Towards a critically informed mindful therapy

Barker, Meg (2013). Towards a critically informed mindful therapy. European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling, 15(2) pp. 163–173.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13642537.2013.793733

Abstract

I am very grateful to the editors for inviting me to provide a response to this important special issue critically examining the current popularity of mindfulness in counselling and psychotherapy. After the explosion of interest which has occurred over the last couple of decades, many key writers in this field have suggested that the time has come to pause and to attend to where we are with mindfulness (Williams & Kabat-Zinn, 2011).

Several authors in the current volume argue that, beyond pausing and attending to where we are, being mindful also requires critical reflection in order to gain a greater insight into what has brought us to where we are, as well as a commitment to moving forward from this point with wisdom and compassion. Therefore I hope, in this response, to offer some brief observations on the current state of mindful therapy, and to draw together the critical points which have been raised throughout this volume in order to consider where we might go next. I invite the reader to reflect, themselves, upon which aspects of this special issue have resonated most with them, and to ask - alongside me - what our therapeutic practice might look like if it was informed by these critical engagements with mindfulness.

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