Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an adaptation of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) that integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with wisdom practices including formal mindfulness meditation. MBCT was originally developed to address the needs and challenges of recurrently depressed participants, including reduction of relapse. Through effective integration of scientific findings and theory about emotion and its cognitive, physical, and (overt and covert) behavioral elements, MBCT has been shown to be a trans-therapeutic intervention of benefit to those with a range of transdiagnostic emotional disorders including but not limited to PTSD, OCD, anxiety, & related disorders.
The path for competently and ethically teaching Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) to those with emotional disorders includes, but is not limited to, participation in the traditional 8-session MBCT program in the role of participant-practitioner. Participant-practitioners are professionals developing as teachers of MBCT. They participate as both students, along with non-professionals experientially, and then afterward with professionals where they inquire into the implementation of the MBCT protocol. Development of a habit of formal and informal personal mindfulness practice while participating as a student in the MBCT training supports the development of clinicians developing as MBCT teachers. Such training supports them in guiding their clients to implement all of the elements of the MBCT curriculum while simultaneously practicing. For more about training pathway & becoming an MBCT teacher visit https://www.mbct.com/mbct-training-pathway/ or read article by MBCT co-developer Dr. Segal at & www.philabta.org/EBP about Home - Access MBCT
In this workshop, developing clinician teachers will read and observe implementation of the MBCT treatment protocol with non-professionals and also implement the Mindfulness-Based Interventions - Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBI-TAC) with other professional peers. Evidence-based practices for reducing barriers to, and supporting strengthening of, MBCT protocol implementation and motivation for skills practice will be described. As well, participants will implement an ongoing peer support relational mindfulness practice in post- and between-session processing to refine implementation of MBCT curriculum elements with clinical cases.
This virtual and live workshop is open to mental-health professionals who agree to a.) attend and participate in the orientation and 8 MBCT sessions attended by non-professional participants; b.) complete all required readings listed below; and c.) attend post-session processing from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. ET where the MBI-TAC is implemented in dialogue with fellow professionals using relational mindfulness anchored in what was observed in formal MBCT training sessions. Experiential participation in MBCT followed by implementation of the MBI-TAC with peers supports MBCT teacher development. Experiential MBCT virtual meetings occur weekly from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET between August 10 and October 26 (except for 8/31; 10/5 & 19 of 2022). Participants who want to receive CE must attend orientation and all 8 MBCT sessions followed by implementation of the MBI-TAC from 9:00 - 10:00 p.m. ET. Optional CE events will take place to further support teacher development .
MBCT Meeting Schedule
All MBCT meetings occur from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET & are followed (for those seeking CE) by implementation of both MBI-TAC & relational mindfulness guideline implementation from 9:00 - 10:00 p.m. ET.
MBCT Sessions 1 to 8 start with orientation on 8/10/22 and end 10/26/22 (Note: No meetings on August 31 and October 5 & 19 of 2022).
Required reading throughout MBCT training.
The Mindful Way Workbook: An 8-Week Program to Free Yourself from Depression and Emotional Distress.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, Second Edition 2nd Edition
Mindfulness-Based Interventions - Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBI-TAC)
Crane, R. S., Eames, C., Kuyken, W., Hastings, R. P., Williams, J. M. G., Bartley, T., ... & Surawy, C. (2013). Development and validation of the mindfulness-based interventions–teaching assessment criteria (MBI: TAC). Assessment, 20(6), 681-688.
CE Learning Objectives
Following this presentation, participants will be able to:
1. Describe four formal mindfulness practices that teach participants to deconstruct emotion (pleasant or unpleasant) into the mind, body, and behavior elements composing it.
2. Describe two examples of covert (mental) or overt (observable) behaviors that reflect the “doing mode of mind” that arises when there is a discrepancy between one’s desired verses actual state.
3. Describe one specific way that an unpleasant emotion state can contribute to the risk of recurrence of transdiagnostic emotional disorders.
4. Describe examples of typical automatic thoughts that arise out of a negative and depleted mood state.
5. Describe two examples of the “being (present) mode of mind” that serves as an antidote for the doing mode of mind’s focus on the past & / or future.
6. Describe one way that the being mode of mind can reduce the risk of recurrence of distress in transdiagnostic emotional disorders associated with automatically perceiving thoughts as facts.
