Mindfulness-Based Modalities for Spiritual Care and Psycho-spiritual Therapy

Mindfulness meditation has become the most widely-disseminated Buddhist-influenced clinical practice for a wide range of mental and physical disorders. Practitioners of all religious-spiritual traditions (and beyond) have begun to incorporate mindfulness-based modalities and interventions to support healing and wellness for care seekers in a way that engages spiritual dimensions of being. This course will examine the theoretical and empirical basis of mindfulness-based interventions and applications in counselling, and where possible, chaplaincy and pastoral care. The course will focus specifically on Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Mindfulness-based Relapse Prevention (MBRP), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The components of each approach will be described, underlying model of clinical change specified, relevant applications illustrated, and empirical outcomes summarized.