What is Mindful Psychotherapy?
"Buddhist psychology offers meditations, cognitive strategies, ethical trainings, a powerful set of practices that foster inner transformation. But it starts with a most radical vision, one that transforms everyone it touches: a recognition of the innate nobility and the freedom of heart that are available wherever we are." - Jack Kornfield, PhD
Traditional psychotherapy maintains a focus on the problem, or the "why?" of our situation. In mindfulness based psychotherapy our focus is on brining awareness into the present moment. We stop and recognize the "what?" of our experience. We are guided to direct our attention into our experience with compassion and in an embodied way. We stop, we pause, we recognize and allow what is already happening to happen simply because it's already here. After recognizing, and allowing the truth of the moment to register, we can begin the process of intimate inquisitiveness. We nurture and invite our innate tenderness and open heart to help and guide us.
The specific causes of our suffering can be identified and known and mindfulness practices help us to discover what, in ourselves, most contributes to our tendency to get lost in anger, wanting and denial. What offers us liberation is the identification of beliefs, expectations, views and other limiting mind states that tend to cause our suffering. We proceed with intimate and kind attention to the present moment, with deep respect. We develop mindful attention or embodied awareness because when we think without embodied awareness we engage the critical and comparing mind. This discursive mind is our "evaluator", it contrasts our current experience with our expectations for this moment and when this moment falls short of our fantasies and expectations, as it is prone to do, we tend to feel neglected, disappointed, betrayed or even worse we blame ourselves for not being "good enough". Tara Brach, PhD describes this process as the "Trance of Unworthiness."
If you feel like you are missing out on the precious and ordinary moments of life, mindful psychotherapy can be of help to you. Work toward embracing your feelings without being carried away by them. Learn to utilize your body and intuition when you are struggling to make choices that feel authentic and helpful. Embrace your struggles and challenges as opportunities to make changes that reinforce your inner goodness and nurture your natural tendency and evolution toward holistic health and wellness.
Witnessing life's surprises & miracles...
Mindfulness and psychotherapy practices support healing and growth for many types of challenges associated with:
- Addictions & Codependency
- Self critical & other negative thoughts
- Life balance, stress & personal goals
- Depression & Anxiety
- Overwhelming emotions
- Relationship problems
Benefits of Mindful Psychotherapy
- Treat yourself with compassion
- Feel less stress and tension
- Develop a greater space for inner peace
- Learn how to live with cravings instead of giving into them
- Be more present in your life
- Deepen your self-understanding and self-awareness
- Improve your relationships
- Utilize your body's wisdom
- Be available to witness life's surprises and miracles
- Improve your quality of life, health & brain functioning
I work with individuals and groups as well as facilitate workshops.
Namaste!
Tanya T. Wiser, LCSW license #17621
