Application of Mindfulness-Based Approaches in the Context of Social Work

Abstract

Rooted in the spiritual tradition of Buddhism, mindfulness-based practices have proliferated in medicine and psychology for the past few decades through secularized adaptations of its fundamental tenets into various psychosocial treatment modalities. The extension of the applications of mindfulness-based practices to different types of social work interventions is on the rise. This chapter discusses the application of mindfulness-based practices in the context of social work from three angles. First, we review the applications of mindfulness-based practices among marginalized population groups who are often excluded from the mainstream institutions. We apply social justice framework which emphasizes on fairness and inclusivity of access toward social resources for all segments of population in the society in our analysis, examining both the micro and macro practices of mindfulness-based interventions. Following that, we discuss the way in which mindfulness-based practices can be harnessed as an internal resource to strengthen social workers’ capacities as helping professionals and to increase their capabilities for self-care. Finally, we examine the extent to which mindfulness-based practices have been adopted in social work curriculum and pedagogy as part of the social work trainings in different cultures. We conclude that there are great potentials for the application of mindfulness-based practices in social service settings, particularly in an integrative manner with many existing social work interventions.