Mindfulness-based psychotherapy
A way of working with the present moment, so you can respond to hard thoughts and feelings instead of being run by them.
What it is
Mindfulness-based psychotherapy means paying attention to what is happening right now, your thoughts, feelings and physical sensations, with curiosity and kindness instead of judgment. Awareness works like a muscle. With practice it gets stronger.
Much of the day, most of us run on autopilot, replaying the past or bracing for the future. This approach doesn't try to push painful experiences away. It changes your relationship to them. When you can see a habitual reaction as it starts, you have more choice about what to do next, and that choice is where change begins.
Your therapist may teach specific mindfulness exercises, but much of the work happens in the room, in the conversation itself, as you practice noticing and staying present together. Research suggests regular mindfulness practice can calm an overactive stress response, which is one reason it is often part of care for trauma, anxiety and chronic pain. Our clinicians draw on psychological science and on long-standing contemplative traditions. You don't need any meditation experience to start.
Skills you can build
- Tolerating distress without making it worse
- Steadying your emotions
- Directing and holding your attention
- Noticing what your body is telling you
- Relaxing on purpose
- Thinking more flexibly
- Accepting yourself as you are
- Patience
What sessions look like
Sessions look like talk therapy with moments of guided practice. Your therapist might invite you to pause and notice what you feel in your body as you talk about something hard, or to name a thought without arguing with it. You'll often leave with a short practice to try between sessions. Over time, many people notice more patience with themselves, less reactivity, clearer thinking and better relationships. Mindfulness is often combined with other approaches, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
If mindfulness is something you'd like to focus on, mention it when you request an appointment so we can match you with a clinician who uses it.
You don't need to pick an approach
If you have a preference, mention it when you request an appointment and we'll match you with a clinician who uses it. Every person responds to different things, so your clinician may combine approaches, with or without medication.
