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Personal encounters with Mindfulness Meditation.
I have been attracted to the idea of meditation ever since I first heard of it at fourteen years of age, but it was twelve years later in 1996 that I finally had the opportunity to attend my first meditation retreat.
Of course it was life changing. I distinctly remember walking to work on return to the city, down the same dirty street I had walked every day prior to the retreat, suddenly I was shockingly aware of the vibrant green leaves contrasting the dull grey streets, as though I had never seen the trees before. Where prior to the retreat I had felt alone and dissatisfied with my friendships, post retreat I was deeply grateful for the friends I did have. Instead of lying in bed in the morning ruminating for an hour or two before I got up I was able to simply get out of bed and get into my day.
Keeping sane in my first year of practice as a therapist.
Coincidentally it was on return from this first retreat that I learned I was being given the very exciting opportunity to join the outpatient therapy team at the addictions treatment centre where I worked as a nurse.
The new role came with a steep and fulfilling learning curve and without my new found meditation practice I would have really struggled with the responsibility. Holding onto my sanity was a strong motivator to keep me committed to that first year of mindfulness practice.
Patiently waiting
For years I wanted to incorporate mindfulness meditation into my therapy practice but I felt hampered by the dominant therapeutic paradigm. Working within the mental health system, I was fearful that teaching my clients to use mindfulness would be viewed as unprofessional or religious. I had not yet seen any empirical evidence demonstrating the efficacy of mindfulness so I kept my mindfulness practice to myself.
In recent years however it feels like the therapeutic world is abuzz with the miracle of mindfulness meditation. Every year more and more scientific evidence is emerging in support of the capacity for mindfulness to change people’s brains and therefore their lives.
Practical benefits of incorporating Mindfulness into my therapeutic practice.
Nowadays I rarely start a therapy session without a brief mindfulness practice.
Facilitating a few minutes of mindfulness at the beginning of each session helps me to become highly focused and present to the people who consult with me. Importantly it also helps me to be present to and make therapeutic use of my subtle internal responses to the events which unfold within the therapeutic relationship.
Initial research has shown that clients of clinicians who practice mindfulness meditation have better therapeutic outcomes than the clients of clinicians who do not, Grepmair, Mitterlehner, Bacheler, Rother and Nickell, (2007).
A few minutes of mindfulness helps my clients to arrive into a place of presence to themselves at the start of a session. It increases their capacity to be aware of their thoughts, feelings and reactions during the session and it provides an essential experiential learning opportunity which will translate to their lives outside the therapy room. When a client's emotions or memories become overwhelming in a session, facilitating some moments of mindfulness helps them get grounded into the present and into their bodies, and teaches them how to keep emotionally safe when feeling overwhelmed.
When working in a group therapy context I use mindfulness in a similar manner whenever the group energy becomes ungrounded or highly emotional.
And my favourite mindfulness of the senses exercise has never failed to calm the distressed, anxious or tearful clients who frequently call our team at the busy outpatient therapy clinic at which I am employed.
Increase your knowledge and confidence in using practical Mindfulness techniques with your clients
If you would like to increase your knowledge and confidence in using practical Mindfulness techniques with your clients please check out my July 4th Learn to Teach Mindfulness Workshop on the booking page of this website or go to the secure page at trybooking http://www.trybooking.com/HOVW OR http://www.trybooking.com/133064
Grepmair, Mitterlehner, Bacheler, Rother and Nickell, (2007).
Promoting mindfulness in psychotherapists training influences the treatment results of their patients: A randomised double-blind control study. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 76, 332-338.doi:10.1159/000107560
I have been attracted to the idea of meditation ever since I first heard of it at fourteen years of age, but it was twelve years later in 1996 that I finally had the opportunity to attend my first meditation retreat.
Of course it was life changing. I distinctly remember walking to work on return to the city, down the same dirty street I had walked every day prior to the retreat, suddenly I was shockingly aware of the vibrant green leaves contrasting the dull grey streets, as though I had never seen the trees before. Where prior to the retreat I had felt alone and dissatisfied with my friendships, post retreat I was deeply grateful for the friends I did have. Instead of lying in bed in the morning ruminating for an hour or two before I got up I was able to simply get out of bed and get into my day.
Keeping sane in my first year of practice as a therapist.
Coincidentally it was on return from this first retreat that I learned I was being given the very exciting opportunity to join the outpatient therapy team at the addictions treatment centre where I worked as a nurse.
The new role came with a steep and fulfilling learning curve and without my new found meditation practice I would have really struggled with the responsibility. Holding onto my sanity was a strong motivator to keep me committed to that first year of mindfulness practice.
Patiently waiting
For years I wanted to incorporate mindfulness meditation into my therapy practice but I felt hampered by the dominant therapeutic paradigm. Working within the mental health system, I was fearful that teaching my clients to use mindfulness would be viewed as unprofessional or religious. I had not yet seen any empirical evidence demonstrating the efficacy of mindfulness so I kept my mindfulness practice to myself.
In recent years however it feels like the therapeutic world is abuzz with the miracle of mindfulness meditation. Every year more and more scientific evidence is emerging in support of the capacity for mindfulness to change people’s brains and therefore their lives.
Practical benefits of incorporating Mindfulness into my therapeutic practice.
Nowadays I rarely start a therapy session without a brief mindfulness practice.
Facilitating a few minutes of mindfulness at the beginning of each session helps me to become highly focused and present to the people who consult with me. Importantly it also helps me to be present to and make therapeutic use of my subtle internal responses to the events which unfold within the therapeutic relationship.
Initial research has shown that clients of clinicians who practice mindfulness meditation have better therapeutic outcomes than the clients of clinicians who do not, Grepmair, Mitterlehner, Bacheler, Rother and Nickell, (2007).
A few minutes of mindfulness helps my clients to arrive into a place of presence to themselves at the start of a session. It increases their capacity to be aware of their thoughts, feelings and reactions during the session and it provides an essential experiential learning opportunity which will translate to their lives outside the therapy room. When a client's emotions or memories become overwhelming in a session, facilitating some moments of mindfulness helps them get grounded into the present and into their bodies, and teaches them how to keep emotionally safe when feeling overwhelmed.
When working in a group therapy context I use mindfulness in a similar manner whenever the group energy becomes ungrounded or highly emotional.
And my favourite mindfulness of the senses exercise has never failed to calm the distressed, anxious or tearful clients who frequently call our team at the busy outpatient therapy clinic at which I am employed.
Increase your knowledge and confidence in using practical Mindfulness techniques with your clients
If you would like to increase your knowledge and confidence in using practical Mindfulness techniques with your clients please check out my July 4th Learn to Teach Mindfulness Workshop on the booking page of this website or go to the secure page at trybooking http://www.trybooking.com/HOVW OR http://www.trybooking.com/133064
Grepmair, Mitterlehner, Bacheler, Rother and Nickell, (2007).
Promoting mindfulness in psychotherapists training influences the treatment results of their patients: A randomised double-blind control study. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 76, 332-338.doi:10.1159/000107560
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