INTEGRATING MINDFULNESS INTO PSYCHOTHERAPY PRACTICE

Three core components are inherent to most definitions of mindfulness: (1) bringing attention to one’s experience in the present moment; (2) an awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose; and (3) a nonjudgmental attitude or acceptance of the ongoing stream of internal and external stimuli as they arise (e.g., Baer, 2003, Bishop et al., 2004; Kabat-Zinn, 2003). The 3 distinct parts in this definition are irreducibly intertwined in the experience of mindfulness and serves as a useful reminder to return to for clinicians beginning to incorporate mindfulness into their therapy practice.