Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression

This acclaimed work, now in a new edition, has introduced tens of thousands of clinicians to mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for depression, an 8-week program with proven effectiveness. Step by step, the authors explain the whys and how-to's of conducting mindfulness practices and cognitive interventions that have been shown to bolster recovery from depression and prevent relapse. Clinicians are also guided to practice mindfulness themselves, an essential prerequisite to teaching others. More than 40 reproducible handouts are included.

Purchasers get access to a companion website featuring downloadable audio recordings of the guided mindfulness practices (meditations and mindful movement), plus all of the reproducibles, ready to download and print in a convenient 8 1/2 x 11 size. A separate website for use by clients features the audio recordings only.

New to This Edition

• Incorporates a decade's worth of developments in MBCT clinical practice and training
• Chapters on additional treatment components: the pre-course interview and optional full-day retreat.
• Chapters on self-compassion, the inquiry process, and the three-minute breathing space.
• Findings from multiple studies of MBCT's effectiveness and underlying mechanisms. Includes studies of adaptations for treating psychological and physical health problems other than depression.
• Audio files of the guided mindfulness practices, narrated by the authors, on two separate Web pages: one for professionals, together with the reproducibles, and one just for clients.

Table of Contents

Introduction

I. The Challenge of Depression

1. Depression Casts a Long Shadow
2. Why Do People Who Have Recovered from Depression Relapse?
3. Developing Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

II. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

4. Doing and Being
5. The Eight-Session Program: How and Why
6. The Preclass Participant Interview
7. Awareness and Automatic Pilot: Session 1
8. Kindness and Self-Compassion in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
9. Living in Our Heads: Session 2
10. Gathering the Scattered Mind: Session 3
11. Recognizing Aversion: Session 4
12. Inquiring into Practice and Practicing Inquiry
13. Allowing/Letting Be: Session 5
14. Thoughts Are Not Facts: Session 6
15. A Day of Mindful Practice
16. ""How Can I Best Take Care of Myself?"": Session 7
17. Maintaining and Extending New Learning: Session 8
18. Reprise: The 3-Minute Breathing Space as the Spine of the Program

III. Evaluation and Dissemination

19. Does Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Work?
20. How Does Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Achieve Its Effects?
21. Moving the Program Off the Page and into the Clinic: Supports for Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Instructors and Their Patients

EpilogueAudio Downloads

1. Welcome and Introduction (0:30)
2. Raisin Exercise (9:13)
3. Body Scan (37:47)
4. 10-Minute Sitting Meditation--Mindfulness of the Breath (11:20)
5. Mindful Movement--Formal Practice (38:25)
6. Stretch and Breath Meditation (40:41)
7. Mindful Walking (32:24)
8. 3-Minute Breathing Space--Regular Version (4:08)
9. 3-Minute Breathing Space--Responsive Version (4:58)
10. 20-Minute Sitting Meditation (20:32)
11. Sitting Meditation (36:46)
12. Working with Difficulty Meditation (24:08)
13. Bells at 5 Minutes, 10 Minutes, 15 Minutes and 30 Minutes (30:32)

"MBCT is a major achievement. Based on a coherent body of experimental work, the treatment has proven its worth in reducing the recurrence of depression and, as a consequence, changing the future prospects of numerous people whose lives are blighted by repeated episodes of this disabling condition. This second edition will be widely welcomed by practitioners; every chapter has been updated and numerous new practical aids have been added, including downloadable practice exercises and handouts. Thoroughly recommended."
- David M. Clark, DPhil, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

"Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression is the gold standard for anyone who wants to learn this powerful approach. The second edition brings this classic up to date, making it the state-of-the-art guide for therapists and students alike."
- Daniel Goleman, PhD, author of Emotional Intelligence

"I love this book. More than a book, actually, it is a trusted friend. If you are dedicated to helping vulnerable people stay well and protect themselves from future episodes of depression, you will find what you need here. The program is grounded in rigorous clinical research, sound theory, and an unwavering conviction about the possibility of learning to live each moment fully and wisely. The core building blocks from the first edition remain--step-by-step descriptions of each session, including transcripts, handouts, and rich case illustrations--but there are countless new treasures as well. The themes of many of the sessions have been refined in ways that bring the curriculum even closer to the lived experience of people struggling with recurrent depression. This book stands as an exemplar of how to integrate clinical innovation, science, and practice."
- Sona Dimidjian, PhD, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder

"Warmly written, accessible, and deeply insightful. This landmark book has played a key role in making mindfulness a central concern in clinical practice. The up-to-date second edition not only summarizes the extraordinary expansion of research evidence, but also is immensely practical and filled with clinical wisdom. Important, too, is its emphasis on compassion. A 'must' for all therapists interested in mindfulness."
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, Head, Mental Health Research Unit, University of Derby, United Kingdom