Therapy approach
Mindfulness
A skills-based approach built on bringing attention to the present moment without judgement; it supports work on anxiety, stress and emotion regulation.
- Attention to the present moment
- Non-judgemental contact with emotions
- Supports other approaches
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the ability to direct our attention to the present moment, deliberately and without judgement. During the day our mind often wanders into the past or the future, and worry and repetitive thoughts feed this wandering. Mindfulness teaches us to notice this cycle and gently bring our attention back to the present.
How is it used in therapy?
Mindfulness is mostly used not on its own but together with approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy or schema therapy. Breath and body awareness exercises, naming emotions and practising observing thoughts as “events passing through the mind” rather than “facts” help build a more flexible relationship with difficult emotions.
What can it help with?
- Coping with anxiety and stress
- Helping to prevent relapse in recurrent depression
- Noticing automatic responses such as emotional eating
- Softening self-criticism and building self-compassion
Starting with short, regular practice is usually more sustainable than long but infrequent sessions.
This page was written by Zeynep Hilal Çelik and last reviewed on 27 October 2026.