7. Describe two examples of the difference between conceptual and non-conceptual information (& associated) emotional processing and how each mode of processing can reduce or increase risk of distress and / or dysphoria.
8. Describe the difference between an avoidance / aversion and an approach mode of relating with experience and how each can influence level of distress and dysphoria.
9. Describe the concept of ruminative brooding and how it worsens mood and predicts onset, maintenance, and recurrence of transdiagnostic emotional disorders.
10. Describe the components of the three-step "breathing space" practice - regular and how it supports awareness of thoughts, sensations, and their relationship to overall feeling states.
11. Describe the components of the three-step "breathing space" practice - responsive and how it can support the application of mindfulness skills & compassionate responding in stressful situations.
12. Describe how the body scan practice supports being mode of mind including non-conceptual processing of experience and awareness one’s relationship to both pleasant and unpleasant feelings.
13. Describe the elements of formal sitting meditation practices of MBCT and how they support awareness of thoughts, sensations, and one’s intra-personal relationship to feeling states.
14. Describe three of the nine “Foundational Attitudes” that are ways of relating with experience to support both formal and informal mindfulness practice implementation.
15. Describe elements of the informal practice of monitoring pleasant and unpleasant events and how use of the pleasant and unpleasant event logs are used to deconstruct emotion states into their elements.
16. Describe the implementation of the informal practice of logging nourishing and depleting events and how this supports identification of factors associated with relapse prevention and self-kindness intra-personally.
17. Describe a specific way that intention and personal values clarity can reduce barriers to development, and support strengthening, of MBCT skills implementation.
18. Describe how assessments of mindfulness and compassion are integrated into the MBCT curriculum to motivate practice and track outcome.
19. Describe the physiological outcome of fighting or attempting to eliminate unwanted internal experiences and how it contrasts with allowing one’s unwanted experiences and relating with kindness to the self.
20. Describe two specific ways that participation in the MBCT group supports the strengthening of mindfulness and compassion in relationship with self and / or others.
21. Describe the six teaching competence domains measured by the Mindfulness-Based Interventions - Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBI-TAC)
22. Implement the Mindfulness-Based Interventions - Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBI-TAC) using examples from live formal MBCT sessions.
23. Observe an MBCT teacher implement live formal MBCT sessions while in the role of a participant.
24. Describe and observe the practice of mindful inquiry after formal guided practices with participants who meet diagnostic criteria for anxiety & related disorders.
About Presenter
Chris Molnar, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist and clinical investigator, founded Mindful Exposure Therapy for Anxiety and Psychological Wellness Center (META Center) in 2007. She completed post-doctoral fellowship training in traumatic stress, neuroscience, and psycho-physiology and is an expert in the assessment and treatment of anxiety, OCD, PTSD, emotional, and stress-related conditions using evidence-based practices. She has completed training to teach both Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and has also developed adaptations for highly distressed clients, using Relational Mindfulness Practices (MBPs), to meet the needs of people in both individual and group therapy settings. At META Center, she offers integrative interventions grounded in findings about the brain, emotion, and learning to facilitate mental and behavioral habit change, even in the face of severe distress. Before founding META Center, she served as a clinical investigator and therapist supported by grants from the National Institute of Health and other agencies. She is also on the editorial board of Behavior Therapy and serves the public in many ways, through professional presentations, workshops, publications, and affiliations.
Target Audience
This presentation is intended for licensed mental health professionals and advanced graduate student trainees seeking licensure. The instructional level of this presentation is beginner.
Note: This workshop does not require attendees to have a formal mindfulness practice.
Continuing Education
- Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists*. Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
- This program provides three (3) hours of CE credits for each session. Those who attend all sessions in their entirety receive twenty-seven (27) CE credits for the 8 sessions and post-session MBI-TAC inquiry and implementation.
- PBTA is also an authorized provider of CE credits for Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Clinical Social Workers licensed in the state of Pennsylvania.
- Full attendance with video display is required at each separate session to obtain CE credit for this program. APA guidelines do not permit PBTA to issue partial CE credits. No refunds are provided for CE programs. No exceptions allowed.
- * PBTA does not currently offer CE to practitioners licensed in the state of New York.
