To discuss their differences, it is first helpful to know the similarities between these two concentrations:
Similarities
Program Length: Both programs are three years in duration (Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling also has a fourth year option).
Professional Outcome: Graduates from both programs are able to work in a variety of settings, including mental health agencies, social services, human resources departments, nonprofit agencies, and private practice.
Meditation: Both programs have meditation requirements as a part of the core curriculum. The Contemplative Psychotherapy & Buddhist Psychology meditation requirement extends throughout the duration of program to include five hours per week of sitting practice, regularly scheduled meetings with the student’s meditation instructor, specific classes (e.g. “Psychology and Meditation”), and the Maitri program (see below). This ongoing meditation requirement creates a common ground for the members of each class as they study and discuss the main principles of both Buddhist and Western psychology. The Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling meditation requirement includes four classes (two years) of the Psychology of Meditation. During those classes the student fulfills a sitting practice requirement and meets regularly with their meditation instructor. However, continuation of meditation practice after the completion of the courses is up to the student.
Differences
Community: The feature of community is a strong learning component of the Contemplative Psychotherapy & Buddhist Psychology program. Students take every class together, including the off-campus Maitri retreat. Community serves as a mirror to one’s mind as well as a continual laboratory for working with others. Classmates become a close group during the three years of the program. The Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling program—due to flexibility in the scheduling of classes—does not rely on community to such a degree, although it is still present. This flexibility in course scheduling is a unique feature of the Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling program, where each class is offered at a variety of times, including evening classes. So, for a student who needs a lot of flexibility, and for whom the aspect of community is not as high a priority in their educational experience, the Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling program may be the best option for them.
Counselor Training Approaches: The counselor training approach of the Contemplative Psychotherapy & Buddhist Psychology program includes training in current counseling theories and their applications, theory and practice of group therapy, participation in Group Process, a meditation practice requirement, and the Maitri program. Throughout the three-year program, students spend a total of about ten weeks living together as a learning community. Held in a retreat center in Northern Colorado, the Maitri programs include intensive sitting meditation, the study of Buddhist teachings, and the Maitri space-awareness practice. For more information on the Maitri practice please visit the Contemplative Psychotherapy & Buddhist Psychology program page. The counselor training in the Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling program includes one year of training in a client-centered approach and one year of Gestalt. The students work with these therapeutic modalities under the guidance of professional therapists. It is here that the sense of community comes into play in the Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling program.