Exploring Therapy Modalities: Mindfulness-Based Therapies

by Patricia McGuire, LPC-MHSP

9/18/2025

Mindfulness is a wide umbrella term that encompasses many different theories and practices. In general, mindfulness can be defined as a state of active, open attention to the present moment. This state is described as observing one's thoughts and feelings without judgment. Mindfulness is not: making your mind a blank, feeling complete calm, or controlling your emotions. (Check out more facts and myths about mindfulness here.)

Mindfulness, as a philosophy, values ongoing connection to who you are as a person in your lived experience. Mindfulness is not one modality or practice. Rather, it is a stance toward the human experience that fosters awareness and values-based decision making instead of reactionary responses.

Practicing mindfulness will allow you connect with your thoughts, feelings, and sensations as you have them. In therapy, we may take time to practice a specific mindfulness technique such as deep breathing or cognitive defusion. Additionally, I may ask you to pause and label what you are thinking and feeling. I may share my own thoughts and feelings in our work together. Therapy itself can be viewed as a relationally-embedded mindfulness practice.

Mindfulness-based therapies offer numerous benefits by promoting present-moment awareness and reducing automatic, reactive patterns of thinking. Practicing mindfulness can help you develop greater emotional regulation, decrease stress, and improve mental clarity.

By enhancing the capacity to observe experiences without immediate judgement or reaction, a mindfulness-based approach to life can lead to improved relationships and a deeper sense of autonomy and well-being.

Go deeper: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/mindfulness

If you’d like to explore these ideas further, connect with Patricia McGuire here