What is Mindfulness Based Therapy?

1. Your therapy (which could be individual or group) will incorporate the practice of “mindfulness”; focusing your awareness on the present moment and, as best as you can, accepting or not judging the experience.
2. Practicing mindfulness usually involves setting aside some time (from a few minutes to several hours) trying to pay attention, for example, to your breath or walking or stretching or eating, and then noticing whatever comes up (including the inevitable distractions).
3. Mindfulness practices are not the same as relaxation (although you might feel relaxed) and they do not require you to clear your mind (although your mind might get clearer).
4. Although based on an adaptation of Buddhist meditation, the therapeutic version is secular (not religious).
5. Mindfulness meditation has been integrated into other types of psychotherapy or offered for particular types of issues. For example: cognitive therapy for depression relapse prevention (MBCT), stress reduction (MBSR), binge eating (MB-EAT) and substance abuse relapse prevention (MBRP) … and others.