Mindfulness-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy:

Mindfulness—open, curious and non-judgmental awareness of our present moment experience—is an essential ingredient for healing.  It involves paying attention to our inner-dialog, thoughts, feelings, body sensations, memories, images, and values.  We also need to pay attention to our behavior and actions and how they support or undermine our own values and goals.  Utilizing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindful awareness is always the first step, followed by non-judgmental self-acceptance of our experience—as only by acknowledging and accepting who and where we are, can we begin the process of change.  And lasting change requires clarifying our own values—what we stand for, what enlivens us—which needs to be followed by committed action that is aligned with those values.  Only with actions and behaviors that are aligned with our values can we support our sense of aliveness, personal integrity and self-esteem.