Ira Israel

Licensed Counselor and Psychotherapist

Ira Israel is a Licensed Counselor and Psychotherapist who has been in private practice for over 14 years. He specializes in teaching others about happiness and authenticity. Ira teaches sold-out Happiness and Authenticity workshops at Esalen Institute and Kripalu Center and has written over 400 articles on psychology, philosophy, Buddhism, yoga, film, art, music & literature for The Huffington Post, Good Men Project, Mind Body Green, Thrive Global, and Medium. Ira is also the author of How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You’re an Adult: A Path to Authenticity and Awakening. He attended The University of Pennsylvania and has graduate degrees in Psychology, Philosophy, and Religious Studies.

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Co-authored Articles (19)

How to

Become a Buddhist Monk

Buddhism is a religion over 2,000 years old. It offers a method of overcoming the suffering that is inherent in being. Buddhist monks are those who take it upon themselves to live a life entirely devoted to this goal.I...

How to

Be Authentic

When a person is authentic, it means that they act in ways that genuinely show how they feel. They do this rather than putting on different faces around different people, or tailoring their personality based on context. ...

How to

Dissolve the Ego (According to Eckhart Tolle's Teachings)

You, in essence, are formless consciousness or stillness or presence. Ego, in this context, is the ''false self'' or current state of consciousness of humanity that doesn't let the ''presence'' (universal intelligence) s...

5 Pranayama Breathing Techniques for Beginners

Learn how to do pranayama with this step-by-step guidePranayam (also known as pranayama) is the ancient practice of controlling your breath to control the movement of life force (“prana”) through your body. Practicin...

How to

Say a Buddhist Prayer

Buddhism is not marked by multiple "essential" prayers, like some other religions, but prayer is a spiritual dialogue that help you center yourself mentally and emotionally. As you begin to pray, visualize the beings you...

How to

Become Enlightened

An in-depth guide to help you reach spiritual enlightenmentBecoming enlightened can mean different things to different people. In general, most people think of enlightenment as a greater awareness of the world or a highe...

How to

Develop Self‐Esteem

Our self-esteem is instilled in us during our youth. Being constantly criticized by family, friends, and society in general tends to slowly strip us of our feelings of self-worth. Our low self-esteem strips us of the sel...

How to Embrace Your Flaws

Far too often, we look at ourselves in the mirror and tell ourselves we aren’t good enough. Embracing your flaws and accepting yourself for who you are is a great way to change your life and learn to love yourself. In ...

How to

Practice Mindfulness (Buddhism)

Practicing mindfulness is about controlling the way you think about the world. You must learn to live in the present moment and how to focus your attention on only the matters you choose to focus on. Mindfulness involves...

How to

Overcome Depression

Suffering from depression means more than just dealing with a bad week or even a bad month. Depression is a weakening condition that can make it impossible for you to enjoy your daily existence. If you are plagued with f...

What to Do When You Feel Like You Can’t Do Anything Right

Causes of these negative thoughts and how to turn them aroundWhen you feel like you just can’t do anything right, it can be really hard to find the motivation to try new things and take risks. Lots of people may feel t...

How to

Go for Your Dreams

Making your dream come true is possible. Start by reflecting and defining your dream by brainstorming your goals, your past successes and failures, and what makes you happy. Then move on to committing to your goal by tak...

How to

Have a Perfect Life As a Teenager

Perfection is something everyone strives for but no one really reaches. With the right mindset, however, you'll realize that this is a good thing. Being a teenager is difficult, as many people expect you to be perfect in...

How to

Find Meaning in Life

Why am I here? What’s my purpose? What’s the point? Everyone asks these questions at some point, so don’t feel alone if you’re struggling with life's meaning. Meaning in life consists of 3 separate, but related, ...

How to Accept Life the Way It Is

Understand and stop resisting your life and its mysteriesWe've all said something like, "Life is not fair" at some point. This world can be unpredictable and confusing, but that doesn't mean we can't find peace and happ...

How to

Become a Buddha

Not to be confused with ''the'' Buddha, who was born Siddhartha Gautama, ''a'' Buddha is the top rank a Buddhist can reach. They are someone who has achieved the highest level of spiritual awakening, which is nirvana. Be...

How to

Add Meaning to Your Life

When something has meaning, it has a purpose; it is significant. Likewise, a life that has meaning feels purposeful and significant. Feeling as though your life is meaningless can lead to depression and hopelessness. Add...

How to

Accept Yourself, Your Life, and Your Reality

It can be hard to accept yourself, your life, and the reality that you live. Maybe you don't like your future prospects or dislike an aspect of your personality, or some days you don't like something about how you look. ...

Are You Self-Sabotaging Your Relationship? The Telling Signs

Helping you reverse self-destructive behaviorsYou’re in a relationship, but things are starting to go south. You confess what’s going on to a close friend, and they give you the side eye and say, “You’re self-sab...