A new session of the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) group is beginning soon. The Psychological Clinic offers this group therapy as a treatment for people with depression as well as other mental health conditions. While the chemical and physical aspects of depression and other mental health disorders are far more complex than just feeling down, current research supports a cognitive approach as a way to change patterns of brain functioning and build resilience in people struggling with chronic depression.
What to Expect
The program uses a combination of cognitive therapy and mindfulness to help participants form new, healthier modes of thought. MBCT initiates a cognitive change that helps clients move past events that have the potential to trigger relapse. Participants learn how to view their thoughts without judgment.
MBCT is about equipping participants with the ability to regulate one’s own thoughts and moods and to put new skills into practice in the way they are most useful to each client. MBCT helps flip the script in a way, empowering participants, helping them step into a well-fortified position and giving them the tools and the knowledge to help themselves at any stage of life.
When participants bring a sense of curiosity, a willingness to be flexible, and a commitment to themselves — they are rewarded with skills like:
- The ability to recognize shifts in mood
- The ability to tolerate difficult thoughts and feelings
- The ability to balance out difficult thoughts and feelings
- The understanding that thoughts are not facts
- A personal meditation practice
The skills each participant learns are meant to translate into making daily life more manageable. For example, one participant in the program was able to take their breathing skills to work in a crowded lab. If they became overwhelmed or stressed, a simple breathing exercise allowed them to come back to the task at hand with a renewed mindset — instead of spiraling into negative thought and leaving work for the day.
The Client’s Commitment
MBCT group is a serious commitment, in both time and discipline. Participants will meet for group once a week for 1.5 hours. Attendance at each weekly session is very important and homework needs to be completed every day. Participation, while not forced, is an important element in participants’ personal growth.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
The next session is scheduled to begin January 23, 2020 and runs for eight weeks. Participants will meet weekly, on Thursdays from 5:30-7 p.m.
If you are interested in attending or referring a potential group participant, please contact the Psychological Clinic to begin the process. Call (734) 764-3471 to schedule a screening. Alternately, you can contact the clinic through the website form, found here: Psych Clinic Contact Us Page.
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