Sundays @ CCP

Howard Ruan, MDiv, AM, LSW

(Chicago, Il) 

Sunday, May 4, 2025

One Continuous Mistake: Desiring Zen and Psychoanalysis

12-2pm (CST)

Haymarket House, 800 W Buena Ave, Chicago, IL

&

Zoom

About the presentation: In the last several decades, Buddhism has become increasingly associated with and operationalized within cognitive-behavioral approaches vis-à-vis the popularization of contemporary mindfulness. But the interdisciplinary dialogue between Buddhism and psychotherapy dates back to at least Fromm, Suzuki, and DeMartino’s 1960 classic Zen Buddhism and Psychoanalysis. Since then, a small but vigorous dialogue has been sustained between the two traditions, driven by psychoanalysts who identify as and practice within various Buddhist traditions. In this presentation, I explore my attempts to synthesize my religious framework of Soto Zen Buddhism with psychoanalytic and psychodynamic perspectives. 

Howard Ruan, MDiv, AM, LSW (they/them) is a psychotherapist and co-op member at Rayo Counseling and Community Co-op. They have previously worked as a hospital chaplain at Rush University Medical Center, medical social worker at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and therapist at Heartland Alliance Health. They received their MDiv from the Divinity School and their AM from the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice at the University of Chicago. They have been a fellow at the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis since 2020. They began practicing Zen Buddhism in 2009 and was lay-ordained by Guiding Teacher Emeritus Taigen Leighton in 2016. 

Learning Objectives

This is a Beginners to  Intermediate level presentation

Fees

CCP members: free with annual $195 membership, payable at registration.

Students:free with annual $175 membership, payable at registration.

New Fellows / Ongoing: free with annual $250/$300 membership, payable at registration.

Non-CCP members, single admission: $40

Continuing Education

This program is sponsored for Continuing Education Credits by the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis. There is no commercial support for this program, nor are there any relationships between the continuing education sponsor, presenting organization, presenter, program content, research, grants or other funding that could be construed as conflicts of interest. Participants are asked to be aware of the need for privacy and confidentiality throughout the program. If the program content becomes stressful, participants are encouraged to process these feelings during discussion periods. The Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis maintains responsibility for this program and its content. CCP is licensed by the state of Illinois to sponsor continuing education credits for Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Social Workers, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors, Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Counselors and Licensed Clinical Psychologists (license no. 159.000941 and 268.000020 and 168.000238 Illinois Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation).

Professionals holding the aforementioned credentials will receive 2.0 continuing education credits for attending the entire program. To receive these credits a completed evaluation form must be turned in at the end of the presentation and licensed psychologists must first complete a brief exam on the subject matter. No continuing education credit will be given for attending part of the presentation. Refunds for CE credit after the program begins will not be honored. If a participant has special needs or concerns about the program, s/he/they should contact Toula Kourliouros Kalven by May 3, 2025 at: tkalven@ccpsa.org

References/Suggested Readings

Cooper, P. C. (2010). The Zen impulse and the psychoanalytic encounter. Routledge.

Cooper, S. P. (2023). Psychoanalysis and Zen Buddhism: A realizational perspective. Routledge.

Fromm, E., Suzuki, D. T., & DeMartino, R. (1960). Zen Buddhism and psychoanalysis. Harper.

Molino, A. (1998). The couch and the tree: Dialogues in psychoanalysis and Buddhism. North Point Press. 

Moncayo, R. (2012). The signifier pointing at the moon: Psychoanalysis and Zen Buddhism. Karnac.

Safran, J. D. (2005). Psychoanalysis and Buddhism: An unfolding dialogue. Wisdom Publications. 

Presented by

The Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis/CCP Program Committee: Zak Mucha, LCSW, Alan Levy, PhD,  Toula Kourliouros Kalven.

The Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis is an IRS 501(C)(3) charitable organization, and expenses may be tax deductible to the extent allowed by law and your personal tax situation.

Best regards,
Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis