Therapeutic Approach

Mindfulness-Based Therapy

The approach

What Is Mindfulness-Based Therapy?

Mindfulness in therapy is about developing a new relationship with your inner experience, noticing thoughts, feelings, and sensations without feeling overwhelmed. Mindfulness-based therapy draws on evidence-informed approaches, including Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and mindfulness practices integrated into Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) , to help clients develop present-moment awareness, emotional regulation, and a less reactive relationship with their inner life.

What It Involves

What Mindfulness-Based Therapy Looks Like in Sessions

Learning to notice thoughts and feelings without immediately reacting to them
Body-based and movement-oriented mindfulness options
Practices for interrupting rumination, anxiety loops, or emotional spirals
Mindful self-compassion as a counter to shame and self-criticism
Applying mindfulness in your day to day
Integration with other therapeutic approaches (CBT, ACT, trauma-informed work)

Evidence Base

What Research Supports

Mindfulness-based approaches have a strong evidence base for anxiety, depression, chronic stress, burnout, and trauma. Research is also growing on adapted mindfulness for ADHD and Autism, showing benefits for attention regulation, emotional dysregulation, and wellbeing when practices are appropriately adapted.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

I tried meditation and it made my anxiety worse. Does this happen?

For some people, especially those with trauma, unguided meditation can be activating. We introduce practices carefully and always have alternatives if something does not feel right for your nervous system.

I have ADHD. Is mindfulness actually possible for me?

Yes, with adaptation. Standard mindfulness instruction often assumes a nervous system that can sustain attention without movement or variation. We use approaches that work with, not against, ADHD nervous systems.

Is mindfulness-based therapy its own modality or does it work alongside other approaches?

Both. It can be integrated into any therapeutic approach, and is often woven into CBT, ACT, and trauma-informed work at NWC.