take the steps to free themselves from the dance of karma.
Podcast: Episode 23: The Sacred Earth
In the West, most people have lost connection with the earth. In this episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. describes a way to relate to the earth as sacred.
Podcast: Episode 22: The Relationship Between Concepts and Emotions
In this episode, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. discusses why at times we can have a hard time distinguishing between mental and emotional states, She also addresses why emotional states can rarely be healed through mental interventions.