We all suffer. No one in this life is spared. While the extent of one's suffering may differ in intensity and quality, it cannot be avoided. We suffer externally due to life circumstances, but most of our suffering is internal, hidden, and private.

This book offers tools, from the ancient teachings of Buddhism combined with the modern approach of evidence-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), to reduce suffering in the areas of life where it most commonly occurs.

Practical Dharma: Pragmatic Strategies for Everyday Challenges, Jeffrey C. Facher, Paperback, 231 pages, $14.95

Jeffrey C. Fracher, Ph.D., a retired Clinical Psychologist, was in practice as a psychologist for 44 years in New Jersey and Virginia. He has practiced Buddhism since 1992 when he took the lay precepts, committing to the Buddhist path, in the Sangha of the late Thich Nhat Hanh. In 2013 he completed a 2-year Buddhist teacher training program at the Meditation Teachers Training Institute in Washington, D.C. He was a senior teacher at the Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville for 10 years, where he was also president of the IMCC Board of Directors, before his retirement in early 2022. In 2022, he founded Serenity Sangha of Charlottesville, a far-reaching virtual community of Buddhist practitioners which emphasizes Practical Dharma, the synthesis of modern psychology and ancient Buddhist wisdom. Jeff, a native Virginian, lives in Charlottesville, VA, with his wife of 50 years, Kay, and his two beloved rescued Golden Retrievers, Kaiya and Khema. He has two adult sons, Eli and Luke. In addition to leading Serenity Sangha, he is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at the University of Virginia. He is a volunteer bereavement group facilitator at the Hospice of the Piedmont. He also serves on the City of Charlottesville Police Civilian Oversight Board.