Marjorie Schuman: Inquiring deeply, finding wisdom in problems

Marjorie Schuman is a psychoanalyst who has practiced Buddhist mindfulness meditation and relational psychotherapy for over three decades. She says: “Early on in my practice, I realized the profound truth that this very moment is the perfect teacher, as Buddhist teacher Pema Chodron famously said.  I knew intuitively that there was wisdom in problems and opportunities for growth contained within them.  My recent book, “Inquiring Deeply” grew out of my compelling personal desire to understand more deeply how the two practices could best be blended into an integrated approach to working with psychological problems.” In this conversation, we explore how this is reflected in her work. At some points in the recording, there are some distracting noises from outside. We apologize for that, but we elected to keep the recording, as opposed to redoing it, to keep its spontaneous character. Marjorie Schuman, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist with expertise both in relational psychoanalysis and Buddhist mindfulness practice. She co-founded The Center for Mindfulness in Psychotherapy in Santa Monica, CA in 1995 where she taught a certificate program in Contemplative Relational Psychotherapy. Currently, Marjorie is faculty at the Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies and is in private practice in Santa Barbara, CA. She is the author of the recent book “Mindfulness-Informed Relational Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis: Inquiring Deeply” (Routledge Press, 2017). See her website. Published October 2017.