The innumerable demand of modern life give rise to many tensions in both the mind and the nervous system. And, since the realities of the mind are as important as, or perhaps more important than, the realities of the body, psychopathological and neuropathological problems are now receiving increasing attention. Buddhist Psychotherapy highlights the significance of mental health and mental culture as advocated in Buddhism.
In the Buddhist perspective the framework within which health should be looked at, takes mental health into account first. And mental health needs physical, psychological and social support, which means that mental health itself is not a one-dimensional phenomenon. It involves an interplay between mind, body and environment. Thus, health, in general, may be said to result from a balance - a dynamic balance - involving the physical and psychological aspect of man as well as his interactions with his natural and social environment. The task of psychotherapy, therefore, is multidimensional, demanding a broad, holistic approach if it is to be successful. This is the message Dr. H.S.S. Nissanka wishes to convey within a Buddhist frame of reference.