The power of mindfulness practice in therapy
Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of whatever is happening in your current experience, objectively, without judgment. It might be joy, it might be a pain in your knee, it might be the physical heaviness of depression, or happiness of an anxiety-free moment—but in practicing mindfulness, each of these experiences are viewed just as they are, without trying to push them away, change, or hold on to them.
Current research on the ancient practice of mindfulness meditation demonstrates that the practice is highly effective in both softening the symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as preventing a recurrence.
My personal and professional experience mirrors this: to heal and sustain the changes, practicing mindfulness is essential. With anxiety and depression, you need to look at your distressing moods, directly and courageously, in order to overcome them.
I will show you how to practice mindfulness in our therapy sessions and guide you towards making it a regular practice in your daily life.
Mindfulness is the underpinning of lasting healing
Depression and anxiety are states of mind, in which you’re trapped in disturbing and scary thoughts and feelings. Mindfulness practice is effective because it trains you to extract yourself from the whirlpool of your pains. When you’re swirling around in depression and anxiety, mindfulness is your lifeline. It allows you to find solid ground where you feel more balanced and in control.
Research on the brain now demonstrates how malleable it actually is. Mindfulness trains the brain to let go of its habit of perpetually re-experiencing anxious and depressed states, and towards the habit of acceptance and allowance of experience, which evens out your moods and keeps you from cycling repeatedly from coping to collapse.