Effect of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy on Self-compassion, Satisfaction with Life, and Mindfulness


Book Description

Growing evidence supports the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders, however, comparatively few studies have examined the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on positive variables such as mindfulness, self-compassion, and life satisfaction (Hofmann, Sawyer, Witt, & Oh, 2010; Chiesa & Serretti, 2010). This dissertation used a quasi-experimental design to examine the effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT; Segal & Teasdale, 2002) on 21 psychology graduate students. The correlations between mindfulness, self-compassion, and satisfaction with life were also examined. Outcome measures include Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS-Brown & Ryan, 2003), Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ, Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, & Toney, 2006), Self-Compassion Scale (SCS, Neff, 2003a), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985). Contrary to expectation, the results indicate no statistically significant differences between MBCT and control group on any of the outcome variables. Additional analyses indicated that the common humanity factor of self-compassion was significantly correlated with life satisfaction. Mindfulness and self-compassion also demonstrated positive significant correlations.




Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, Second Edition


Book Description

This acclaimed work, now in a new edition, has introduced tens of thousands of clinicians to mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for depression, an 8-week program with proven effectiveness. Step by step, the authors explain the "whys" and "how-tos" of conducting mindfulness practices and cognitive interventions that have been shown to bolster recovery from depression and prevent relapse. Clinicians are also guided to practice mindfulness themselves, an essential prerequisite to teaching others. Forty-five reproducible handouts are included. Purchasers get access to a companion website featuring downloadable audio recordings of the guided mindfulness practices (meditations and mindful movement), plus all of the reproducibles, ready to download and print in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. A separate website for use by clients features the audio recordings only. New to This Edition *Incorporates a decade's worth of developments in MBCT clinical practice and training. *Chapters on additional treatment components: the pre-course interview and optional full-day retreat. *Chapters on self-compassion, the inquiry process, and the three-minute breathing space. *Findings from multiple studies of MBCT's effectiveness and underlying mechanisms. Includes studies of adaptations for treating psychological and physical health problems other than depression. *Audio files of the guided mindfulness practices, narrated by the authors, on two separate Web pages--one for professionals, together with the reproducibles, and one just for clients. See also the authors' related titles for clients: The Mindful Way through Depression demonstrates these proven strategies in a self-help format, with in-depth stories and examples. The Mindful Way Workbook gives clients additional, explicit support for building their mindfulness practice, following the sequence of the MBCT program. Plus, for professionals: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy with People at Risk of Suicide extends and refines MBCT for clients with suicidal depression.




Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living


Book Description

Mindfulness involves learning to be more aware of life as it unfolds moment by moment, even if these moments bring us difficulty, pain or suffering. This is a challenge we will all face at some time in our lives, and which health professionals face every day in their work. The Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living programme presents a new way of learning how to face the pressures of modern living by providing an antidote which teaches us how to cultivate kindness and compassion – starting with being kind to ourselves. Compassion involves both sensitivity to our own and others’ suffering and the courage to deal with it. Integrating the work of experts in the field such as Paul Gilbert, Kristin Neff, Christopher Germer and Tara Brach, Erik van den Brink and Frits Koster have established an eight stage step-by-step compassion training programme, supported by practical exercises and free audio downloads, which builds on basic mindfulness skills. Grounded in ancient wisdom and modern science, they demonstrate how being compassionate shapes our minds and brains, and benefits our health and relationships. The programme will be helpful to many, including people with various types of chronic or recurring mental health problems, and can be an effective means of coping better with low self-esteem, self-reproach or shame, enabling participants to experience more warmth, safeness, acceptance and connection with themselves and others. Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living will be an invaluable manual for mindfulness teachers, therapists and counsellors wishing to bring the ‘care’ back into healthcare, both for their clients and themselves. It can also be used as a self-help guide for personal practice.




Mindfulness in the Workplace


Book Description

Mindfulness-based interventions in organizations offer the potential to build individual and organizational resilience, engage employees and address workplace stress. Mindfulness in the Workplace is a practical guide written for practitioners who want to learn how mindfulness can be used as a change management and organizational development strategy. Drawing from the latest research evidence from neuro- and behavioural science, Mindfulness in the Workplace offers a framework and guidance on how to start evolution- not revolution- in the organization. It ensures the greatest chance of success, showing how to identify the key stakeholders and work with them on understanding the power of a mindfulness initiative, how to identify a mindfulness champion, adapt the language of mindfulness to the context of the organization, establish metrics, and measure return on investment. Mindfulness in the Workplace proposes that HR and OD professionals are best placed to understand the complexity of implementing change in organizational systems and, therefore, the practice of mindfulness need to be brought in-house, even if they bring in external mindfulness coaches to train their leaders. Case studies including Capital One Finance and the NHS Mental Health Trust cover the reasoning behind these initiatives, how they were planned, the barriers they faced, the lessons learned, and their results. This book offers a forum for HR and OD practitioners to hear from other practitioners who have implemented organizational mindfulness-based interventions using change management principles so that they can understand how they might be applied to their own practice and their own organizations.




