Mindfulness in Clinical Practice

Catalog description

In recent years, mindfulness has become a popular and useful ingredient in psychotherapeutic practice. This course will explore the connections between Eastern traditional practices, current psychotherapeutic approaches, research related to mindfulness, and contemporary neuroscientific findings. We will consider how to integrate mindfulness into clinical practice with cultural appreciation and sensitivity for clients from a variety of cultural, economic, and social backgrounds. Additionally, students will develop mindfulness-based clinical skills and explore specific mindfulness-based clinical modalities including Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Specific attention will be paid to the impacts of trauma and how to work safely with clients experiencing acute and/or post-traumatic stress. A social justice framework will undergird the class.