Although wisdom and compassion are seldom discussed in the mental health literature, few would disagree that these qualities are important elements of all good treatment. But what exactly is wisdom? What is compassion? What is their relationship to psychological well-being, suffering, and psychotherapeutic change? Bringing together leading scholars, scientists, and clinicians, this volume integrates insights from ancient contemplative practices and modern research. It presents powerful methods that therapists can use to cultivate wisdom and compassion in themselves and their clients. Seamlessly edited, the book features numerous practical exercises and rich case examples. It illuminates the nature of wisdom and compassion for both therapists new to this area and those already familiar with mindfulness- and acceptance-based practices. Chapters examine whether these qualities can be measured objectively, what they look like in the therapy relationship, and how to integrate them into treatment planning and goal setting. Emphasis is given to how wisdom and compassion allow us to overcome experiential avoidance/m-/to tolerate, accept, and even grow from suffering. Effective strategies are provided for addressing specific clinical challenges including anxiety, depression, trauma, substance abuse, suicidal behavior, couple conflict, and parenting stress. Innovative clinical techniques are described and the theory and research that support them are summarized. The book also probes the neurobiological foundations of wisdom and compassion, including compelling findings on the effects of mindfulness meditation on the brain. Engaging, accessible, and inspiring, this volume is essential reading for clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical social workers, family therapists, and counselors. Its strong research base and practical, real-world focus also make it a useful text for graduate-level psychotherapy courses.

Introduction, Christopher K. Germer & Ronald D. Siegel
I. What Are Wisdom and Compassion? Why Should We Care?
1. Wisdom and Compassion: Two Wings of a Bird, Ronald D. Siegel & Christopher K. Germer
2. Mindful Presence: A Foundation for Compassion and Wisdom, Tara Brach
3. Building Lives of Compassion and Wisdom, Barbara L. Fredrickson
II. The Meaning of Compassion
4. Compassion in Buddhist Psychology, John Makransky
5. The Compassionate Therapist, Elissa Ely
6. The Science of Self-Compassion, Kristin D. Neff
7. Cultivating Compassion in Psychotherapy, Christopher K. Germer
8. The Neurobiology of Compassion, Richard J. Davidson
III. The Meaning of Wisdom
9. Wisdom in Buddhist Psychology, Andrew Olendzki
10. The Wise Psychotherapist, Ronald D. Siegel
11. The Science of Wisdom: Implications for Psychotherapy, Robert J. Sternberg
12. The Wisdom of Connection, Janet Surrey & Judith V. Jordan
13. Self and No-Self in Psychotherapy, Jack Engler & Paul R. Fulton
14. Neurobiological Foundations of Wisdom, Thomas W. Meeks, B. Rael Cahn, & Dilip V. Jeste
IV. Clinical Applications
15. Wisdom, Compassion, and Suicidal Patients, Marsha M. Linehan & Anita Lungu
16. Substance Abuse and Relapse Prevention, G. Alan Marlatt, Sarah Bowen, & M. Kathleen B. Lustyk
17. Anxiety Disorders: Acceptance, Compassion, and Wisdom, Lizabeth Roemer & Susan M. Orsillo
18. Depression: Suffering in the Flow of Life, Paul Gilbert
19. Working with Trauma: Mindfulness and Compassion, John Briere
20. The Heart of Couple Therapy, Richard Borofsky & Antra K. Borofsky
V. In and Around the Consultation Room
21. Mindful Parenting as a Path to Wisdom and Compassion, Trudy Goodman, Susan Kaiser Greenland, & Daniel J. Siegel
22. Drawing on the Wisdom of Religious Traditions in Psychotherapy, Kenneth I. Pargament & Carol Ann Faigin
23. Compassion and Wisdom: Growing through Ethics, Stephanie P. Morgan

Christopher Germer, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and Lecturer on Psychiatry (part-time) at Harvard Medical School. His books with Kristin Neff include The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook and Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout (for the general public) and Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program (for professionals). Dr. Germer is also author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion and coeditor of Mindfulness and Psychotherapy and Wisdom and Compassion in Psychotherapy. He lectures and leads workshops internationally and has a small psychotherapy practice in Massachusetts. His website is https://chrisgermer.com
Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD, is Assistant Professor of Psychology, part time, at Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance, where he has taught since the early 1980s. He is a longtime student of mindfulness meditation and is a faculty and board member at the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. Dr. Siegel teaches internationally about the application of mindfulness practices in psychotherapy and other fields, and maintains a private practice in Lincoln, Massachusetts. His books include The Mindfulness Solution, for general readers, as well as several acclaimed works for professionals.