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Beginning with the Concept: The Meanings of Mindfulness

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Book cover Cultivating Mindfulness in Clinical Social Work

Part of the book series: Essential Clinical Social Work Series ((ECSWS))

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Abstract

This chapter explores the concepts of mindfulness, the mechanisms of action that make it important for clinicians and clients, the similarities and differences with psychotherapy, and the contraindications or pitfalls inherent in the process of mindfulness. The components of mindfulness, attention, exposure, and acceptance of what is happening in the moment facilitate practitioners’ having compassion and empathy for themselves and others. However, as with therapeutic processes, these are subjective experiences that have different repercussions based on individuals’ psychological, sociological, and biological contexts. Social workers must continue to be mindful of introducing any trend or technique into practice without sufficient training, personal and professional experience, and qualitative and quantitative support. Despite the deceptive idea that mindfulness is strictly a solitary activity, engaging a client mindfully requires an embodied relational experience.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Buddhism teaches thoughts are wholesome or unwholesome rather than healthy or unhealthy or good or bad (Olendzki 2005). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) emphasizes the recontextualizing and accepting all emotions and thoughts which will be discussed later.

  2. 2.

    I.e., including negative early attachment experiences and unresolved trauma impacting the body’s physical characteristics.

  3. 3.

    Although some clinicians view moments of presence within the therapeutic process as a form of spirituality.

  4. 4.

    Similar to Loewald’s (1978) description of these kind of nonself-centered manifestations.

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  1. School of Social Work, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Terry B. Northcut

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    Terry B. Northcut

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Northcut, T.B. (2017). Beginning with the Concept: The Meanings of Mindfulness. In: Northcut, T. (eds) Cultivating Mindfulness in Clinical Social Work. Essential Clinical Social Work Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43842-9_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43842-9_3

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