The Now Effect


Book Description

"Alleviate stress, ease pain, cultivate emotional freedom, create a healthier brain, and find enlightenment with cutting-edge techniques from The Now Effect. A leader in mindfulness psychology, Dr. Elisha Goldstein takes the mindfulness approach of helping people to connect to the present moment one step further by offering practical techniques to make deep, permanent life changes. He demonstrates how to use the space between stimulus and response to break free from habitual beliefs and thoughts that don't serve you. These techniques allow you to connect with the good in life, approach difficulties with more grace, and get connected with what really matters. In essence, Dr. Goldstein teaches the foundation for how "this very moment can change the rest of your life--Now."To enhance and ease the reader experience, the text contains Microsoft tags of Dr. Goldstein demonstrating his exercises and the eBook includes embedded videos"--




Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, Second Edition


Book Description

This practical book has given tens of thousands of clinicians and students a comprehensive introduction to mindfulness and its clinical applications. The book describes the philosophical underpinnings of mindfulness and reviews the growing body of treatment studies and neuroscientific research. Leading practitioners and researchers present clear-cut procedures for implementing mindfulness techniques and teaching them to patients experiencing depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and other problems. Also addressed are ways that mindfulness practices can increase acceptance and empathy in the therapeutic relationship. User-friendly features include illustrative case examples and practice exercises. New to This Edition *Incorporates significant empirical advances--mindfulness has become one of the most-researched areas in psychotherapy.ÿ *Most chapters extensively revised or rewritten. *Chapters on practical ethics, trauma, and addictions. *Greater emphasis on the role of acceptance and compassion in mindfulness. See also Sitting Together: Essential Skills for Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy, by Susan M. Pollak, Thomas Pedulla, and Ronald D. Siegel, a hands-on guide to incorporating mindfulness practices into psychotherapy.




Assessing Mindfulness and Acceptance Processes in Clients


Book Description

How does mindfulness work? Thousands of therapists utilize mindfulness-based treatments and have witnessed firsthand the effectiveness of these approaches on clients suffering from anxiety, depression, and other common mental health issues. But for many clinicians, the psychological processes and brain functions that explain these changes remain a mystery, and effective methodologies for measuring each client's progress are elusive. In Assessing Mindfulness and Acceptance Processes in Clients, Ruth Baer presents a collection of articles by some of the most respected mindfulness researchers and therapists practicing today. Each contribution assesses the variables that represent potential processes of change, such as mindfulness, acceptance, self-compassion, spirituality, and focus on values, and determines the importance of each of these processes to enhanced psychological functioning and quality of life. Clinicians learn to accurately measure each process in individual clients, an invaluable skill for any practicing therapist. A seminal contribution to the existing professional literature on mindfulness-based treatments, this book is also an essential resource for any mental health professional seeking to illuminate the processes at work behind any mindfulness and acceptance-based therapy. The Mindfulness and Acceptance Practica Series As mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies gain momentum in the field of mental health, it is increasingly important for professionals to understand the full range of their applications. To keep up with the growing demand for authoritative resources on these treatments, The Mindfulness and Acceptance Practica Series was created. These edited books cover a range of evidence-based treatments, such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), compassion-focused therapy (CFT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) therapy. Incorporating new research in the field of psychology, these books are powerful tools for mental health clinicians, researchers, advanced students, and anyone interested in the growth of mindfulness and acceptance strategies.




Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy: Mindfulness-Based Practices for Healing and Transformation


Book Description

Applying the art and science of self-compassion to day-to-day therapy work. This lucidly written guide integrates traditional Buddhist teachings and mindfulness with cutting-edge science from several distinct fields—including neurobiology, cognitive neuroscience, psychotherapy outcome research, and positive psychology—to explain how clinicians can help clients develop a more loving, kind, and forgiving attitude through self-compassion. The practice of self-compassion supports effective therapy in two vital ways: (1) It helps clients become a source of compassion for themselves; and (2) it helps therapists be happier and generate more compassion for their clients. Researchers now understand that self-compassion is a skill that can be strengthened through deliberate practice, and that it is one of the strongest predictors of mental health and wellness. The brain’s compassion center, which neuroscientists call the Care Circuit, can be targeted and fortified using specific techniques. Filled with illuminating case examples, Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy shows readers how to apply self-compassion practices in treatment. The first two chapters illuminate what self-compassion is, the science behind it, and why it is so beneficial in therapy. The rest of the book unpacks practical clinical applications, covering not only basic clinical principles but also specific, evidence-based techniques for building affect tolerance, affect regulation, and mindful thinking, working with self-criticism, self-sabotage, trauma, addiction, relationship problems, psychosis, and more, and overcoming common roadblocks. Readers do not need to have any background in mindfulness in order to benefit from this book. However, those that do will find that self-compassion practices have the capacity to add new layers of depth to mindfulness-based therapies such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).




Self-Compassion


Book Description

Kristin Neff, Ph.D., says that it’s time to “stop beating yourself up and leave insecurity behind.” Self-Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind offers expert advice on how to limit self-criticism and offset its negative effects, enabling you to achieve your highest potential and a more contented, fulfilled life. More and more, psychologists are turning away from an emphasis on self-esteem and moving toward self-compassion in the treatment of their patients—and Dr. Neff’s extraordinary book offers exercises and action plans for dealing with every emotionally debilitating struggle, be it parenting, weight loss, or any of the numerous trials of everyday living.




Wisdom and Compassion in Psychotherapy


Book Description

Bringing together leading scholars, scientists, and clinicians, this compelling volume explores how therapists can cultivate wisdom and compassion in themselves and their clients. Chapters describe how combining insights from ancient contemplative practices and modern research can enhance the treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma, substance abuse, suicidal behavior, couple conflict, and parenting stress. Seamlessly edited, the book features numerous practical exercises and rich clinical examples. It examines whether wisdom and compassion can be measured objectively, what they look like in the therapy relationship, their role in therapeutic change, and how to integrate them into treatment planning and goal setting. The book includes a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.