Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy is a course designed to help people who suffer from repeated episodes of depression and/or anxiety. It is based on using both cognitive therapy and mindfulness training to address feelings generated by mood disorders.
MBCT was developed by Zindel Segal, PhD, Mark Williams, DPhil, and John Teasdale, PhD, based on Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD.'s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. The MBSR program was originally developed in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD. to help people cope with stress, pain, and illness.
"Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally."- Jon Kabat-Zinn
Meditation has been used for hundreds of years in all religions. Mindfulness practices adapted from Eastern meditation introduce a contemplative practice that is non-religious and based on scientific methods.
Mindfulness has been shown in studies to successfully treat anxiety, depression, and stress. Within as little as 8 weeks of practicing mindfulness brain imaging studies show a change in brain structure.
MBCT does not offer psychiatric or psychological treatment. It is not group therapy. Contact your insurance provider to obtain a referral to a psychologist or psychiatrist if you require individual mental health treatment.