Mindfulness-based Therapy

Mindfulness is often talked about as a way to practice being more present. This is one part of mindfulness practice, being aware about the moment you are in. It is also about acceptance and change, tapping into the senses to be more fully present in your life, and calming the nervous system so you reduce the negative impact of stress. Mindfulness-based therapy in our work together means breathing, feeling, noticing, saying aloud, and setting intentions.

I am trained in mindfulness based theories and techniques. I am certified to teach Mindful Self-Compassion and bring it into psychotherapy regularly.

I have practiced mindfulness for three years and have incorporated mindfulness into my practice since its inception. When I think of mindfulness, I think of training our awareness to focus on certain things and the present moment. In therapy we will explore mindfulness outside of sitting quietly.

Mindfulness techniques can be very useful to manage responses to challenging feelings and situations. My work integrates a variety of techniques, including work in session to review and identify the most helpful ways to approach your particular concerns.

Mindfulness based therapy

Mindfulness practices involve learning how to open our awareness, focus our attention, and allow painful reality that we may be fighting. This leads to a reduction in anxious and depressive symptoms. However, understanding something intellectually is different from successfully implementing it. I can help you by providing individualized intervention and assistance to aid you in developing the ability to practically implement these practices so you can achieve the desired benefits.

There are a number of mindfulness-based therapies. I utilize Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which employs mindfulness as a way to experiment with attention. We can become overly preoccupied with the future, the past, or even a specific aspect of the present (e.g., pain, hurt, fear, anger), such that we are no longer focused on what we value. In ACT we practice noticing when we have been pulled away, and (if we choose) returning to what matters.

Mindfulness-based is designed for people who suffer from repeated bouts of depression or chronic unhappiness. It combines the ideas of cognitive therapy with meditative practices and attitudes based on the cultivation of mindfulness. Recent research has shown that people who have been clinically depressed three or more times in their life find that learning mindfulness-based skills help to considerably reduce their chances of depression returning.

Mindfulness plays a major role in my practice, as I believe it along with other positive psychology practices, like gratitude, can lead to deeper fulfillment. Through graduate and additional trainings, I have learned to effectively incorporate mindfulness with other modalities.

Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy, or MBCT, is designed for people who suffer repeated bouts of anxiety, chronic stress, or unhappiness. It combines the ideas of cognitive therapy with meditative practices and attitudes based on the cultivation of mindfulness. Recent research has shown that people who engage in mindfulness practices on a regular basis have a change in brain process (based on MRI results) in as little as 6 weeks.

I like to incorporate the benefits of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction in therapy as a means to help manage a wide range of situations. Mindfulness, the state of being in the present moment and non-judgmental of your emotions/current state, can be a vital component of effectively and positively managing symptoms and developing adaptive coping mechanisms. My mindfulness approach involves Conscious Breathing, Guided Imagery and Meditation, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, and much more.

I find it helpful to develop non-judgmental stances towards thoughts, feelings, and body sensations and working to increase awareness and integration of those experiences. This is an integral part of EMDR therapy and together the two approaches complement each other.

I have had great success using Mindfulness-based therapy techniques such as breathing and centering techniques for those experiencing intense symptoms of anxiety.

Mindfulness-based therapy allows clients to react to events in a new way instead of a "normal" reaction. MBT allows clients to change their thought process and observe the events in your life. Instead of reacting to internal thoughts and ideas clients learn to accept what is going on in life and accept what is happening and accept what is.

My approach to therapy and to life is deeply respectful of the mind/body connection. I am a long time mindfulness meditator and for many years have sought out ways of integrating this valuable resource into my work as a therapist. In session I direct you to “check-in” with your system in ways that will help inform our work. This involves focusing on the breath, thoughts, images, and noticing what’s happening with your body.