What Is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy?

Here’s what you should know before starting MBCT.

What’s a Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Session Like?

A typical MBCT session usually begins with participants arriving and greeting each other, says Segal. Then, the therapist who leads the session prompts the group to begin an exercise, such as a 30-minute body scan, to become more aware of what sensations they’re experiencing in different areas of the body that could be indicative of stress or negative emotions.

“What a body scan is really doing is helping you to train your attention,” says Segal. “With this practice, the first place we try to look to understand an emotion is in our bodies. We can find a location in the body where we might feel tension or tightening from an emotion, and then it gives us a different way to work with it.”

This approach can help you identify stress, pain, or other bodily sensations in a judgment-free way rather than push off those sensations because they feel unpleasant, according to Cleveland Clinic.

After the exercise is complete, Segal says everyone meets as a group to discuss what they felt or experienced. The therapist helps patients learn healthy ways to cope with those sensations and any symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other conditions.

“In MBCT, the intention of mindfulness is to become more aware and accepting of whatever experiences arise, even if they are unpleasant,” Lazarus says. “This helps build the courage to allow distressing thoughts, emotions, and sensations to come and go without getting caught in a battle with them.”

Most MBCT sessions last about two hours at a time, and therapists typically assign practice exercises for homework, says Segal.

How to Prepare for a Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Session

Participants typically complete an orientation before starting an MBCT program to determine whether the treatment is appropriate for them and to ensure that they understand the expectations involved with the program, says Lazarus.

Beyond that, homework assignments and an open mind are the only necessary preparations, she adds. Homework activities might include listening to audio recordings, practicing mindfulness meditation techniques, or performing breathing exercises.

Though the amount of time spent on mindfulness activities at home can vary from person to person, one review of 43 studies found that the majority of MBCT participants practiced 64 percent of the assigned amount of home activities, which equaled about 30 minutes a day, six days a week. The authors of the review concluded that there’s a small but significant association between the amount of home practice and positive effects from treatment.

How Do You Find an MBCT Therapist?

Therapists who offer MBCT can be a challenge to locate, according to Segal. “There’s still not a whole lot of therapists who practice it,” he says.

Access MBCT, a website cofounded by Segal, offers a directory of trained MBCT professionals around the world. If you can’t find someone in your area for in-person therapy, you may want to consider trying an online program instead.

Most U.S. insurance companies cover MBCT, as it’s considered an evidence-based treatment for depression, Segal notes. But you should double-check with your insurance provider to be sure they’ll cover it for you.

If you’d like to practice MBCT but are unable to join a group, The Mindful Way Workbook (which Segal coauthored) could be helpful for you, Segal suggests.

Who Shouldn’t Try Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy?

You should not try MBCT, according to the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, if you:

• Have a history of psychosis
• Have received electroconvulsive therapy within the past six months
• Have an active substance use problem
• Currently have suicidal thoughts or behaviors
• Have trouble functioning in a group setting