Tara Rokpa Therapy is a unique system of psychotherapy or healing for the mind. It has been developed, over the past twenty-five years by Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche, co-founder and director of Samye Ling Tibetan Centre and monastery, Dumfriesshire, in collaboration with Western mental health professionals .
Akong Rinpoche is a Tibetan Lama and doctor of traditional Tibetan medicine. Tara Rokpa Therapy is founded on his deep understanding of his spiritual tradition as well as his knowledge of Tibetan medicine and is firmly based in Compassion as a key agent of healing. It developed out of his wish to impart his knowledge to Westerners and to make it accessible to all, whatever their belief.
While Tara Rokpa Therapy holds Mahayana Buddhist psychology at its core, it also draws upon several western psychotherapy approaches, especially, systemic and constructivist which holds a compatible philosophical view.
Akong Rinpoche’s collaboration with a small group of western professionals (art therapists, psychotherapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, family therapists, social workers and massage therapists) began in the early 1980’s in the UK and Southern Africa. The resulting therapy has been presented worldwide, and has thrived in Europe.
From this experience a seven to eight year programme of therapy has now evolved. Full details of this programme are available here. The programme is designed to integrate eastern and western understandings and is grounded in Akong Rinpoche’s methods. A deep exploration of Compassion is included in all phases of this work.
There is now a 4 year professional Tara Rokpa Psychotherapy training which is accredited by both Irish and UK Councils for Psychotherapy.