New England Mental Health is going to offer Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy--a group similar to MBRP, but for people with reoccurring depression and other mood issues. The plan is to start March 2nd.
I'm excited about this because it's another "Third Wave Behavioral Therapy"--another relatively straight forward type of therapy that uses mindfulness in a way that really helps people work with their misbehaving minds. The idea is simply that we all have thoughts going through our heads all day long. For someone prone to depression, some high percentage of these thoughts can be "depressogenic"--can be thoughts that lend themselves to a depressed state of mind or hopeless outlook. MBCT is a group program to help people learn how to relate to these thoughts effectively.
There is a story about the people that came up with the MBCT program, Zindel Segal and his colleagues. The story goes that they were studying a cognitive therapy treatment for depression to see if it would work. In the style of treatment, they would teach people to fight their thoughts in different ways. So if someone had a thought like, "I'm never going to be good at anything. I might as well not try," then the method was to teach the person how to block the thought, or logically defeat the thought, or in some way get rid of it. The idea was that if you can defeat the thoughts, they won't make people depressed.
In studying this method, they discovered something shocking: It wasn't working--at least not as expected. People were getting better but the people who were getting better were NOT the people who were good at the techniques they were teaching. At the follow-ups, there wasn't a correlation between the people who knew the techniques and the people who were doing well at all. After a long time, they concluded that they were actually inadvertently teaching another skill--what they started referring to as the "core skill" that was actually making all the difference. After some more research and work, they concluded that the core skill was simply the ability to simply know that a thought is just a thought. So, in teaching people to try to cognitively argue or defeat thoughts, they were actually accidentally teaching people something simpler and more effective.
A thought is just a thought.
So we're all having millions of thoughts a minute. And most of them we either (a) believe or buy into--we take them seriously in some way. Or (b) we ignore entirely or actively push away or defeat thoughts. Segal and group noticed that for a depressed person (and, in my opinion, for almost anyone), learning a different way to relate to thoughts can make all the difference.
What is this other way, you ask? Well--it's mindfulness; the "core skill" as it turned out was mindfulness. Thus the program was titled Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy.
If you or anyone you know may be interested in the group, feel free to contact me. If you're reading this way after the date above, feel free to contact me anyway. We'll undoubtedly be doing this again.
Cheers,
Nick
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Technical Difficulties
Hi readers,
I'm sorry I have not been writing more. I've been experiencing some technical difficulties with my blog. I will work on fixing them. In the meantime, please enjoy what is already here or check out the website for the group practice, www.newenglandmentalhealth.com
Thanks,
Nick
I'm sorry I have not been writing more. I've been experiencing some technical difficulties with my blog. I will work on fixing them. In the meantime, please enjoy what is already here or check out the website for the group practice, www.newenglandmentalhealth.com
Thanks,
Nick
Friday, October 15, 2010
more about meditation groups and my colleagues
This is just a note to say that the LGBTQ sitting group is going well. We're meeting every week, Thursday at 7pm as my last post indicates. For discussion, we're reading from a book When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron. It's a wonderful book and the group is going well. Because the group was previously all men, we tend to have a lot of guys. But I'm hoping the gender balance evens out in the future.
Also, Dr Robert Gardiner--my colleague at New England Mental Health--is hosting a group on Wednesday at 7pm. The Wednesday group is open to anyone--straight, gay, client, clinician--anyone who wants to come and sit together. On Wednesday, the book is The Miracle of Mindfulness. Robert Gardiner's bio can also be found on the NEMH site, as can his blog.
note: the NEMH site has been down for maintenance. Try the link and if it doesn't work, please try again at a later date. I've been told it'll be back up soon.
Also, Dr Robert Gardiner--my colleague at New England Mental Health--is hosting a group on Wednesday at 7pm. The Wednesday group is open to anyone--straight, gay, client, clinician--anyone who wants to come and sit together. On Wednesday, the book is The Miracle of Mindfulness. Robert Gardiner's bio can also be found on the NEMH site, as can his blog.
note: the NEMH site has been down for maintenance. Try the link and if it doesn't work, please try again at a later date. I've been told it'll be back up soon.
Monday, September 27, 2010
LGBTQ sitting group, starting this Thursday
I forgot to mention at the end of my last post...
