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APA Psychotherapy Training Videos are intended solely for educational purposes for mental health professionals. Viewers are expected to treat confidential material found herein according to strict professional guidelines. Unauthorized viewing is prohibited.
The benefits of integrating mindfulness practices with psychotherapy have been well documented in extensive scientific research. Mindfulness practices have been shown to be clinically effective in treating problems associated with stress and anxiety, in playing a role in the treatment of personality disorders, in improving immune functions, and in helping with relapse prevention for depression. More generally, such practices also help people to become more self-aware, to improve emotional regulation, to enhance empathy, and to help people to be aware of their feelings without acting out on them. In addition to mindfulness practice, Dr. Ladner also sometimes uses other related methods in the context of psychotherapy that are specifically designed for increasing people's experiences of positive emotions such as love, gratitude, joy, and compassion. All of these methods can be brought up during the course of psychotherapy in accordance with a patient's needs. For example, a patient who is not yet very aware of her own thoughts and feelings might benefit from mindfulness practice to increase self-awareness. And, a patient who is often overwhelmed by emotions may benefit from brief periods of mindfulness to learn how to be aware of feelings without immediately fleeing from them or acting them out. Someone who has a difficult time with intimacy or with connecting with family members may benefit from trying a method for evoking positive emotions as may someone who is often tired or stressed. Mindfulness practices have often been used in conjunction with medical interventions and in conjunction with cognitive–behavioral therapies. They also work well when combined with psychodynamic or depth psychological approaches. The use of mindfulness in conjunction with psychotherapy often works well with clients who have problems related to stress, anxiety, or physical pain. They also can be very useful in working with people who are not aware of their own feelings or who are overly self-critical, and for people who are in recovery from depression and are trying to avoid a relapse. Short periods of mindfulness can be useful in working with people with personality disorders. |
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