Mindfulness

• Gaining control of thoughts


  focus on our present thoughts,emotions and feelings

  Normally we focus on past experiences or our future.

  Focusing on the present allows us to gain greater awareness of negative thoughts and to gain control over them and accept them

  Allows individuals to notice negative automatic thoughts and alter their reaction
• Meditation and mindful breathing

  Formal training is most effective as it physically removes you from daily life.

  Its learnt through guided interaction and personal practice.

  Guided meditation involves allowing the client to sit comfortably,straight spine and focus breathing and pay attention to body sensations

  It helps reprocess internal experiences and accept thoughts are impermanent ,so then people dont react in an automatic way to thoughts
• Informal practices of mindfulness

  Once learnt it can be practiced throughout daily life.

  It makes you focus on one single task,focusing on your surroundings.

  Gives us a break from normal thought processes
• Evaluation Effectiveness


  Integration with other therapies

  becoming increasingly incorporated into other therapies(CBT and psychoanalysis),a new and alternative perspective.

  MiCBT,helps us change the process of thinking not just the content
• Evaluation Effectiveness


  application in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy(MBCT)

  helps prevent patients who suffer from depression from relapse.

  Teasdale et al-evaluated the effectiveness among 145 depressed patients,randomly allocated to recieve TAU OR TAU plus 8 classes on MBCT

  Relapse was assessed over a 60 week period,MBCT provided greatest help to those who suffered the most number of previous episodes but had no effect on those who had only had 2 episodes

  3 or more episodes,prevented risk of relapse
• Evaluation Effectiveness


  Application in mindfulness-based stress reduction(MBSR)

  used in hospitals with patients suffering from conditions which may be painful,chronic,disabling or terminal

  Reibal et al-MBSR decreased levels of anxiety and depression in 136 patients after 8 weeks of mindfulness,20 mins per day

  Results were seen after a 1 year follow up
• Evaluation Effectiveness


  Group versus individual mindfulness

  more effective in group settings

  Mantzios and giannou studied mindfulness among 170 pps who were trying to loose weight.

  Randomly assigned to practice mindfulness in a group or individually for 6 weeks.

  Those in the group lost more weight and lowered levels of cognitive-behavioural avoidance(social activities),individual mindfulness needs to be viewed with caution
• Evaluation Ethical issues


  A positive approach to therapy

  doesnt involve bringing up the past for explaining present behaviour ,avoids client anxiety

  Lack of deterministic stance, doesnt blame the past

  Doesnt change thinking processes but accepts them so its less frustrating for the client
• Evaluation Ethical issues


  Mindfulness and morality

  maintains morality and ethical standards.

  It enhances leadership skills as decision making is a part of the therapy

  Ruedy and schweitzer those high in mindfulness were less likely to cheat on a task and uphold ethical standards