The Basics of Mindfulness in CBT

Robert Hindman, PhD

Research has demonstrated mindfulness to be an effective strategy for addressing various presenting problems and disorders, and it has gained popularity in both therapy and mainstream culture in recent years. In fact, most of my clients have either heard of or practiced mindfulness prior to my introducing the concept in session. However, many have not found it helpful. Usually, they’ve been taught mindfulness incorrectly and hold misconceptions about how to practice it. For instance, I’ve heard clients say that mindfulness doesn’t work for them. When I ask why not, they provide various reasons, including: it doesn’t help them get rid of unwanted thoughts; their distressing emotion isn’t eliminated; or while they benefit during mindfulness meditation, the benefits don’t carry over into their daily life. In this blog, I’ll explain what mindfulness is, how it can be applied correctly in therapy, the benefits of mindfulness, and the different ways to practice it.

What exactly is mindfulness and how can it be applied correctly so that clients can benefit?

A commonly used definition of mindfulness is: being focused on present-moment experiences in an accepting, non-judgmental manner. Practicing mindfulness is not supposed to get rid of experiences people may find unpleasant, like certain thoughts or emotions, but to develop a healthier relationship with these experiences. Instead of noticing being caught up in unhelpful thoughts or struggling with emotion, individuals take note of the experience, acknowledge that what they are experiencing is a part of being human, and let the experience come and go on its own without attempts to control it.

If mindfulness isn’t aimed at eliminating unwanted thoughts and emotions, why should clients be motivated to practice it?

Although the purpose of mindfulness isn’t to eliminate unwanted thoughts and emotions, a side effect of mindfulness practice is often a reduction in the intensity and frequency of these experiences. When people don’t want to have certain thoughts or emotions, they may cope in unhelpful ways. To make sure they don’t experience unwanted thoughts, they monitor their thoughts, leading to an excessive focus on thoughts, and greater awareness of the unwanted, intrusive thoughts.

A similar process plays out with emotion. If a person doesn’t want to experience a certain emotion, they’re going to be consistently trying to monitor their emotional experience to make sure the negative emotion  is absent. This leads to an elevated focus on emotion, making the unwanted emotions more easily noticed. By practicing mindfulness, individuals learn how to be more accepting and non-judgmental of these experiences, reducing their need to avoid or control unwanted emotions. If individuals are willing to experience these previously unwanted thoughts and emotions, they no longer need to monitor and excessively focus on them. As a result, their attention naturally turns toward present-moment experiences in their environment, allowing thoughts and emotions to become background noise and unwanted thoughts and emotions to fade.

Now that we know what mindfulness is, how can we practice and apply it?

I teach my clients about two types of mindfulness practice: formal and informal. Formal mindfulness practice typically takes the form of mindfulness meditation, which involves setting aside a distinct period of time to meditate. I usually recommend clients start at 5 minutes of practice and then lengthen the time according to their preferences. Informal mindfulness is practiced throughout the day by applying mindfulness during day-to-day experiences. For instance, as I was writing this paragraph, I noticed I was thinking about a few client phone calls I need to make today and experiencing a mild amount of stress as a result. Instead of thinking more about the calls and my emotional experience, I acknowledged my thoughts and experience of stress, and let them fade on their own as I brought my attention back to writing.

You can learn more about mindfulness and its applications in CBT by attending one of our live virtual workshops or enrolling in our online course Integrating Mindfulness into Cognitive Behavior Therapy.