Begin Again: Mindfulness, Psychotherapy and the Novice Therapist
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Authors
Currier, Jason
Issue Date
2024-11
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
mindfulness , novice therapist , self-care , therapeutic relationship , training
Alternative Title
Abstract
In the last few decades, research around mindfulness in psychotherapy has seen exponential growth alongside the integration of mindfulness techniques and principles into numerous therapeutic modalities. With a continually growing body of research supporting their benefits for multiple psychological conditions, mindfulness-based interventions are becoming increasingly standard techniques within the world of psychotherapy (Hofmann & Gómez, 2017; Schumann-Olivier et al., 2020; Zhang et al., 2019). This paper examines the interconnections between mindfulness, psychotherapy and the training of novice therapists. The literature review examines various definitions of mindfulness, provides a brief history of mindfulness in psychotherapy, and offers a limited review of the use of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in current therapeutic modalities. It then explores the role of mindfulness in training the novice therapist along two connected paths: mindfulness as self-care for the therapist and the influence of therapist mindfulness on the therapeutic relationship. Following a literature review, this paper concludes with a proposed outline for an eight-week Mindfulness as Self-Care for Novice Therapists group. This group attempts to integrate skills training in mindfulness techniques alongside improved therapist self-care. Gaps in current research will be explored, as well as future research opportunities.