The LGBTQ sitting group is starting this week. Come join us at the New England Mental Health library/meditation space (6-8 Crafts Ave) at 7pm. Come to the 2nd floor, take a right and go through the door at the end of the hall.
The schedule is as follows:
7pm: 30 minute meditation, with a 10 minute guided meditation to start (if requested)
7:35: discussion
8:05: a shorter silent meditation.
8:15 or so: ending.
If you have questions, feel free to email or call me.
The LGBTQ sitting group is starting this week. Come join us at the New England Mental Health library/meditation space (6-8 Crafts Ave) at 7pm. Come to the 2nd floor, take a right and go through the door at the end of the hall.
The schedule is as follows:
7pm: 30 minute meditation, with a 10 minute guided meditation to start (if requested)
7:35: discussion
8:05: a shorter silent meditation.
8:15 or so: ending.
If you have questions, feel free to email or call me.
Naropa retreat, sitting group to start Sept 30th
I have just returned from staffing a two week Maitri retreat in Colorado.
Maitri is the Sanskrit version of the Pali work metta after which this blog is named. As part of the Naropa University MA Contemplative Psych training for psychotherapists, the students do a series of Maitri retreats together, in which they learn about their our minds in preparation to help others with theirs. This is, I think, one of the best methods for helping psychotherapists (and other mental health professionals) become useful to others.
I had the honor of helping instruct students in their first steps of self-acceptance and working with themselves. This involved a lot of crying and laughing. Also, a lot of sitting still and feeling what's going on--something that most people don't really do so well for much of their lives. It was a very exciting two weeks, despite being a meditation retreat and quite still.
You might also think that future therapists would have an easy time working with their minds. For some reason, it seems a lot of people think that therapists are inherently stable people.
This is not so.
Actually, the opposite is often so: Many people work in the mental health field so that they can be on the other side of the spotlight--in an attempt to never look at their instability or messy inner world. If you've been in the mental health world for a little while, this is probably an obvious thing to you, unfortunately.
In contrast, I think the best therapists are those who worked with their own struggles and learned from them. Although everyone's lives are different, there's something remarkable that comes from that effort. Actually, the experience of seeing one's neurotic (and even psychotic) mind and not trying to run away, shut it down, or otherwise dump it in the garbage is a brilliant experience. I think the most important things I've learned as a therapist are these:
1) The good that comes from having problems and working with them is always greater than not having problems (or pretending to not have problems) to begin with. And
2) No mental health issue (or, arguably, any issue) is benefitted especially from pretending it doesn't exist. Though sometimes it's the best thing to say, "I'm not going to deal with this right now" the truth is that the time will come to work with one's mind. And that's a good thing.
Now, neither of these mean wallowing in problems and beating yourself up for having problems, being depressed, anxious or angry... Maitri (and therapy) are really about something quite different. By way of example, I'd like to share with you a story I often told the Naropa students--a story about my anxiety.
I'm kind of anxious person. Most people don't know this. This is actually why I started meditating about 12 years ago in college.
But nowadays my anxiety and I are friends. Sometimes I think of my anxiety as a little boy. Let's call him Timmy.
Timmy freaks out at lots of things--too much to do, not enough to do, awkward conversations, people's funny looks, uncertainty about just about anything, wearing the right clothes, money, friends, coworkers, lunch... Sometimes, I don't even know what's freaking out Timmy.
Years ago, I thought Timmy was a problem. I tried to get him to shut up, calm down and/or see situations rationally in such a way that he would realize that his freaking out and whining were rediculous. Actually, this is really why I started meditating: I thought I could get Timmy to shut up. It was a big attempt to say NO to TImmy--the opposite of the "yes meditation" I posted last year.
Have you ever done this? It's worth considering. Most of us do this constantly and don't even notice.
I was one of the lucky ones, I think, because it never worked.
It was like I had a bad rash and just kept rubbing ointments and cremes on it and nothing helped. Sadly, anxiety is not like a rash. Nothing in the mind is like that, really. Although medications (or even meditation) can be helpful to manage issues, they never constitute a cure. The word cure and the mind are a bit incompatible, really. But I'll have to talk more about that some other time...
The best thing I ever did was give up and just sit there with Timmy. This was, at first, an experience of extreme bravery. Timmy felt like a giant that could crush me with a single finger. But he wasn't. Timmy was just a tightness in my shoulders and a knot in my belly. At some point, I realized Timmy couldn't kill me... And ironically, it turns out that this is what Timmy always wanted--to not be feared. He just wanted to be noticed. So Timmy and I became friends.
