Meditation and mindfulness have recently become quite popular, with several smartphone apps claiming to provide many benefits. Mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT) helps you let go of anything that is not the present moment (both future and past), without judgement. Mindfulness is bringing attention with intention to the here and now and decreases rumination.
MBCT helps you to see thoughts and feelings as simply mental happenings, and not facts. Our minds are tricky, and can have thoughts pop up without warning. These thoughts can often be anxiety causing or depressive in nature. Mindfulness is noticing those thoughts, and training our mind to let go of a thought and instead bring ourselves back to the present. This technique teaches not paying attention to the content of the thought but rather to the thought process.
Mindfulness can be used for stress reduction, chronic pain, eating disorders, relieving anxiety, depression, addictions and personality disorders. A study done a year after starting the therapy in chronically depressed individuals found that patients were twice as likely to stay free of depression if they had MBCT treatments.
If you’re interested in trying out mindfulness techniques in session, book an appointment or contact me for further details.