Beyond Symptom Relief: Bringing Sukha into Psychotherapy

WHAT: Western psychotherapy is highly effective at reducing suffering, yet its aims often stop at symptom relief.

The Buddhist concept of Sukha points to a deeper, more enduring form of wellbeing - not simply the absence of distress, but a different way of being.

Through a clinical vignette of long-term depression, this presentation explores what becomes possible when therapy shifts from alleviating suffering to cultivating the conditions for Sukha.

---

Wendy Smith is a Clinical Psychologist working in a community mental health setting, where she has practiced for over 25 years. Alongside providing individual therapy, she facilitates both group and individual work within a long-standing Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) program, which has run continuously for 20 years and received recognition at the NSW Health Awards. Wendy developed an early interest in meditation and continues to explore Buddhist and other contemplative traditions in her clinical work. She is a teacher on the AABCAP Buddhism and Psychotherapy Professional Training Course.