Timmy still freaks out. I'm not anxiety-free, though it's less than before. Still, when I have to make a difficult phone call, he's there biting his fingernails. When I have to do something new, there he is as a knot in my belly. But I've been friends with him long enough to know this is nothing to be afraid of. Actually, Timmy reminds me that I'm a human being... I breathe in the anxiety and it feels comforting, in a way.
Now, if you have anxiety--especially extreme anxiety--this probably seems completely outlandish... But it's not. Whatever the issue is, my advice is to start small. Take a little nibble. Find your version of Timmy and be friends with him for one breath before you distract yourself. Get help if you need to--happily, there's a whole profession designed to help you find and befriend your Timmys. What I've found, though, is that when you don't have to fear anxiety, you can really relax. Same with many other issues... It's possible. And doing this sort of thing is also how you can know how to help others.
I already provided a link to Naropa University's Contemplative Psych program in this post, but feel free to ask me more about this method of training of psychotherapists, though. After being there and being in the field for 4+ years, I think it's the best method there is.
-Nick
Maitri is the Sanskrit version of the Pali work metta after which this blog is named. As part of the Naropa University MA Contemplative Psych training for psychotherapists, the students do a series of Maitri retreats together, in which they learn about their our minds in preparation to help others with theirs. This is, I think, one of the best methods for helping psychotherapists (and other mental health professionals) become useful to others.
I had the honor of helping instruct students in their first steps of self-acceptance and working with themselves. This involved a lot of crying and laughing. Also, a lot of sitting still and feeling what's going on--something that most people don't really do so well for much of their lives. It was a very exciting two weeks, despite being a meditation retreat and quite still.
You might also think that future therapists would have an easy time working with their minds. For some reason, it seems a lot of people think that therapists are inherently stable people.
This is not so.
Actually, the opposite is often so: Many people work in the mental health field so that they can be on the other side of the spotlight--in an attempt to never look at their instability or messy inner world. If you've been in the mental health world for a little while, this is probably an obvious thing to you, unfortunately.
In contrast, I think the best therapists are those who worked with their own struggles and learned from them. Although everyone's lives are different, there's something remarkable that comes from that effort. Actually, the experience of seeing one's neurotic (and even psychotic) mind and not trying to run away, shut it down, or otherwise dump it in the garbage is a brilliant experience. I think the most important things I've learned as a therapist are these:
1) The good that comes from having problems and working with them is always greater than not having problems (or pretending to not have problems) to begin with. And
2) No mental health issue (or, arguably, any issue) is benefitted especially from pretending it doesn't exist. Though sometimes it's the best thing to say, "I'm not going to deal with this right now" the truth is that the time will come to work with one's mind. And that's a good thing.
Now, neither of these mean wallowing in problems and beating yourself up for having problems, being depressed, anxious or angry... Maitri (and therapy) are really about something quite different. By way of example, I'd like to share with you a story I often told the Naropa students--a story about my anxiety.
I'm kind of anxious person. Most people don't know this. This is actually why I started meditating about 12 years ago in college.
But nowadays my anxiety and I are friends. Sometimes I think of my anxiety as a little boy. Let's call him Timmy.
Timmy freaks out at lots of things--too much to do, not enough to do, awkward conversations, people's funny looks, uncertainty about just about anything, wearing the right clothes, money, friends, coworkers, lunch... Sometimes, I don't even know what's freaking out Timmy.
Years ago, I thought Timmy was a problem. I tried to get him to shut up, calm down and/or see situations rationally in such a way that he would realize that his freaking out and whining were rediculous. Actually, this is really why I started meditating: I thought I could get Timmy to shut up. It was a big attempt to say NO to TImmy--the opposite of the "yes meditation" I posted last year.
Have you ever done this? It's worth considering. Most of us do this constantly and don't even notice.
I was one of the lucky ones, I think, because it never worked.
It was like I had a bad rash and just kept rubbing ointments and cremes on it and nothing helped. Sadly, anxiety is not like a rash. Nothing in the mind is like that, really. Although medications (or even meditation) can be helpful to manage issues, they never constitute a cure. The word cure and the mind are a bit incompatible, really. But I'll have to talk more about that some other time...
