​Cognitive Therapy Based on Mindfulness: What is it and What is it For?

Mindfulness is considered a third generation psychological therapy and one of the best-known programs is MBSR (Mindfulness-based stress reduction program) or Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Programconsidered one of the most effective treatments to treat stress.

But in recent years, another program based on Mindfulness is becoming very popular in the treatment of different disorders, such as depression or anxiety. It is 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, It is an attitude towards life It could be said that Mindfulness allows you to acquire a series of healthy habits, it is a coping style that boosts each person’s personal strengths and helps in adapting to the modern world, as it promotes the well-being of individuals in a society that tends to detract from people’s genuine identity, and helps connect with oneself.

To acquire the Mindfulness mentality it is necessary to carry out 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 question 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 attention, so each person’s will 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 for the treatment of different phenomena, including:

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

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: what is it?

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

There are several studies that have been carried out 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 the body scan, Mindfulness stretches, some yoga exercises, Mindfulness breathing and other practical Mindfulness exercises.

How does Mindfulness affect Depression?

The different exercises proposed by the Cognitive Therapy program based on Mindfulness change the patient’s way of thinking and interpreting events The benefits are:

Mindfulness: Connecting again with yourself

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

Mindfulness is useful in the current context because it reeducates 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-love, pride or honor, everything becomes a commodity, even interpersonal relationships. Mindfulness helps you find yourself again, away from the influence and pressure of this society that seriously harms emotional balance.

Mindfulness applied to therapy: double effect

This type of therapy takes advantage of the beneficial effect of Minfulness and applies it to situations in which stress and anxiety play a very relevant role. It must be taken into account that high levels of stress have a chain effect on both the nervous system and hormonal regulation, so putting a stop to this state of constant alert alleviates many of the symptoms that patients suffer from. consultation.

On the other hand, Mindfulness also has a beneficial effect on emotional regulation, something that has a positive impact on many aspects of the quality of life. It allows us to adopt a somewhat more distanced and neutral perspective, so that we are more willing to approach our problems from a constructive mentality and without allowing ourselves to be carried away by anguish and obsessive worry about what we could have done but did not do.

Furthermore, improving the emotional aspect allows you 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, a double effect is achieved from Minfulness: the quality of life is directly improved, and it is easier to follow the treatment.