Mindfulness = present moment and view oneself and the world

nonjudgmentally—as opposed to being preoccupied with negative aspects

of the past, or worry about the future
And by being present in the moment it will decrease psychological
suffering and allow certain helpful psychological processes to occur.

An important component of mindfulness is the notion of acceptance,

which involves acknowledgment of and openness to current experience of
oneself and of one’s situation, without defining it as “good” or “bad.”
the acceptance component of mindfulness may be important, above and
beyond the development of attention and awareness skills also found in
mindfulness training models.

Last several decades we can see mindfulness is used as a

component of psychological treatment to reduce psychological
symptoms and problems. Can you tell me when mindfulness
would be used as a treatment?

mindfulness-based clinical interventions have been shown in

research studies to be helpful for a wide range of psychological
issues and complaints
● Anxiety and panic
● Depression, or prevention of relapse into depression
● Substance abuse
● Disordered eating
● Attention deficit disorder
● Self-injurious behavior
● Aggression
● Low self-esteem and other cognitive distortions
● Chronic pain
● The psychological effects of cancer and other life-threatening
medical
● conditions
 ● Symptoms of fibromyalgia- a disorder characterized by
widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue,
sleep, memory and mood issues. (Musculoskeletal pain is
defined as acute or chronic pain that affects bones, muscles,
ligaments, tendons, and even nerves)
● Chronic affect dysregulation
● Borderline personality disorder
● Aspects of bipolar affective disorder

So lets look at some Mindfulness-Based Therapies

MBSR
Developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center by Jon
Kabat-Zinn, PhD, MBSR is the best known and most commonly
employed mindfulness intervention in the West. It typically involves
eight weekly group sessions, each lasting approximately two and a half
hours, as well as one daylong session during the sixth week. In addition to
homework assignments, participants are asked to meditate 6 days a week
for 45 minutes each day
A central component of MBSR is instruction on how to do mindfulness
meditation, including
(a) specific sitting and lying positions,
(b) focusing one’s attention on a single
target (for example, the breath, or sensations in the body), and
(c) when, inevitably, the mind is distracted by emergent thoughts,
emotions, or sensations, noting these intrusions in a nonjudgmental way
and then returning to the target of attention. In a related activity, the
body scan, participants are led through a guided exploration of
sensations arising from the body, starting at the feet and
eventually ending at the head. Other exercises include gentle
stretching and Hatha yoga positions, and teaching and group discussions
on mindfulness, meditation, and mind-related contributions to stress.
MBSR has been shown to be effective in many studies of chronic
pain and other health conditions, as well as anxiety, depression, sleep
disturbance, binge eating, and overall psychological distress.

MBCT
MBCT is an adaptation of MBSR, specifically targeted to preventing
relapse in individuals with a past history of major depressive episodes,
individuals who have had at least three bouts of major depression
in the past, MBCT has been shown to be helpful in preventing or
reducing the severity of future depressive episodes in many
studies. Although MBCT was developed to prevent depression
relapse, it also appears to be helpful in the treatment of ongoing
depression as well
although now being applied to other domains as well, including
anxiety involves eight 2-hour sessions and teaches many of the same
skills as MBSR, such as mindful, nonjudgmental attention to
thoughts, feelings, and sensations, and the development of
meditation skills
However, MBCT focuses to a much greater extent on participants’
thought processes, based on the well-established fact that cognitive
distortions and negative reoccupations contribute significantly to
the development of depression

MBRP
Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) integrates core aspects
of relapse prevention with practices that teach stress reduction and
cognitive behavioural therapy. During this treatment, patients learn
to recognize early warning signs for relapse, increase awareness
of internal and external cues, and develop effective coping skills
It has three main components: formal mindfulness practice, informal
practice, and coping strategies.
The formal practice includes body scan, sitting meditation (breath, body,
thoughts, and emotions), mountain meditation (Become aware of the
present moment by deliberately adopting an erect and dignified
posture, whether sitting or standing, as though you are a
mountain, so you imagine you’re a mountain), and loving-kindness
meditation.
some steps for LKM:
● Sit or lie comfortably
● Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth
● Close your lips and part your teeth
● Smile slightly
● Take a slower, deeper breath
● Focus on your breath
● Inhale and repeat a line below on each exhale
some suggested phrases:
● May I be happy
● May I be peaceful
● May I be free of pain
● May I be free of suffering
LKM has its roots in Buddhist practice. creating an attitude of
unconditional kindness toward oneself and others
The informal practice includes urge surfing, mindfulness of daily activities
(paying attention to the present without judgment), SOBER breathing
space, and mindful movement (putting your body in motion and
observing the sensations in your body). Some of the informal
practices can be used as coping strategies due to the fact that they can
help the patients cope with difficulties, emotional challenges, or stress
like SOBER.
This last component which is coping strategies intends to adapt informal
practice into practical strategies the individuals can use in real-life
situations.
The original MBRP program has a total of 16 h divided into 8 weekly
sessions (2 h each) but can be adapted according to the target population
and the researchers’ goals. The sessions include mindfulness practices
and exercises that aim to increase the individual’s awareness of internal
(emotional and cognitive) and external (situational) cues related to
substance use and help in the development of appropriate coping
strategies.
The first three sessions of the program focus on raising the
individual’s awareness of environmental triggers and reactions
that may occur in response to them. The first session centers on the
individual’s habits, which occur in autopilot mode; the second centers on
increasing the awareness of triggers and cravings; and the third centers
on the promotion of mindfulness practice in daily life.
Sessions four, five, and six focus on mindfulness in the context of
relapse prevention. The fourth session centers on the use of
mindfulness in high-risk situations; the fifth session intends to teach
acceptance and skillful action; and the sixth session centers on the
concept of defusion, that is, the ability to see thoughts only as
thoughts and not as reflections of reality.
Finally, the last two sessions focus on social and environmental factors
and have the goal of guiding the application of what was learned to
everyday life
Mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) has shown
effectiveness for women with SUD, although it does not explicitly
target PTSD. MBRP alone may be effective in reducing both PTSD
and SUD symptoms in women with PTSD-SUD.

ACT
acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has shown promising results
for people with PTSD. One of the criteria of PTSD to avoid. With ACT,
you learn how to acknowledge and accept these thoughts, emotions, and
experiences instead of avoiding them.

DBT
DBT skills training focuses on four primary modules: mindfulness,
distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
These modules are designed to provide individuals with the tools to
navigate the emotional and relational challenges that often arise with
PTSD.
Mindfulness skills are essential in helping individuals with PTSD remain
grounded and present. develop greater self-awareness and self-
compassion, which can help reduce the intensity of PTSD symptoms
Distress tolerance skills Learn to tolerate painful emotions and cope with
crises without resorting to self-destructive behaviors. Techniques like
Distraction, Improving the moment, Self-soothing, Thinking of the pros
and cons of not tolerating distress
Emotion regulation lets you navigate powerful feelings in a more effective
way. The skills you learn will help you to identify, name, and change your
emotions.
Interpersonal Effectiveness: Learn to communicate with others in
respectful ways while maintaining healthy boundaries and upholding
positive self-respect.