Title: Psychotherapist and Meditation Teacher
Company: Professional Psychology: Psychotherapy
Location: Redmond, Washington, United States
Robert Teister, MFT, psychotherapist and meditation teacher at Professional Psychology: Psychotherapy, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Healthcare Professionals for dedication, achievements, and leadership in psychotherapy.
With five decades of experience, Mr. Teister has established a successful career in psychotherapy and meditation, focusing on marriage and family therapy through the integration of Western and Buddhist psychology. He has served as a psychotherapist and meditation teacher at his private practice since 1979, where he helps individuals reflect on formative experiences from early childhood, from birth to age 5, and later childhood, ages 5 to 10. His experience also includes serving as a therapist in a children’s outpatient unit in 1977, working with a crisis center and clinic in 1974, and counseling children and families affected by abuse, neglect, and domestic violence through child protective services for a local county. He also served with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.
Additionally, Mr. Teister continues his work through his YouTube channel, “The Cultivation of Wisdom,” where he shares insights on meditation and personal growth. He has also hosted retreats, served as a speaker and meditation practitioner at a Dharma center for five years, led retreats at a local Carmelite monastery for five years, and dedicated four years to Parents United. Laying a solid educational foundation, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Sonoma State University, followed by a master’s degree in marriage and family counseling from the same institution in 1977. He also completed a 90-day meditation course in Massachusetts in 1996 and became a licensed marriage and family therapist in California in 1979.
Reflecting on his path, Mr. Teister began his meditation practice in 1981, participating in two 10-day retreats annually until 1990. In 1990, he attended a 90-day meditation retreat at a Dharma center in Massachusetts, after which he said he returned to his practice with renewed commitment, increasing his daily meditation time. In 1996, he undertook another 90-day retreat in Massachusetts, followed by 16 months of exclusive meditation at the Sonoma Mountain Event Center. He emphasizes that this 20-month period of intensive practice culminated in achieving the first level of enlightenment, known as Stream Entry. He then established a Dharma center within his local community, where he maintained his private practice, led regular meditation sessions, and shared his insights through numerous speaking engagements.
Mr. Teister attributes his success to meditation and basing his practice in the Theravada tradition, which, unlike other traditions that include various lineages and interpretations, adheres solely to the Buddha’s original teachings, which he believes offer a direct route to enlightenment. In advising aspiring professionals, he emphasizes the importance of finding a mentor. He acknowledges that it is common to make mistakes early on and to be heavily influenced by the medical model, but he believes that therapy alone may not be sufficient to overcome deep-seated issues such as addiction or to purify one’s life. He also underscores the importance of a consistent meditation practice, noting that while enlightenment may occur spontaneously, meditation creates the conditions for such experiences. He notes that “in a materialistic society focused on possessions and economic growth, true happiness comes from spiritual practice and personal growth rather than solely from financial stability.”
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