The best thing I ever did was give up and just sit there with Timmy. This was, at first, an experience of extreme bravery. Timmy felt like a giant that could crush me with a single finger. But he wasn't. Timmy was just a tightness in my shoulders and a knot in my belly. At some point, I realized Timmy couldn't kill me... And ironically, it turns out that this is what Timmy always wanted--to not be feared. He just wanted to be noticed. So Timmy and I became friends.
Timmy still freaks out. I'm not anxiety-free, though it's less than before. Still, when I have to make a difficult phone call, he's there biting his fingernails. When I have to do something new, there he is as a knot in my belly. But I've been friends with him long enough to know this is nothing to be afraid of. Actually, Timmy reminds me that I'm a human being... I breathe in the anxiety and it feels comforting, in a way.
Now, if you have anxiety--especially extreme anxiety--this probably seems completely outlandish... But it's not. Whatever the issue is, my advice is to start small. Take a little nibble. Find your version of Timmy and be friends with him for one breath before you distract yourself. Get help if you need to--happily, there's a whole profession designed to help you find and befriend your Timmys. What I've found, though, is that when you don't have to fear anxiety, you can really relax. Same with many other issues... It's possible. And doing this sort of thing is also how you can know how to help others.
I already provided a link to Naropa University's Contemplative Psych program in this post, but feel free to ask me more about this method of training of psychotherapists, though. After being there and being in the field for 4+ years, I think it's the best method there is.
-Nick
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
LGBTQ meditation group to come
As many of you know, I'm a big fan of mindfulness as an aide to mental health and psychology. I'm also a big fan of groups that help people keep up their mindfulness practices.
When I was in Chicago, I was a part of a group called Queer Dharma--a group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to come and participate in group meditation and discussion in a queer friendly space. The group was hosted by the Shambhala Center in Chicago and is still running. Actually, I think the group really helped the Shambhala Center develop a more cohensive community spirit in general.
In Northampton, I have been the occasional participant in a gay men's meditation group, but the old facilitator of that group was having trouble with scheduling and put the group on hiatus for the summer. We've been talking and I'm planning on becoming the new host of the group wit my colleagues Jean Esther and Dr Robert Gardiner. We're also opening the group up to all genders. So, like Queer Dharma in Chicago, it will be an open place where gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people can meditate and discuss together.
Please stay turned. The current plan is for the group to start in September.
When I was in Chicago, I was a part of a group called Queer Dharma--a group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to come and participate in group meditation and discussion in a queer friendly space. The group was hosted by the Shambhala Center in Chicago and is still running. Actually, I think the group really helped the Shambhala Center develop a more cohensive community spirit in general.
In Northampton, I have been the occasional participant in a gay men's meditation group, but the old facilitator of that group was having trouble with scheduling and put the group on hiatus for the summer. We've been talking and I'm planning on becoming the new host of the group wit my colleagues Jean Esther and Dr Robert Gardiner. We're also opening the group up to all genders. So, like Queer Dharma in Chicago, it will be an open place where gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people can meditate and discuss together.
Please stay turned. The current plan is for the group to start in September.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
guided loving kindness practice, news
Hi everyone,
I wanted to post a guided loving kindness / metta meditation. As I say at the beginning of the recording, this can be hard for some people either because it brings up too much emotion or because it feels too hokey at first. I've recently been challenging people to do 15 minutes of metta every day for a two weeks to see what happens. I encourage you to give it a try. Let me know what you experience.
Just so you all know, there are some interesting things in the works right now. I'm co-forming a new practice that's going to be the home of a lot of my substance abuse treatment work and Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention groups. More soon! In the meantime, visit our website: www.newenglandmentalhealth.com.
Nick
I wanted to post a guided loving kindness / metta meditation. As I say at the beginning of the recording, this can be hard for some people either because it brings up too much emotion or because it feels too hokey at first. I've recently been challenging people to do 15 minutes of metta every day for a two weeks to see what happens. I encourage you to give it a try. Let me know what you experience.
Just so you all know, there are some interesting things in the works right now. I'm co-forming a new practice that's going to be the home of a lot of my substance abuse treatment work and Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention groups. More soon! In the meantime, visit our website: www.newenglandmentalhealth.com.
Nick
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