Mindfulness & Meditation in Psychotherapy

I teach mindfulness and meditation to my clients both as part of therapy and to people who simply want to enjoy more optimal states of mind.

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness has been defined as 'paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally'*. It's easy to describe it, but more elusive to practise. Mindfulness is an attitude that you can bring to any activity, such as doing your household chores, but is perhaps easier when done as a formal practice: meditation.

Why Is Mindfulness Important In Therapy?

Mindfulness is key to one of the fundamental aims of psychotherapy: the development of psychological flexibility.

Mindfulness and meditation develop a greater degree of awareness. Awareness is a prerequisite for making conscious choices: how would you like your experience to be different?

It's also a different kind of awareness. Often problems are more about how we respond to our own difficult emotions and experiences, rather than the experiences themselves. Inappropriate responses can trap us in a cycle of inner conflict. Mindfulness begins with an acceptance of our experience, as it is, in the present moment. At the same time there is an openness to the possibility of change. Left to themselves, emotions don't last - but self-judgements can perpetuate the cycle. We don't have to rely on forced, effortful will to create change - instead we can trust the inherent intelligence in deeper levels of the mind and body.

An important aspect of mindfulness is "style" of attention. In modern life many people find themselves stuck in a mode of attention where they are occupied by one thing at a time - attention is like a narrow spotlight.

Flexibility of attention style is important because narrow-focused attention tends to lead to a stressed body state. Conversely, a broad and diffuse style of attention, in which all the senses are open, tends to give rise to a relaxed body, calm emotions, and an open, spacious and expansive state of mind.

Mindfulness in Psychotherapy

Mindfulness developed in the Eastern and Buddhist spiritual traditions, but has recently been allied to western psychotherapy approaches, notably Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is rapidly gaining prominence as an evidence-based therapy for depression and anxiety. One school that I particularly like is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) developed principally by Stephen Hayes. ACT bills itself as the third wave in the cognitive and behavioural tradition.

Mindfulness and Biofeedback

I think mindfulness can be very productively combined with biofeedback. I use it myself on a daily basis. To learn any skill you need feedback as to the effects of what you're doing. Meditation isn't easy because the feedback is very subtle - it's easy to get distracted. Biofeedback doesn't change the essential nature of meditation - it doesn't take away the need to apply your mind in a particular way, it just makes the feedback more objective.

Mindfulness Links

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) - website for the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, part of Oxford University's Department of Psychiatry

Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice - a teaching centre for mindfulness based therapy, part of Bangor University

ACBS - Acceptance & Commitment Therapy - premier source of information on ACT

Notes

* This definition is from Jon Kabat-Zinn - page 4 of his book 'Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life'. Kabat-Zinn is a seminal figure in the introduction of mindfulness to psychotherapy.