This paper firstly outlines Buddhist theories of emotions noting that they fall within the category of "cognitive theories of emotions". The paper then com- pares Buddhist ideas with the theories of R. Lazarus and A. Ellis and locates significant parallels between these. Finally the paper makes some observations about the therapeutic import of psychotherapies based on the above cognitive theories. The paper also notes some differences between Buddhist and western theories of emotions, paying particular attention to how these differences conditions therapeutic philosophies based on the respective theories.