Mindfulness in Therapy: More Than Just Meditation
Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment, on purpose and without judgement. In therapy, it's less about sitting cross-legged with an empty mind and more about building a practical skill: noticing thoughts, feelings and body sensations as they happen, so you can respond rather than react. Mindfulness is a core ingredient in several evidence-based therapies, including ACT, DBT and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), and it has research support for stress, anxiety, recurrent depression and chronic pain.
Common misconceptions
"Mindfulness means clearing your mind." It doesn't. It means noticing where your mind goes and gently bringing it back. A wandering mind isn't failure; noticing it is the practice.
"It's about relaxation." Relaxation can be a side effect, but the aim is awareness. Sometimes being present means noticing discomfort.
"You need to meditate for an hour a day." Brief, regular practice and informal mindfulness in daily life are both useful.
"It's a spiritual or religious practice." Mindfulness has roots in Buddhist traditions, but its use in psychology is secular and evidence-based.
"It's good for everyone, all the time." Mostly, but some people, particularly with significant trauma, can find certain practices, such as long silent meditations focused on the body, distressing. Adapting practice matters.
What the evidence says
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), an eight-week group program combining mindfulness and CBT, reduces the risk of relapse in people with recurrent depression, and is recommended for this purpose by the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, has research support for reducing stress, anxiety and distress associated with chronic illness and pain.
Mindfulness-based interventions more broadly show moderate benefits for anxiety and depression symptoms across many studies.
As with any treatment, mindfulness isn't a cure-all, and its effects depend on regular practice.
How mindfulness is used in different therapies
In ACT
Mindfulness underpins several of ACT's core processes: present-moment awareness, acceptance, defusion from thoughts, and the observing self. In ACT, mindfulness is used to help you stay present with difficult experiences while taking values-based action. See our beginner's guide to ACT.
In DBT
Mindfulness is the foundation of all DBT skills. Concepts such as "wise mind" and the "what" and "how" skills (observe, describe, participate; non-judgementally, one-mindfully, effectively) help people pause before reacting to intense emotions. See DBT Skills That Can Help in Everyday Life.
In CBT
Mindfulness helps people notice thoughts as thoughts, which makes it easier to examine them. MBCT combines the two directly, teaching people to recognise early signs of depressive thinking and step out of rumination.
In trauma and somatic work
Gentle, grounding mindfulness practices help people reconnect with the body safely and recognise signs of nervous system activation. These practices are adapted to prioritise choice and safety, for example keeping eyes open, focusing on external senses, and keeping practices short.
Simple practices to try
Three-minute breathing space
Adapted from MBCT:
Awareness (one minute): notice what's here: thoughts, feelings, body sensations.
Gathering (one minute): bring attention to the breath, following it in and out.
Expanding (one minute): widen attention to the whole body and the space around you.
Noticing five things
Name five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can feel, two you can smell and one you can taste. Useful when anxiety pulls you into the future.
Mindful everyday activity
Pick one routine activity, such as your morning coffee, a shower, or walking to the car, and do it with full attention: the temperature, smells, sounds, sensations. When your mind wanders, notice and come back.
Leaves on a stream
Imagine sitting beside a stream with leaves floating past. As each thought appears, place it on a leaf and watch it float away. This builds the skill of observing thoughts rather than getting caught in them.
Walking mindfully
Walk slowly and notice the sensations of each step, the movement of your body, and what you see and hear around you. This is a good option for people who find sitting still difficult.
Mindfulness and Walk and Talk therapy
Walk and Talk therapy lends itself naturally to mindfulness. The rhythm of walking, fresh air and the sensory details of the Gold Coast coastline, the sound of waves, the feel of the breeze, give plenty of anchors for present-moment awareness. For people who find sitting in silence uncomfortable, moving mindfulness can be an easier way in.
Mindfulness at Satya Psychology
Mindfulness runs through much of our work, integrated with ACT, DBT, CBT and somatic approaches. Our team members bring their own practice too: Mirinda has a background as a yoga teacher and offers trauma-informed yoga, and Natalie uses cooking and mealtimes as a daily mindfulness practice.
Book a session by telehealth, in person in Nobby Beach, or on a Walk and Talk session. You might also like our overview of therapy approaches.
This article is general information and isn't a substitute for individual advice.