Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is designed for people who suffer from repeated bouts of depression or chronic unhappiness. It combines the ideas of cognitive therapy with meditative practices and attitudes based on the cultivation of mindfulness.
Recent research has shown that people who have been clinically depressed three or more times in their lives find that learning mindfulness-based skills helps considerably to reduce their chances of depression returning.
What does MBCT help treat?
- Depression and anxiety
- Food and eating issues
- Low mood and negative thoughts
- Body sensations such as weariness and sluggishness
- Psychosis
It works by training you to disengage from automatic, negative cognitive patterns such as rumination and observe thoughts/bodily sensations without judgment.
Key Concepts:
Decentering: Learning to view thoughts as passing mental events rather than as reality or direct facts.
Acceptance: Cultivating a non-judgmental stance toward present-moment experiences, including painful ones.
Awareness of Triggers: Recognizing early warning signs of negative mood shifts to prevent depressive relapse.
Shifting from "Doing" to "Being" Mode: Moving away from a critical, problem-solving mind to a mindful, accepting state.
Evidence indicates that mindfulness-based therapy may reduce the rate of depressive relapse by 50%.
We would be happy to speak with you about how we may be able to help.