Trauma Therapists' Clinical Applications, Training, and Personal Practice of Mindfulness and Meditation.
Lynn C Waelde, Jason M. Thompson, Alicia Robinson, Sierra Iwanicki
Mindfulness 2016 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-016-0497-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Therapist survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 116 |
| Population | Trauma therapists |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Psychotherapy Therapist survey Therapist training Trauma therapy |
| Key findings | Most surveyed trauma therapists reported using mindfulness and meditation in trauma therapy, primarily imagery, breathing exercises, and in-session or daily-life mindfulness, with an average of four types used. Training source was associated with practice patterns: therapists trained by a mental health professional were more likely to integrate MM into trauma psychotherapy, while those trained by a spiritual teacher were more likely to teach clients between-session MM and reported more personal practice. The authors note this diverges from standard recommendations for therapist training and personal practice. |
Abstract
Mindfulness and meditation (MM) are increasingly used in trauma treatment, yet there is little research about therapist qualifications and clinical applications of these practices. We surveyed trauma therapists (N = 116) about their clinical uses, training, and personal practice of MM. Most respondents reported use of MM in trauma therapy, primarily MM-related imagery and breathing exercises and mindfulness in session or daily life. Almost a third used mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, or mindfulness-based relapse prevention. Across all respondents, 66 % were trained by a mental health (MH) professional, 16 % were trained exclusively by a spiritual teacher, and 18 % received no training. On average, therapists used four types of MM. Less than half maintained a personal meditation practice and only 9 % reported practicing daily meditation. Therapists who were trained by a MH professional were more likely to integrate MM into trauma psychotherapy; those who were trained by a spiritual teacher were more likely to teach clients to use MM between sessions and reported more personal practice of MM. Results indicate divergence from standard recommendations for therapist personal practice and professional training in manualized uses; however, there is little guidance about requisite training and personal practice to support individualized uses of MM such as breathing exercises and imagery. Further research should address relationships of therapist training and personal practice to clinical outcomes in MM-informed trauma therapy.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- The Role of Mindfulness in Reducing the Adverse Effects of Childhood Stress and Trauma Children February 28, 2017
- A Critical Review and 10-Year Update on Prospects for a Clinical Science of Mindfulness-Based Intervention Mindfulness July 7, 2026
- Digital Characteristics and Dissemination Indicators to Optimize Delivery of Internet-Supported Mindfulness-Based Interventions for People With a Chronic Condition: Systematic Review. JMIR Mental Health August 21, 2018
- The Effect of meditation in combination with psychotherapy in the context of PTSD. An explorative qualitative study
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- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for preventing relapse in recurrent depression: A randomized dismantling trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology December 3, 2013
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