Depression and Mindful Therapy
Mindfulness combined with Cognitive Therapy is a powerful combination for those with sadness or Depression.
We are specialists in treating depression with mindfulness and psychotherapy.
Donald is certified by both North American institutes for Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy.
We welcome your questions and we want to get to know you and your needs.
Understanding our approach to depression or sadness
Depression can be so severe that it is hard to get going in the morning or to finish projects. It can be moderate; for example you may experience severe problems sometimes but not most times. It can be mild; sort of like an ongoing ache, or experiencing a strong wish to be different or for things to be different.
It is normal to want to be rid of sad or depressing thoughts and emotions. Perhaps you’ve been sick or unhealthy. Perhaps a loved one has been distant. Perhaps you feel you’re a failure or not good enough. All these things bring emotions and thoughts that are very hard to live with.
It is normal to want ways to better cope with these emotions and thoughts. Some people talk to friends, religious leaders, spiritual guides or even seek out mental health counselors.
There are many ways to seek relief. Mindful therapy in particular combines the best of Mindfulness science with Cognitive Behavioral science. It can be learned within a psychotherapy relationship as part of a mental health program. It can also be learned with a Mindfulness teacher working alongside your existing psychotherapist.
Donald Fleck developed a special kind of Mindful Therapy. To learn about Donald’s journey through mindfulness, and the journeys of others, you may can watch any of these videos.
The best news is that mindfulness can help. It can take what was considered fixed (Ego, for example) and find that it really is flexible. See Donald’s post in MindBlog: Can Ego be Changed?
You don’t have to take our word for it. Mindfulness to Prevent Depression Relapse has been carefully researched. This is only one of many articles investigating Mindfulness Based - Cognitive Therapy MBCT)
Mindful Therapy - How it works
In Donald’s book he describes 4 phases of Mindful Therapy.
Aware, we learn to work in the present. We learn to jump out of automatic pilot (just noticing thoughts about things, rather than directly experiencing them).
Allowing, a helpful way to experience emotional pain. We learn that trying to block the pain is like trying to dam a river. The water just buids up until it explodes over the dam. Instead we learn to allow the pain to flow like a river, so it doesn’t build up and we don’t become overwhelmed.
Accepting, a sense that we can live with whatever symptoms that are left over after some time with allowing.
Acting: after we have gained, perspective we can choose helpful actions, wisely.
Donald’s book is Working the Present Mindfully-Based, Bringing Mindfulness-Based Group Work into Individual Therapy. (Endorsed by Zindel V. Segal, Ph.D., creator of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT or MB-CT). More on Donald’s book.
The book comes out of Donald’s experience leading many MBCT groups, with 350 grads, and from his teaching the method to about 300 therapists.
Donald has a post in MindBlog in developing non-judgmental awareness. Perhaps it will serve to give you some depth on one of these points as an example of what to expect with Mindful Therapy. Link to learning Non-Judgmental Awareness for depression and anxiety.