Susthama Marian Kim

SusthamaI studied Buddhist Psychology with David Brazier and Caroline Brazier and lived with them and several other practitioners in the Buddhist House community in Narborough, Leicestershire, UK from 2003 until 2011.  I ordained as a nun in 2003, trained as a hospital chaplain and worked in the Psychiatric Hospitals in Leicestershire from 2009 to 2011. After many years of living and working as a monastic I decided it was time to start a family.

 In 2011, I moved to Watford, England to live with my family and set up the Zen therapy counseling service in our Buddhist centre in London where I and a few other therapists worked until the centre closed in 2014.  I am the deputy head of the Order of the Amida Buddha, and spend some of my time travelling to different centres to run retreats and giving teachings on the Dharma. I teach on the Buddhist Psychology Distance Learning Programme with David Brazier and will travel and teach on the Buddhist Psychology programme in South Korea this summer (2019).  I am also available for spiritual mentoring and teach Pureland Buddhism.

 Buddhism is about waking up to reality. The Buddha taught that if we are in a bad space, caught by temptation, or afflicted in any sort of way, then all sorts of feelings and emotions will arise. However painful or pleasurable, these feelings are impermanent and with support and understanding there is a way to get a hold of them so that we can free ourselves from their grip and live a meaningful life.

 Therapy is Greek for attendant, and psyche is close to the word mind, or soul, so as a Buddhist therapist I am attending to your heart and soul. We like to think that we have the power to control whatever happens to us and most times we do, but there are times in our lives when we can no longer do it alone.  Sometimes, we need to find different ways of seeing what is going on and that can be achieved by an encounter with someone who is open minded and willing to engage at a heart to heart, human to human level.

 I use many different techniques and draw on lots of different models of psychology because I recognize that we are all unique and what works from one person may not work for another. In working together I hope to find a way to work with you that is supportive, non-judgemental, and therapeutic.

 I have been working as a counsellor for 10 years and offer short and long term counseling, in person, or via Skype. If you are interested, please email me.