Anyone who has taken an interest in mindfulness（Mindfulness）has probably heard of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). But what exactly are they? And which kind of mindfulness approach suits you? This article shares the key points in a question-and-answer format:
Q: What is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)?
A: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction draws mainly on methods such as Mindfulness Meditation, Yoga and Metta Meditation to help participants ease stress[1]. A programme generally runs for eight weeks, with each session usually lasting two hours, plus a one-day retreat. Over several decades MBSR has been the subject of a large body of research and has shown significant benefits in treating mental illness.
Q: What is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)?
A: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy is broadly similar in form to MBSR. Compared with MBSR, MBCT places greater emphasis on techniques for working with thoughts and emotions, aiming to address emotional difficulties at their root[2].
Q: What is the main purpose of these mindfulness approaches?
A: MBSR was founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology[1], and is used chiefly to ease people's reactions to stress, pain and illness. MBSR is used to treat psychological conditions such as Anxiety Disorders and Panic Disorder. Later, Zindel Segal, Mark Williams and others combined Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) — a mainstream approach for treating depression — with MBSR to create Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), used to treat patients with relapsed depression[2]. Beyond treating psychological conditions, in recent years there has been a trend both in Hong Kong and worldwide towards bringing both approaches to a wider public.
Q: How much do the two programmes cost?
A: In Hong Kong, the fee is roughly HK$4,000 (2019, per mindfulness.hk).
Q: Why have these programmes drawn the attention of the psychology field?
A: Put simply, it is because mindfulness approaches are genuinely effective at treating illness. A large body of research has found that mindfulness can help ease low mood and tension. Of course, mindfulness can be practised in many ways, and need not take the form of an eight-week programme. But these eight-week programmes are highly standardised, which makes them better suited to psychological research.
Q: Is an eight-week mindfulness programme right for me? What should I consider?
A: It really depends on your reason for learning mindfulness. If you hope to ease stress, or even hope that mindfulness can help with a mental illness, then these eight-week programmes are very suitable. The empirical research behind them is rich, making them a reliable option for working through psychological difficulties. However, if you want a complete grasp of the history and philosophy of mindfulness, or you place greater value on cultivating positive psychological qualities, these programmes may not meet your needs. It is also worth noting that mindfulness generally calls for a basic level of concentration and sustained attention, and it can pose risks for people with severe depression or schizophrenia; they should avoid taking up mindfulness and seek other treatment options instead.
Q: Do you run these eight-week programmes?
A: No. We believe the psychology field benefits from a division of labour, with different people each doing what they do best. Eight-week programmes are mostly taught by clinical psychologists (Clinical Psychologist), and addressing clinical mental health problems is their area of expertise. But at TreeholeHK we believe that, beyond treating mental illness, mindfulness has other facets and points of interest. That is why we hope to run mindfulness activities and courses that place greater emphasis on reflection and positive psychological qualities, bringing mindfulness into different dimensions.
References
- https://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/mindfulness-based-programs/mbsr-courses/about-mbsr/history-of-mbsr/
- https://www.radioicare.org/images/channel_life/45_06.pdf
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