A few different types of cognitive therapy can aid people who struggle with addiction. However, one type that doesn’t get a lot of attention is mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT). What is MBCT, and how can it help those who struggle with addiction? People are often shocked to learn that MBCT is actually a mix of cognitive therapy and meditation.
What Is Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy?
As the name suggests, mindfulness based cognitive therapy is a mix of mindfulness practices and cognitive therapy. For those who don’t know, mindfulness practices typically include breathing exercises and meditation. This mix aids people in breaking their negative trains of thought.
In general, therapists use MBCT at very specific times during addiction treatment. Usually, it provides relief for people who have recurring unhappiness or depression. In fact, most rehab centers label MBCT as a type of relapse prevention therapy. Once again, it helps people keep negative emotions in check because they’re often the cause of relapse.
Is MBCT a Type of Holistic Treatment?
It’s hard for experts to label MBCT as traditional or holistic. The reason is that it incorporates the best of both worlds.
At its core, cognitive behavioral therapy is traditional psychotherapy. However, mindfulness therapy often uses holistic healing practices. Meditation therapy and yoga therapy, which are a big part of mindfulness therapy, are holistic services.
Which one does MBCT belong to? In general, it’s best to just classify MBCT as a type of therapy that makes use of both. Fortunately, mixing holistic and traditional services gives people the best chance of recovery.
Three Major Goals of MBCT
When it comes to depression, there are three main goals of MBCT and mindfulness training in general. The first goal is for people to understand what depression is. If people can’t understand it, they can’t overcome it.
The second goal is to figure out what causes downward spirals in your mood. Also, people have to determine what makes them stay at the bottom of this spiral.
As part of cognitive therapy, the last goal is to see the connection between negative thoughts and behaviors. People have to learn that negative ways of thinking often lead to negative behaviors, such as substance abuse.
Turn to Us for Help Recovering From Addiction
At Red Oak Recovery®, we offer addiction treatment programs for young adults. We make it our goal to provide the treatment that they expect from professionals. In fact, we create custom treatment programs for all of our clients. A few of the services that you can find here include:
- Individual and group therapy
- Mindfulness based cognitive therapy
- Eco-therapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Intensive outpatient rehab
We offer treatment for both men and women. However, we create different treatment plans for each gender. These gender-specific treatment options ensure that we address the individual needs of our male and female guests.
Find out what mindfulness based cognitive therapy can do for you. Let us show you that MBCT is perfect for both men and women. Contact Red Oak Recovery® today at 866.457.7590 to learn more.
