Mindful Transitions

EMDR is a protocol developed by Francine Shapiro in the late 1980's and early 1990's to address trauma. It is one of the most studied therapy protocols and been found to be highly effective in treating post traumatic stress disorder and elevating emotional pain attached to past life events. The protocol consists of identification of a target incident, defining the target incidents thoughts, emotions and body sensations, and processing the incident with bilateral stimulation. The therapist leads the session by guiding a client through processing with either eye movements, alternating sound that moves from one ear to another, or hand held buzzers that alternate vibrations form one hand to the other. This provides the bilateral stimulation which is thought to engage more of the nervous system, body and brain in the processing of the target incident. A successful EMDR sessions eliminates the current emotional pain or distress associated with the target. This can have profound...

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is a psychological method developed by Marsha M. Linehan to treat patients with borderline personality disorder. (BPD)[1] Research indicates its application to also be effective in treating patients who represent varied symptoms and behaviors associated with spectrum mood disorders, including self-injury.[2] Key elements DBT practitioners emphasize include, behaviorist theory, dialectics, cognitive therapy, and, DBT's central component, mindfulness. There are two essential parts of the treatment, and without either of these parts the therapy is not considered "DBT adherent." An individual component in which the therapist and client discuss issues that come up during the week, recorded on diary cards and follow a treatment target hierarchy. Self-injurious and suicidal behaviors take first priority, followed by therapy interfering behaviors. Then there are quality of life issues and finally working towards improving one's life genera...

Jon Kabat Zinn defines mindfulness as paying attention on purpose to the present moment as if your life depended on it. He goes on to say that mindfulness is what comes out of paying attention on purpose to the present moment as if your life depended on it. Which is nothing but awareness. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction or MBSR is an instructional clinic on meditation that teaches individuals the principles of meditation along with the requirement of 45 minutes to an hour or more of personal practice per day. The clinic has shown to be highly successful in reducing stress and many other medical symptoms (psoriasis) through the skilled instruction of mindfulness. Mindful Transitions currently does not offer MBSR but does use many of the principles, ideas and structure to explain and introduce the concepts of mindfulness in order to reduce depression, anxiety or other mental or psychological conditions through access of awareness and the present moment.

Stephen Hayes, et al. defines Acceptance and Commitment Theory (ACT) as a " therapy approach that uses acceptance and mindfulness processes, and commitment and behavior change process, to produce greater psychological flexibility." Stephen Hayes, et al. goes on to explain that A CT consistent interventions include a wide variety of techniques in the general domains of acceptance, defusion, establishment of a transcendent self, being present and mindful, chosen values and building larger and larger patterns of committed action linked to those values. - A Practical Guide to Acceptance and Commitment Theory. My interpretation of this is that ACT counseling and therapy can assist a person in engaging the present moment through mindfulness and acceptance. This allows a persons more choices that if they were just to react and respond to the old patterns of emotions and thoughts. By accessing the present moment and being able to accept and tolerate emotional discomfort, we a...

Mindful Transitions moved to a new location. The new address is 19 Old Town Square, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526.