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MINDFULNESS AND COMPASSION BASED THERAPIES
Over time cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) has evolved as research outcomes have highlighted the model’s strengths and weaknesses in helping people get lasting results. Many of the more advanced models have mindfulness and compassion at their core including Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT).
What is mindfulness?
Once referred to as ‘attentional training’, mindfulness has been defined as consciously paying attention to the present moment as it unfolds. It is the opposite of how most of us normally operate in our day to day lives: on autopilot unaware of what is really happening as our attention is distracted by thoughts, emotions, desires.
The art of mindfulness is learned through meditation practices to help build up this ‘attention muscle’ by learning to let go of distractions and re-focus on the present over and over.
How is mindfulness used in therapy?
At the heart of mindfulness therapies the insight you gain from slowing down and paying attention to ‘now’ provides important information about your internal world.
Witnessing changes in your emotional state and thought patterns as they happen is invaluable as these shifts usually happen very rapidly. For example, you may find yourself reacting habitually without thinking things through (e.g. feel angry – lash out). When your mind is focused on what is happening as it happens this offers an opportunity for you to respond differently: with emotional intelligence, in keeping with your values and in ways that serves you and others.
For specific difficulties insights gained from mindfulness training can be used in therapy to help you recognise:
- which behaviours are reinforcing a specific difficulty (e.g. avoiding, over-reacting, freezing)
- which pervasive thought patterns are preventing you moving forwards (e.g. pessimism, self-criticism, catastrophising)
- which emotions are disproportionate to the situation (e.g. feeling enraged when criticised or feeling overly mistrustful/suspicious of others)
- common patterns of how you respond to emotions or vulnerability (e.g. with contempt, detachment, avoidance, hopelessness)
Where does compassion fit in?
It can be very difficult to adopt a stance of compassion when we become aware of our shortcomings, struggles and human vulnerabilities. It is far more common to feel uncomfortable about these aspects of ourselves. We can perpetuate this discomfort further with patterns of emotional inhibition, harsh self-criticism or constantly comparing ourselves unfavourably to others. And of course, contempt about our experiences can be reinforced in certain cultures and society at large when psychological problems or strong emotions are viewed as weaknesses or losing control.
The way in which we pay attention to our difficulties really matters. Being compassionate is the capacity to reflect positivity ‘inward’ showing ourselves the empathy, care and kindness that we would to a good friend. It is learning how to be on your own side. The science of self-compassion is well researched and together with mindfulness is a potent ingredient in managing and overcoming psychological difficulties.
Common misunderstandings about mindfulness and compassion
Outside of therapy as mindfulness has permeated our everyday culture, misunderstandings about what it is has led a lack of clarity about how it can help and when it can backfire. Within the context of therapy you will learn that:
- being mindful it is not a relaxation strategy or a means of just detaching or forgetting about problems.
- it does not get rid of problems.
- when we begin to practice mindfulness, it can release negative emotions at first because we're finally allowing ourselves to feel them, so you may not feel better initially. This is not a sign of mindfulness failing or not working in the future.
- being mindful means being open to all experiences without judgement. That means there is no ‘good or bad’ meditation, there is just meditation.
- we know from outcome studies that mindfulness does not work for everyone. For example, there is evidence to suggest that learning mindfulness when depressive symptoms are significant can be counter-therapeutic.
- the term acceptance within mindfulness does not mean passively resigning yourself to feelings, thoughts, or your situation. In mindfulness we talk about 'radical acceptance' which means an intention to face up to your current situation head on, to fully accept what is happening so that you can then decide what is best. This takes courage.
- developing self-compassion does not mean letting yourself off the hook or lowering your standards in any way. You can learn to be on your own side and be driven and productive at the same time. In fact it is far more healthy and sustainable for your drive to come from a place of self-acceptance and kindness rather than a punitive, demanding motivation.
Together we will decide if and when mindfulness will help you and how best to practice it including techniques other than formal sitting meditations.
How can my experience with meditation help you?
My personal journey with meditation started in 1993 when I was formerly taught Transcedental Meditation and I have maintained a personal practice ever since. In 2004 I trained in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and introduced it into my clinical work, running and evaluating mindfulness groups for relapsing depression and adjustment to chronic illness. Together this personal and professional journey has provided me with rich insights and experience of the merits and myths about this approach and its transformative potential in the process of therapy.
