Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy: what is it and what is it for?

Mindfulness philosophy and psychotherapy have found a way to unite.

Mindfulness is considered a third generation psychological therapyand one of the best known programs is the MBSR (Mindfulness-based stress reduction program). Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Programconsidered to be one of the most effective treatments for stress.

But in recent years, another program based on Mindfulness is acquiring great popularity in the treatment of various disorders, such as depression or anxiety. It is the MBCT (Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy) or Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy.

Mindfulness is not a matter of doing, but of being.

In reality, the practice of Mindfulness, more than a set of techniques to be in the present moment, is an attitude towards life. It could be said that Mindfulness allows the acquisition of a series of healthy habits, it is a coping style that boosts the personal strengths of each person and helps in adapting to the modern world, as it favors the welfare of individuals in a society that tends to detract the genuine identity of people, and helps to connect with oneself.

To acquire the Mindfulness mentality is necessary to carry out a training. Mindfulness training consists of a series of exercises that allow you to pay attention to the present in a non-judgmental way.. Even so, it is not a matter of doing, but of being. In other words, it is being with the five senses without evaluating the internal or external experience.

Mindfulness is a state of self-regulation of one's own attention, so the will of each person becomes essential for its practice. Curiosity, openness and acceptance are part of being mindful.

The applications of Mindfulness

Mindfulness has been shown to be useful in the treatment of various phenomena, including:

• Emotional problems
• Stress
• Anxiety disorders
• Eating disorders
• Mood disorders: depression, bipolar disorder
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Somatic problems: psoriasis, fibromyalgia and chronic pain.

On the other hand, Mindfulness exercises are simple to perform, so it is relatively easy to adapt the procedures to be followed to any type of person.

Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy: what is it?

There are different Mindfulness programs. One of them is the MBCT of Zindel Segal, Mark Williams and John Teasdale, which was originally was originally developed as a treatment program for emotional stress and anxiety.and as a relapse prevention program for patients with depression.

The program combines Mindfulness meditation with the acquisition of practical skills that characterize cognitive therapy, such as the interruption of thought patterns that lead to depressive or anxious states.

The program lasts eight weeks.

Several studies have been conducted to test the effectiveness of this treatment. The results show that the vast majority of people who use this program improve their quality of life and experience less depression, anxiety and emotional stress.

To benefit from the benefits of this treatment, daily meditation practice is recommended for at least eight weeks.. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy includes body scanning, Mindfulness stretching, some yoga exercises, Mindfulness breathing and other practical Mindfulness exercises.

How does Mindfulness affect Depression?

The different exercises proposed by the Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy program change the way of thinking and interpreting the facts by the patient.. The benefits are:

• It helps to focus on the here and now.
• Improved concentration
• Reduced rumination of thoughts by the patient.
• Distancing from harmful thoughts
• Increased self-compassion and self-love
• Increased self-awareness

Mindfulness: Reconnecting with oneself

Self-compassion is one of the basic pillars of Mindfulness, and involves being warm and compassionate towards oneself. involves being warm and compassionate towards oneself.. It refers to the acceptance of the way of being and the thoughts and emotions that arise from ourselves without judging or criticizing them.

Mindfulness is useful in the current context because it re-educates you. We live immersed in a culture and a society in which capitalist and consumer values triumph: money or image have more value than human beings themselves. In this environment, everything has a price, whether it is dignity, self-esteem, pride or honor, everything becomes a commodity, even interpersonal relationships. Mindfulness helps to find oneself again, away from the influence and pressure of this society that seriously damages the emotional balance.

Mindfulness applied to therapy: double effect

This type of therapy takes advantage of the beneficial effect of Mindfulness and applies it to situations in which stress and anxiety play a very relevant role. Keep in mind that high levels of stress have a knock-on effect on both the nervous system and hormonal regulation, so curbing this state of constant alertness alleviates many of the symptoms for which patients come for consultation.

On the other hand, Mindfulness also has a beneficial effect on emotional regulation, which has a positive effect on the nervous system.This has a positive impact on many aspects of quality of life. It allows us to adopt a more detached and neutral perspective, so that we are more predisposed to approach our problems from a constructive mindset and without being dragged by the anguish and obsessive worry about what we could have done and did not do.

In addition, improving the emotional aspect makes it possible to get more out of the therapy, something that unfortunately not all patients achieve, a phenomenon that partly explains why there are people who abandon the treatments they are undergoing.

In this way, from Minfulness a double effect is achieved: the quality of life is directly improved, and it makes it easier to follow the treatment.

Bibliographical references:

• Felder, J.N.; Dimidjian, S.; Segal, Z. (2012). Collaboration in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology 68 (2): pp. 179 - 186.
• Parsons, C.E.; Crane, C.; Parsons, L.J.; Fjorback, L.O.; Kuyken, W. (2017). Home practice in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of participants' mindfulness practice and its association with outcomes. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 95: pp. 29 - 41.
• Piet, J.; Hougaard, E. (2011). The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Prevention of Relapse in Recurrent Major Depressive Disorder: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clinical Psychology Review. 31(6): pp. 1032 - 1040.
• Kuyken, W.; Watkins, E.; Holden, E.; White, K.; Taylor, R.S.; Byford, S.; Evans, A.; Radford, S.; Teasdale, J.D. (2010). How does mindfulness-based cognitive therapy work?. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48(11): pp. 1105 - 1112.