Buddhist Spiritual Counselling is a therapeutic methodology grounded in Buddhist teachings and is the first of its kind in Hong Kong.
It integrates Buddhist wisdom with psychological counselling techniques, placing the mind at the core of its practice. This method aims to rediscover one’s inner potential and foster personal growth.
Based on the Four Noble Truths and the Law of Dependent Origination, Buddhist Spiritual Counselling begins with understanding one’s mind, learning to calm and cultivate it, and ultimately liberating oneself from mental entanglements, enabling one to navigate life’s ups and downs with peace and clarity.
The goal is to address the mind that experiences suffering. Through mindfulness practices, Buddhist-informed insights, and counselling skills, our counsellors help service users cultivate awareness, heal suffering at its root (healing a deluded mind), discover inner peace, and transform afflictions into insights. This profound path to “inner liberation” or “liberation of the mind,” is what distinctly sets Buddhist Spiritual Counselling apart from conventional approaches.
Unique features include:
(1) Liberation, not Resolution –
What is ‘liberation from within’? When we experience suffering, most people attribute it to external circumstances or revert to self-blame, and respond with resistance or avoidance. Resolution refers to addressing problems at the external or individual level, which may offer temporary relief. True liberation comes from letting go of the mind’s attachment, i.e. the attachment to the notion of an enduring, inherent self.
(2) Liberation of the Mind –
A defining principle of Buddhist Spiritual Counselling is that true transformation begins with changing oneself, not others. Since suffering stems from the mind’s attachment, unless it is recognized and transformed, altering external conditions or influencing others can only bring temporary relief. When similar situations arise, suffering inevitably returns, often accompanied by biases, misunderstandings, and habitual reactions—automatic patterns shaped by attachment. True change must begin within: by recognizing and transforming attachment. This is the path to liberation.
This counselling approach is grounded in the wisdom of Buddhist teachings, including the nature of suffering, the Law of Dependent Origination, the Five Aggregates, impermanence, and non-self. Through this wisdom, we guide service users to transform affliction and distress, rediscover meaning and direction in life, alleviate suffering and cultivate happiness. Counsellors support service users with openness and empathy, walking alongside them on a path of profound inner exploration toward a peaceful, fulfilling, and purposeful life.
