Mindfulness Based CBT

Who is Mindfulness Based CBT for?

Mindfulness Based CBT, sometimes referred to as MBCT, is a therapy designed to help people with a number of emotional and psychological problems including, Anxiety, Chronic Pain, Depression, Eating Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Stress.

How Mindfulness Based CBT Works?

Mindfulness Based CBT is part of the ‘new wave’ or ‘third wave’ of cognitive-behavioural therapies. This approach combines traditional Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with the Eastern Buddhist principles of mindfulness and meditation. MBCT focuses on enabling individuals to develop a different relationship with their experiences, encouraging the acceptance of thoughts and feelings as they occur instead of reacting negatively and therefore, reducing the distress and discomfort.

“I began having therapy because I had been struggling with anxiety over a number of years. It had got to the point where I was agoraphobic, tearful and fearful of many everyday situations. Walking down the road to the shops or going for a five minute drive filled me with dread. Eventually I reached the point where I knew I had to do something. Deciding to have therapy with Dr Gray is one of the most important decisions I have ever made. Her care, professionalism and insightfulness really have changed my life. I’d recommend therapy to anyone who feels they’re struggling – and the truth is we all do struggle in some way. I used to believe having therapy was a sign of weakness. Now I think it’s just sensible, like taking exercise or having your car serviced. It keeps things running smoothly so that when life gets tough you can cope and when life is good you can enjoy it fully”.

ANNABELLE, Islington

What the Research into Mindfulness Based CBT Says

Mindfulness Based CBT has been shown to interrupt the automatic processes that maintain psychological problems and as such can decrease the likelihood of relapses following recovery. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has endorsed this approach in the prevention of relapse for depression following evidence that MBCT can reduce the chance of relapse by 50% in individuals who have experienced three or more episodes of depression.