What Is Mindfulness Therapy?

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace expert medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always refer to a qualified mental health or healthcare specialist regarding your personal behavioral health needs.

Imagine you are at your favorite restaurant, and you have just ordered something really delicious. Now, it is right in front of you. What do you do? Do you dive right into it or take a moment, just to enjoy how the food looks, smells, and feels as it melts in your mouth? If you do the latter, then that is mindfulness. It is all about living in the moment, savoring every second of it.

Mindfulness therapy is a type of psychotherapy that emphasizes being in the present and acknowledging your thoughts, feelings, and experiences with non-judgment. Rooted in Buddhism, it has been adopted by the mental health community to establish a healthy relationship with your thoughts and experiences on your journey toward healing and recovery from substance use and co-occurring psychological conditions.

Mindfulness therapy is a therapeutic practice that centers and anchors your mind, thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the present moment.

Mindfulness therapy is not one single practice; it uses a diverse range of practices like deep breathing, meditation, grounding exercises, and so on.

Mindfulness therapy is performed by a licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, or social worker with training in mindfulness therapy. It can be performed in residential and outpatient care and across different settings, like individual and group settings, and even virtually.

Some of the widely used types of mindfulness therapy are as follows:

• Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT): MBCT combines mindfulness practices with cognitive therapy techniques to identify and reshape negative thinking patterns into healthier ones.
• Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Mindfulness-based CBT incorporates mindfulness techniques into CBT, wherein the relationship between thinking, emotional, and behavioral patterns is identified to reshape the maladaptive ones into healthier ones.
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Therapy (MBSR): It integrates mindfulness practices and stress management techniques to better manage and relieve stress.

Practitioners of mindfulness therapy use various techniques. Some of them are:

• Mindfulness Meditation: It uses meditation to allow the mind to stay focused on the present moment. It can be done under the supervision of an expert practitioner, on your own, and even in a group setting.
• Breathing Techniques: It involves inhaling and letting the breath fill the lungs, holding on to that breath up to a certain count (say, 5), and then slowly exhaling. Breathing techniques are very useful when anxious or stressed, as they help relax and also reel in thoughts and emotions.
• Body Scan Meditation: It uses meditation to pay close attention to bodily sensations and experiences, from the head to the toes. You become more aware of the signals the body is sending out, as well as the emotions.
• Walking Meditation: This is when the mind is focused on what it feels like to walk, thereby bringing attention to the body, especially to the feet and the feel of the ground beneath them.
• Grounding Techniques: You use grounding techniques to become grounded in the present moment by focusing on the sensations you experience when you come in contact with the ground. For instance, when your feet touch the floor.
• Guided Imagery: Also known as creative visualization, it involves visualizing positive images or settings to feel relaxed and better.
• Therapeutic Yoga: These exercises enhance body flexibility and reduce stress and anxiety. They enhance cardiovascular functioning, improve sleep, and help with other conditions like chronic pain.

Mindfulness therapy is used to treat a wide range of mental health conditions and everyday concerns, such as :

• Anger management
• Stress management
• Sleeplessness
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
• Autism
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Substance use disorders
• Eating disorders

Mindfulness therapy is also used to help cope with different health conditions:

• Chronic pain
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Side effects of cancer
• Other chronic illnesses.

While mindfulness-based therapies may be incorporated into care plans for these conditions, they are typically used alongside evidence-based clinical interventions for the best outcomes. A licensed clinician determines appropriateness based on a person’s needs.

The Mayo Clinic lists the following benefits of mindfulness therapy:

• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Manages depressive symptoms when integrated with other traditional therapies
• Improves sleep quality
• Helps in the management of high blood pressure, diabetes, and even asthma
• Helps with chronic pain management.

Mindfulness therapy is highly effective. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) notes that mindfulness therapy contributes to reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. It also enhances focus, increases cognitive flexibility and memory, leads to greater satisfaction in interpersonal relationships, reduces rumination, and decreases emotional reactivity.

Mindfulness therapy enables you to stay grounded in the present moment, increasing awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This awareness helps you break out of negative patterns, move forward with intention, and build healthy relationships.

At the NuView Treatment Center, our qualified and experienced therapists, with advanced training in mindfulness, integrate mindfulness therapy across multiple levels of care - providing a safe, supportive setting for you to gain the tools and skills to lay a strong foundation for a healthier life.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at (323) 307-7997 to connect with our expert team today.

What is a mindfulness approach?

The mindfulness approach refers to staying in contact with the present moment and becoming more aware of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

What are the goals of mindfulness therapy?

The goals of mindfulness-based therapies are to focus on the present, break away from negative thinking and emotional patterns, reduce impulsive behaviors, decrease judgment, and practice empathy and kindness in relationships.

Is mindfulness a CBT technique?

Mindfulness can be incorporated into CBT, but it is not traditionally a CBT technique.

How effective is mindfulness therapy?

Meta-analyses have revealed that mindfulness is highly effective in reducing stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. It also enhances focus and sleep.

How long does mindfulness take to show effect?

While we cannot put a time on this, some reports reveal that those who practice mindfulness have shown improvement within a few days or weeks.