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What is MBCT?

Initially developed by Zindel Segel, Mark Williams, and John Teasdale, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy is based on the integration of the components of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) along with those of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn. The foundation of this therapy is the model of interacting cognitive subsystems (ICS) developed by Philip Barnard and Teasdale in 1991. This model claims that your mind has different modes it can operate on to take in and process information. Based on your situation, your ability to alternate between the two modes listed below will determine how well your mental health is:

• The mode of being: No action is required.
• The mode of action: The information processed by the brain needs a response.

The focus of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is on the mode of being. You may permanently alter your emotions when you are in tune with this, especially if you suffer from depression.

Thus, this therapy was initially formulated to address major depressive disorders and depression relapse. It focuses on core mindfulness techniques, like present moment awareness, meditation, and breathing exercises. Unlike CBT, this treatment approach doesn't emphasize the changing of thoughts. Instead, the focus is on altering the perceptions related to thoughts and the relationships with thoughts, feelings, and physical experiences. MBCT incorporates those elements of CBT that are primarily intended to promote "decentered" viewpoints, such as "thoughts are not facts" and "I am not my thoughts."

Therefore, this treatment aims to help people with recurrent major depression learn to better understand and relate to their thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. For example, they learn to relate thoughts and feelings as passing events in their minds rather than identifying with them or treating them as necessary reflections of reality. To lower the likelihood of future relapse and recurrence of depression, the program teaches participants how to break free from negative automatic cognitive processes, particularly ruminative thought patterns associated with depression.

The Different Types

There have been various eclectic therapies. Each time, these methods use a variety of strategies to cater to the client's needs. These types include:

• Brief Eclectic Therapy (BET): This is a brief kind of eclectic therapy that frequently combines cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic therapy elements. It is administered over a limited number of sessions, frequently to address a specific problem. It is often used in managing the symptoms of PTSD by helping the survivors find meaning in their traumatic experiences while developing new coping strategies.
• Cognitive Interpersonal Therapy (CIT): This method uses elements of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to assist individuals in understanding how their ideas affect their interpersonal connections.
• Multimodal Therapy (MMT): This type takes an integrative approach. It combines many strategies from other therapies and aspects of the social-cognitive learning theory. Examining a person's behavior, mood, senses, visualizations, cognition, relationships, and physical health allows us to determine their unique needs.
• Transtheoretical Therapy: This method is concerned with comprehending the phases and procedures of making a change. People can then use this information to work toward accomplishing their objectives, enhancing their relationships, and making positive changes in their life.

What are the Benefits?

Your thoughts can significantly impact your behavior and emotions. But when you're equipped with adequate strategies to manage your thoughts, you can reduce the number of negative thoughts that take over and influence your life. Thus, some of the benefits that this treatment approach can equip you with include:

• Eliminating a Dilemma: Being unable to address difficulties and solve problems is one of the fundamental concerns contributing to depression. Negative self-talk starts when you can't see a way to solve a situation that's upsetting you. This causes a downward cycle toward depression, which is challenging to escape once you're there. However, MBCT allows you to accept an issue rather than trying to get rid of it.
• Accepting your Thoughts: Giving your ideas some room without shoving them aside is what mindfulness entails. Better cognitive function results from being able to deal with negative thoughts without letting them emotionally impact you. With the help of this treatment approach, you may train your mind to let thoughts come and go as they choose, allowing you to move on with greater ease.
• Avoiding Relapse: This treatment approach reduces the likelihood of relapsing by half. When it comes to preventing a relapse of depression, this therapy is just as beneficial as doses of antidepressants.
• Clinically Proven: As per clinical studies, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy effectively improves depression by symptom reduction. Although it cannot completely unroot depression, it can complement medications. You might even be able to reduce or stop taking your depression medication once you adhere to its techniques.
• Professionally Recognized: The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Mental Health Foundation advises mindfulness-based cognitive treatment if you've experienced at least three or four cycles of chronic depression.

Common Techniques

A variety of mindfulness methods and exercises are used as a component of MBCT. A few of these are:

• Mindfulness Meditation Practices: A person can become more aware of their body, thoughts, and breathing by engaging in either self-directed or guided meditation.
• Body Scan Exercises: This involves lying down while paying close attention to various body parts. Typically, a person starts at the bottom of their body and moves up through it until they reach the top of their head.
• Mindfulness Practices: Mindfulness entails increasing present-moment awareness. People can practice it while meditating, but they can also work these exercises into their daily routines, such as eating, cleaning, or doing household chores.
• Mindfulness Stretching: Stretching with mindfulness is a practice that helps the body and mind become more aware of one another.
• Yoga: This treatment may inspire participants to engage in specific yoga postures that promote mindful body stretching.

You may also be taught the "three-minute breathing space technique," which focuses on three steps, each one minute in duration.

• Observing your experience.
• Focusing on breathing.
• Attending your bodily and physical sensations.

Other approaches include sitting with thoughts, sitting with sounds, walking, and sitting meditations.

What Conditions Can it Help Treat?

MBCT was designed to assist patients who frequently experience episodes of profound sadness or depression to avoid relapsing. Patients with major depressive disorder who have gone through at least three depressive episodes have found it helpful. However, this treatment approach can also treat the following conditions:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorders
• Bipolar Disorder
• Emotional Distress
• Addictions

Additionally, this approach has been demonstrated to reduce depressive symptoms in some persons who simultaneously have physical health issues, such as:

• Vascular Diseases
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Chronic Pain

Apart from this, research in fibromyalgia-affected women demonstrates how well it works to lessen the effects of this persistent illness.

Get Counseling from a Trusted Therapist With DocVita

This treatment is an eight-week group intervention program. After the fifth week, there is one day-long lesson in addition to the weekly, two-hour course that takes place over those eight weeks. And as already established, it can treat a variety of conditions. So, if you're looking for a qualified MBCT therapist, you are at the right place.

At DocVita, we can help you connect with various specialists who can help you with your specific condition. All you have to do is visit our page, browse through a comprehensive list of experts, and book your first therapy session today!