Mindfulness and Psychotherapy - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1593851391 ISBN 13: 9781593851392

Publisher: The Guilford Press, 2005

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.

About this title

About the Author:

Christopher K. Germer, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in private practice, specializing in mindfulness-based treatment of anxiety and panic. He has been integrating meditation and mindfulness principles into psychotherapy since 1978 and has taken many trips to India to explore the varieties of meditation and yoga. Currently the Director of Continuing Education for the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, he is a clinical instructor in psychology at Harvard Medical School.

Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist, a member of the clinical faculty of Harvard Medical School for over 20 years, and a longtime student of mindfulness meditation. His personal recovery from disabling back pain led him to develop a mind/n-/body program for treating chronic back pain, incorporating mindfulness techniques. He teaches nationally about mind-body treatment and maintains a private practice in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Dr. Siegel is coauthor of Back Sense: A Revolutionary Approach to Halting the Cycle of Chronic Back Pain.

Paul R. Fulton, EdD, is the Director of Mental Health for Tufts Health Plan in Massachusetts, a clinical psychologist in private practice, and a forensic psychologist. He received lay ordination as a Zen Buddhist in 1972, and has been a student of psychology and meditation for 35 years. He was the clinical director of a large state psychiatric facility, and later the program director for a private psychiatric hospital. Dr. Fulton is on the board of directors of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies and is President of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy.

Review:

"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


"The editors and authors of this volume effectively demonstrate the use of mindfulness meditation techniques as a viable means for addressing clinician and client issues. Not only do they provide an information-dense collection of chapters representing numerous applications of mindfulness strategies, but they also present the information in a delightful conversant style that gently emanates an embracing warmth for the reader." (Journal of Marital and Family Therapy 2005-03-11)

"A brave and brilliant compilation from 11 different authors that explore many of the different ways that mindfulness can inform the theory and practice of psychotherapy....If the reader is new to the concept of 'mindfulness,' this book is a wonderful place to introduce himself or herself to the possibilities of mindfulness within his or her own life and therapy practice. If mindfulness is already familiar to the reader, this book is a wonderful collection of reference materials that can be easily navigated and used." (PsycCRITIQUES 2005-03-11)

About this edition

• Publisher: The Guilford Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1593851391
• ISBN 13: 9781593851392
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 333
• Editor: Christopher K. Germer, Ronald D. Siegel, Paul R. Fulton