Prescribing the Dharma

“A valuable contribution to understanding both psychotherapy and Buddhism in America. It should be read by scholars in these fields as well as by anyone who wants a ground-up perspective on how people interpret what counts as 'religion' and what difference this makes for how they present themselves and interact with others.'.”—Journal of the American Academy of Religion

“Helderman is comprehensive and insightful in his study of Buddhism and psychotherapy, and this book, likely to be viewed as authoritative for years, is a must-read for anyone with interest in the interdisciplinary topic.”—Nova Religio

“Important and fascinating. . . . This book insightfully shows how the religious and the secular intertwine and articulate in new ways and how this intertwining carries weight and significance in people’s lives and in our institutional and societal fabric.”—Journal of Buddhist Ethics

“[Helderman] raises questions of what are the ramifications of defining religion and how should this inform the process of defining. . . . [A]n outstanding work.”—Religious Studies Review

“Helderman’s book is the most accurate, complete, and in-depth exploration of how Western psychotherapists therapize, filter, translate, personalize, adopt, and integrate Buddhism into their theories, lives, and practices yet written, and is likely to remain a classic for years to come.”—H-Net Reviews

“A sensitive, careful, and detailed description of what psychotherapists think about the relationship between Buddhism and clinical practice.”—Tricycle

“An important, insightful, and timely contribution to understanding the ways that Buddhist practices have been adapted and transformed by the therapeutic community.”—Robert H. Sharf, University of California, Berkeley

“Bringing stories and tales from the field into his vivid book, Helderman intriguingly shows how psychotherapists have understood and incorporated aspects of Buddhism into their practices. Prescribing the Dharma will appeal to a wide range of readers both within and outside the academy.”—Wendy Cadge, Brandeis University

“Prescribing the Dharma may well go down as a classic in the field—Helderman has produced a work that provides a foundation, a conceptual frame, and sweeping coverage of how contemporary therapists have developed varying strategies for engaging Buddhism. I have been looking for such a book, and here it is.”—William B. Parsons, Rice University