In this book, Jon Kabat-Zinn, one of the key figures in bringing mindfulness to the western world, and his wife Myla, tackle the task of parenting. No parent escapes the very trying realities of being a parent and the Kabat-Zinn’s acknowledge this truth. But whereas so many books and experts focus on the difficulties, Everyday …Read More
Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting by Jon Kabat-Zinn and Myla Kabat-Zinn (book recommendation)
Jul 28, 2010
The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion by Christopher Germer (book recommendation)
Jun 2, 2010
Germer’s book on self-compassion is an excellent guide on how to bring more self-compassion to our lives. In this book, he defines self-compassion, details how it can be important to our experience and gives very practical exercises to help increase our self-compassion. I have studied self-compassion throughout my graduate work and found this book to …Read More
Mindfulness and Psychotherapy by Germer, Siegel and Fulton (book recommendation)
Jun 2, 2010
This is one of the first books to attempt to synthesize all of the current research on mindfulness and western psychotherapy. The book gives a wonderful overview of mindfulness as a concept as well as how mindfulness is being used as a part of the therapeutic process. The editors have provided a number of articles …Read More
The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh (book recommendation)
Jun 2, 2010
Thich Nhat Hanh is a Buddhist monk who has written over 100 books on Buddhism and spirituality. In this book, he gives a beautiful introduction to mindfulness along with many practical exercises that assist in bringing mindfulness to your daily life. Thich Nhat Hanh is such a gentle soul and his gentle way comes through …Read More
Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn (book recommendation)
Mar 22, 2010
Jon Kabat-Zinn created Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and has been one of the leaders in bringing mindfulness to the world of western medicine and psychology. This is a book with short chapters (great for bedside reading) and is a very helpful introduction to what it means to live mindfully. I would recommend anything by Jon Kabat-Zinn …Read More
The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness by Williams, Teasdale, and Segal (book recommendation)
Mar 22, 2010
In this book, the authors talk about how mindfulness can be helpful with depression. The authors developed Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. As they describe in the book, MBCT was based on Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, and their mindfulness program gives very specific instructions on how to use mindfulness when we are struggling with depression. …Read More
Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach (book Recommendation)
Mar 22, 2010
In this book, Tara Brach, who is also a clinical psychologist, demonstrates how tools like mindfulness can help us to awaken from what she calls the “trance of unworthiness”. Brach gives examples from her clinical practice as well as her experiences as a meditation teacher to enrich our understanding of the importance of self-compassion. Tara also …Read More
A Path With Heart by Jack Kornfield (book recommendation)
Mar 22, 2010
In previous posts I have talked about how mindfulness can be helpful in our lives. In addition, I’ve mentioned that mindfulness can be a tool that mental health professionals use in their work with clients. If you are new to the concept of mindfulness, hopefully my previous posts have given you a starting point in …Read More
Beyond DNA, Nature and Nurture
Jan 16, 2010
A recent article in Time magazine entitled, “Why Your DNA isn’t Your Destiny,” (http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1951968,00.html ) profiles a new science called epigenetics. As a therapist, I very am very often helping my clients to understand their experience of life within the context of nature and nurture. This is a fascinating article that raises many questions with …Read More
Is Self-Compassion Selfish?
Jan 4, 2010
In an earlier post, I define the concept of self-compassion. In the current post, I would like to briefly talk about one of the questions many people ask when I introduce the concept of self-compassion. Is self-compassion selfish? Many of us feel that there is something wrong with showing compassion for ourselves, as if it’s …Read More