In an era of smartphones, Facebook, and endless distractions, practicing mindfulness is a radical act. Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as purposefully and non-judgmentally paying attention to the present moment, as if your life depended on it. Preoccupied with planning for the future or ruminating about the past, the present moment so often gets completely overlooked, robbing us of the opportunity to be fully, consciously, and responsibly alive. Mindfulness is the antidote to this tendency to sleepwalk through our days, and an invitation to reclaim our lives.
Mindfulness-based therapies have been empirically validated as highly effective for reducing stress and preventing relapse in depression and addictions. Furthermore, research indicates that therapy outcomes are much improved when the therapist practices mindfulness. Whatever your therapeutic approach, cultivating mindfulness will enable you to be more fully present with your clients, while enhancing empathy and strengthening the therapeutic alliance. Whether you’re wanting to cultivate your own awareness of that of your clients, this video will point you in the right direction.
By watching this video, you will be able to:
Define mindfulness and understand the significance of practice
Explain how mindfulness applies to parenting
Describe how mindfulness is used in psychotherapy
