Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
Have you felt like life has been throwing you constant curveballs and hardships? Life can feel overwhelming at times, and it’s easy to get caught in cycles of worry or low mood. If you’ve been struggling to find balance, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) can help. At Hopewoods Psychotherapy & Consulting Services, we provide MBCT across the Greater Toronto Area to support individuals in building resilience and emotional well-being.
What is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy?
MBCT combines meditation and mindfulness practices with cognitive therapy. Meditation, used for thousands of years, has been shown in numerous studies to benefit both body and mind. Mindfulness complements meditation by teaching you to be aware of your conscious thoughts, regardless of their implication.
Through MBCT, you’ll learn to pay closer attention to your thoughts and feelings without judging them as good or bad. Instead of relying on cognitive therapy or mindfulness alone, MBCT encourages you to draw from both approaches and use the techniques that fit best into your daily life.
Benefits of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
Because MBCT brings together different therapeutic approaches, it offers a wide range of benefits for people experiencing depression, anxiety, or ongoing stress. Some of the most common include:
- Improved ability to regulate emotions
- Greater reduction of everyday stress and stressors
- Reduced risk of relapse in depression and anxiety
- Increased self-compassion
- Improved mood, self-esteem, and overall well-being
- Reduced self-criticism
- Greater capability to stay grounded in the present
- Increased control over your thoughts and emotional responses
- Increased ability to navigate life's challenges
How it Works
MBCT begins with a conversation, either during your initial consultation at Hopewoods or in your first session with a therapist. From there, your therapist introduces the core principles of cognitive therapy and explains how they form the foundation of MBCT. As sessions continue, mindfulness and meditation practices are gradually added, giving you practical tools to apply both during and outside of therapy.
If you are currently experiencing very severe depression or other challenges that make it hard to focus, it may be best to wait until you are feeling more stable before beginning MBCT. Having the energy and attention to engage with the practices is important in order to benefit fully from your sessions.
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Our team of experienced therapists is dedicated to providing you with a safe and supportive space to explore your thoughts and feelings. Book a 30-minute consultation with a psychometrist to match you with a suitable therapist.