Overview
Responding to growing interest among psychotherapists of all theoretical orientations, this practical book provides a comprehensive introduction to mindfulness and its clinical applications. The authors, who have been practicing both mindfulness and psychotherapy for decades, present a range of clear-cut procedures for implementing mindfulness techniques and teaching them to patients experiencing depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and other problems. Also addressed are ways that mindfulness practices can increase acceptance and empathy in the therapeutic relationship. The book reviews the philosophical underpinnings of mindfulness and presents compelling empirical findings. User-friendly features include illustrative case examples, practice exercises, and resource listings.Synopsis
Responding to growing interest among psychotherapists of all theoretical orientations, this practical book provides a comprehensive introduction to mindfulness and its clinical applications. The authors, who have been practicing both mindfulness and psychotherapy for decades, present a range of clear-cut procedures for implementing mindfulness techniques and teaching them to patients experiencing depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and other problems. Also addressed are ways that mindfulness practices can increase acceptance and empathy in the therapeutic relationship. The book reviews the philosophical underpinnings of mindfulness and presents compelling empirical findings. User-friendly features include illustrative case examples, practice exercises, and resource listings.
Doody Review Services
Reviewer:Susan Richardson, MA, PsyD(Private Practice)
Description:This is a book for therapists who wish to incorporate mindfulness and/or Buddhist principles into their work.
Purpose:The editors write that the book is about awareness, meta-awareness, and how these impact therapists and can affect emotional healing in psychotherapy patients. The goals of the book are met easily in this very readable book that offers psychotherapists another perspective to augment their clinical skills.
Audience:The book is written primarily for therapists by psychologists. Therapists with no previous knowledge of Buddhist theory will find it accessible, and it is ideal for the novice. The editors are clinicians who have a combined 75 years of experience in their field.
Features:Their aim is to provide a basic understanding of Buddhist principles expanded into psychotherapy. Following the introductory chapters, the editors have selected more specific topics in mental health, e.g. depression, anxiety, and describe the application of mindfulness in the treatment of these patients. It is a good clinical resource, inasmuch as it can be consulted on a case by case basis. Additionally, the book serves as a good primer on Buddhist theory and mindfulness in general, with terrific appendixes that illuminate resources and basic Buddhist ideology.
Assessment:Mindfulness is compared to other current theories and psychological interventions at many points. Acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectic behavior therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy are all contrasted with the mindfulness approach. It is a well researched book that provides good tools for the clinician who is not overly wed to more traditional Western theory.
Editorials
Reviewer: Susan Richardson, MA, PsyD(Private Practice)
Description: This is a book for therapists who wish to incorporate mindfulness and/or Buddhist principles into their work.
Purpose: The editors write that the book is about awareness, meta-awareness, and how these impact therapists and can affect emotional healing in psychotherapy patients. The goals of the book are met easily in this very readable book that offers psychotherapists another perspective to augment their clinical skills.
Audience: The book is written primarily for therapists by psychologists. Therapists with no previous knowledge of Buddhist theory will find it accessible, and it is ideal for the novice. The editors are clinicians who have a combined 75 years of experience in their field.
Features: Their aim is to provide a basic understanding of Buddhist principles expanded into psychotherapy. Following the introductory chapters, the editors have selected more specific topics in mental health, e.g. depression, anxiety, and describe the application of mindfulness in the treatment of these patients. It is a good clinical resource, inasmuch as it can be consulted on a case by case basis. Additionally, the book serves as a good primer on Buddhist theory and mindfulness in general, with terrific appendixes that illuminate resources and basic Buddhist ideology.
Assessment: Mindfulness is compared to other current theories and psychological interventions at many points. Acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectic behavior therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy are all contrasted with the mindfulness approach. It is a well researched book that provides good tools for the clinician who is not overly wed to more traditional Western theory.
From the Publisher
"Mindfulness and Psychotherapy is the first comprehensive work that pulls the various strands of knowledge under the rubric of mindfulness together and it does so in a scholarly yet highly accessible fashion. Drawing on both Buddhist and Western psychology, the subtle and intriguing concepts that fall under the notion of mindfulness (e.g. mediation, attentional style, empathy, acceptance and tolerance of affects) are fully explicated in the context of relevant research and theory. We are offered numerous hands-on techniques and resources for mindfulness training and for its integration into our therapeutic practice--be it cognitive-behavioral or psychodynamic. A real winner!"--Leo Goldberger, PhD, Behavioral Science Book Service Advisory Board member“One of the best books yet on mindfulness and psychotherapy. Well informed, clinically sound, thoughtful, practical, and provocative."--Jack Kornfield, PhD, author of A Path With Heart
"A landmark contribution to the emerging field of mindfulness-based interventions in psychology, psychiatry, and medicine. Contributors include psychotherapists with longstanding personal commitments to mindfulness meditation practice and its clinical applications, as well as a neuroscientist and a Buddhist scholar. Comprehensive, accessible, and full of illuminating case studies and mindfulness-based exercises, this book is likely to catalyze interest in mindfulness for years to come. It opens a range of different doors for mental health professionals interested in applying mindfulness in the clinical domain and in the cultivation of well-being, happiness, compassion, and wisdom. It will serve as a useful text in undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in positive psychology, clinical practice, psychotherapy, and human performance."--Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, author of Coming to Our Senses
"Over the past decade, the concept of mindfulness has captured the imagination of psychotherapists. This impressive volume catalogs the clinical applications and relevance of mindfulness across the spectrum of emotional disorders, offering an evenhanded discussion of both theory and praxis. The unique perspective provided by editors and authors whose personal practice of mindfulness suffuses their work with patients makes this text a valuable addition to any classroom or clinic library."--Zindel V. Segal, PhD, Center for Addiction and Mental Health and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada
"Mindfulness and Psychotherapy shines a light on a fundamental and powerful element in the process of human healing and transformation. With clarity and sensitivity, this book reveals how the cultivation of mindfulness can lead us to freedom in the midst of pain, anxiety, depression, and a host of other human difficulties. The editors and authors explore the theoretical and empirical basis for applying mindfulness in clinical settings, establishing it as a model of psychotherapy that is complementary to major contemporary schools of therapy. And then, with clear case examples, treatment methodologies, and exercises, they show us how mindfulness works! In addition to being an invaluable guide for mental health professionals, this book would serve well as required reading for undergraduate- or graduate-level courses in clinical psychology."--Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha
"When the history of 21st-century psychology is written, the introduction of mindfulness as an adjunct to psychotherapy will stand out like a beacon. This seminal volume is an expert's guide to the field, while still being fully accessible to the beginner. It is invaluable both to therapists and to anyone interested in developing awareness, presence, and compassion. Mindfulness and Psychotherapy is bound to become a classic text."--Joan Borysenko, PhD, author of Minding the Body, Mending the Mind and Inner Peace for Busy People