What is mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)?

MBCT combines a form of Eastern meditation with elements of cognitive therapy in eight weekly classes. It was developed for people who have been repeatedly depressed to help them stay well. It is closely based on Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, which has been found to produce significant change in participants’ ability to deal with chronic pain, anxiety and stress. [Link to Kabat-Zinn’s book on Amazon UK]

By practising in the classes, and by listening to CDs at home during the week, participants learn the practice of mindfulness meditation. Practices such as the Body Scan, Breathing meditation, and simple yoga allow participants to come in touch with moment-to-moment changes in the mind and the body and foster a new, ‘decentered’ perspective to their thoughts and feelings.

MBCT also includes basic education about depression, and several exercises from cognitive therapy that show the links between thinking and feeling and how best participants can look after themselves when depression threatens to overwhelm them.

MBCT helps participants to see more clearly the patterns of the mind; and to learn how recognise when their mood is beginning to go down. It helps to halt the escalation of the mood-reactivated negative thinking that might have led to a full-blown relapse. Participants develop the capacity to allow distressing mood, thoughts and sensations to come and go, without having to battle with them. They find that they can stay in touch with the present moment, without having to ruminate about the past, or worry about the future. If you want to learn more about the use of the mindfulness approach for people who remain vulnerable to depression, the approach is described in Segal et al (2002). Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. This book is available from OCTC, price £30.50: please go to our books page to order.

In Oxford, Mark Williams, Melanie Fennell and their colleagues are piloting the use of MBCT with people who have had a suicidal crisis and now recovered, with the aim of reducing the risk of further self-harm. It is too early to say how many patients will find this approach useful.

CDs used in Oxford’s MBCT Programme
This set of five CDs cover all the practices used in Oxford’s MBCT programme. You can buy the set from OCTC for £20 (p&p included for the UK: please enquire about shipping costs for other countries). Please contact OCTC to order, or go to our books page to download an order form.

Mindfulness events organized by OCTC
Please see our Oxford workshop programme for information about mindfulness training events from Mark Williams, Melanie Fennell and others.

Master of Studies in MBCT
A new course in MBCT run by our colleagues in Oxford University. Please see the MBCT website here for more details.