504. Kate Gustin

Kate Gustin, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area. She received her education from Princeton University and the University of California, Berkeley; and has worked in a variety of settings over the past twenty-five years as a mental health practitioner: outpatient psychiatry, community mental health clinics, VA Hospital, college counseling services, and currently in private practice. Gustin integrates the science of positive psychology into her psychotherapy, teaching, and consultation, and leads classes and trainings for students, patients, and health care professionals.

Book: The No-Self Help Book: Forty Reasons to Get Over Your Self and Find Peace of Mind

Websites:

kategustin.net
no-selfhelp.com

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Transcript of this interview.

Interview recorded May 25, 2019
YouTube Video Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
00:03:54 - The Influence of Eastern Thought
00:07:58 - Spiritual Practice and Influences
00:12:05 - Choosing Where to Rest Your Attention
00:15:50 - The Importance of Regular Practice
00:19:32 - The Levels of Self Concept
00:23:18 - The Development of Self-awareness: From Ahamkara to Brahman Consciousness
00:27:03 - Connection and Accessing Inner Resources
00:30:35 - The Illusion of Self
00:34:09 - Shifting Perspectives: From Self to No-Self
00:38:05 - The Irrelevance of Self-Esteem
00:41:53 - The Shift in Culture and Paradigm
00:45:42 - The Erosion of Self
00:49:12 - The Illusion of Self and the Effort to Protect It
00:53:04 - The Self as a Thief
00:56:45 - The Longing for Self
01:00:28 - The Influence of Past Experiences on the Present Moment
01:04:05 - Processing Traumatic Experiences in Therapy
01:07:55 - Life as an Instrument of Wisdom
01:12:00 - The Fading Self-Referencing Narrative
01:15:40 - Detaching from Self and Suffering
01:19:31 - Letting go of attachment to opinions
01:23:08 - Disidentifying from Beliefs and Building Understanding
01:26:37 - Infusing Collective Consciousness
01:30:21 - The Illusion of Self
01:34:19 - Near-Death Experiences and the Beauty of Death
01:38:20 - The Shift Towards a More Unified Reality
01:42:04 - A Glimpse of Possibilities
01:45:49 - The Importance of Digging Deeper
01:49:37 - Cultivating Compassion and Empathy
01:53:29 - Workshops and Website Updates