Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) 
for the Treatment of Recurrent Depression

MBCT is a skills-based method that is taught in an 8-week class.   Students are trained to recognize and disengage from mind states that precede depressive episodes.  Interrupting negative thinking allows students to process depression-related triggers like disappointment or rejection, in ways less likely to provoke relapse.  The basic tool to effect this change – a shift of mental gears –involves the intentional use of attention and awareness.


MBCT is a robust, effective intervention modeled on the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).
More than a decade ago, cognitive therapists Zindel Segal, Mark Williams and John Teasdale began weaving together the empirically-proven methods of MBSR with cognitive therapy, the gold-standard treatment for depression.   The welcome result for people with recurrent depression is a method of preventing relapse that promotes self-understanding, deepens self-compassion and clears the path to increased joy in life.

MBCT is designed for individuals who have suffered repeated episodes of depression but are not currently in an acute depressive state.   Participating in a class is entirely compatible with psychotherapy and the use of anti-depressant medication.   For some, it has become an effective alternative to medication.


For more information, http://www.mbct.com