News - The MiCBT Institute: Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Treatment Training Research

MiCBT Supervision - Sydney

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 -1000

Alice Shires is a Clinical Psychologist based at the University of New South Wales, where she has been the Director of the Psychology Clinic and is involved in teaching a supervision of clinical psychologists in training.

Since 2007, Alice has implemented MiCBT with clients, taught MiCBT to professionals and supervised clinicians during the course of their MiCBT training.

Alice offers individual or group supervision at UNSW for clinicians who have undertaken MiCBT training and are interested in the application of Mindfulness in psychological therapy.

Alice is a Psychology Board of Australia approved supervisor. She can be contacted by email at a.shires@unsw.edu.au

MiCBT Training Dublin

Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 -1000

The MiCBT Institute and City Colleges School of Psychology (Dublin) are pleased to announce Workshop and Course dates for Dublin 2012:

MiCBT for Crisis-Intervention and Relapse Prevention: 15-16 Spetember 2012
MiCBT 8 Week Foundation Course for Mental Health Professionals: 15 September- 3 November 2012

The 2-day workshop is a comprehensive introduction to MiCBT and can be taken independently without proceeding further with the 8-week Foundation Course.

The Foundation Course consists of 2-day face-to-face teaching, followed by 7 weekly online sessions.

For more information on the workshops and courses, click here.
To download brochure, click here

For registration, please contact City Colleges: info@citycolleges.ie Phone: 1850-252740

Melbourne MiCBT Client Program

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -1000

8 Week
Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (MiCBT) Course
Melbourne

Program commencement: 21st March 2012
All sessions: Wednesdays, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Location: 17 Grattan Street Street, Carlton

Bookings are essential
To book a place, or to get more information, please contact Sarah - 0409 669 688

In order to benefit from this program, regular practice of mindfulness exercises will be required.
Free ongoing mindfulness practice sessions available for course participants

Practice CD, course notes and refreshments provided.

MiCBT Group for Clients - Gold Coast, QLD

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -1000

An 8-week group therapy course to help you deal with Stress, Anxiety and Depression

What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness involves paying attention to each event experienced in the present moment within our body and mind, with a non-judgmental, non-reactive and accepting attitude. In learning to be mindful, we can begin to counter many of our everyday sufferings such as stress, anxiety and depression because we are learning to experience events in a more impersonal, detached and acceptable way.

There is a growing number of therapy approaches that incorporate mindfulness training. Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (MiCBT) is one of these approaches. It offers a practical set of evidence-based techniques derived from mindfulness training together with principles of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to address a broad range of psychological disorders and general stress conditions.

This 8-week group therapy, offered with 8 individual supplemental sessions, will follow the principles of MiCBT and involve active mindfulness training as well as psychological interventions. It will be offered to adults experiencing stress, anxiety or depression by a clinical psychologist, Mikako Naito, at her Tugun clinic on the Gold Coast. The number of participants will be limited to 8. Child minding service can be arranged on site for a fee.

Cost:

Bulk billing for both group and individual sessions ($30 per session if without a GP Mental Health Care Plan)
A one-off payment of $40 to cover the cost of the two mindfulness training CDs used for this program

Days and Time:

Group sessions: 10.15 am - 12.15 pm 8 Tuesdays beginning on 7 February 2012
Individual supplemental sessions: 8 Thursdays or Fridays beginning in the same week (by appointment)

Enquiry / Application: Please contact Mikako at (07) 5559 5391 or mikako.naito@bigpond.com to make an appointment for a pre-group assessment session.

MiCBT Institute Newsletter: Vol 2.4 August 2011

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -1000

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I hope this finds you well and trust you will appreciate reading the bimonthly newsletter of the MiCBT Institute. I welcome everyone who recently attended a course, workshop or master class in MiCBT and joined the institute’s Affiliate Membership. I hope that all of you will find the information and the peer-reviewed article linked to the August newsletter interesting and informative (click on link to download). Please do not hesitate to send us your comments.

Warm regards,

Bruno Cayoun
Director

Click here to access full newsletter

Snapshot: Glenn Bilsborrow

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -1000

Psychology has always been a fascination for me but we didn't really find each other properly until later in my life. When I left school I was going to be a mechanic! But my employer told me that he had decided not to take on another apprentice, so that was that. Needless to say, I didn't stay there long. After a few more years working, I went to university and started studying a bachelor of arts with the intention of doing psychology. I really enjoyed anthropology and English, but found first year psychology a bit dry! Overall, it seemed too far removed from everyday life, let alone people. So I changed to business.

After completing a business degree I went to work in the real world and slowly realised that it was a world of conformity and rules. The aim was to make money and everything was about making more of it. At this time I was living and working in Sydney, Australia. I worked in various capacities such as financial planner and as an advisor to small business. So eventually, in 1991, my partner and I decided to move to Tasmania where her family was and where we could raise our two boys in a place that was a little more removed from the rat-race.

During all these years of work, I had always been interested in the journey of self-understanding as well. In my early 20s I discovered self help books teaching such things as Transactional Analysis and Gestalt Therapy. I read as many books as I could find. I wanted to know about myself and my role in this world. I went to see therapists. The first one was good. The second was not as good. I wasn’t sure that therapists were able to offer anything substantial and I was concerned that it perhaps wasn’t really a 'science'. Maybe we just turn out to be who we were going to be despite 'psychology'?

But I was a scientist at heart, and business and science are worlds apart. So, one day I decided to go back to psychology. I had decided by this time that psychology did have something to offer when done properly. I wanted to do it properly. I restarted the arts degree part-time and got into honours at the University of Tasmania. I spent a few years working on my Doctorate and became a registered psychologist

My philosophy in life had always been that of a generalist. I wanted to gather knowledge about a wide range of things and apply that to my vocation, whatever that was. Being a psychologist was a way of utilising that experience; use my own journey and the variety of things I learned in life, and at university, to help those who are in need. So I became a specialist, which now actually sits well. To that role I bring all the differing perspectives of living and working in various places. Since working as a psychologist, I have felt fulfilled and happy. There is not a day that goes by where I don't feel grateful for my life. I used to worry that one day it would all go pear-shaped and not last. But over time I learned to trust that it wouldn't. Of course there have been bad times. But overall, life has really been good to me.

In all those early years where I was learning about life and myself, funnily enough, I was never drawn into mindfulness in a formal way. Back in the 80s I read a book called "The relaxation response" and I was intrigued by how meditation affected the mind and body. I also read and absorbed books on visualisation and many other techniques that helped to still the mind. I applied these to my life in a casual way. One outlined a technique that I tried and found affected me profoundly. It started off small, only a slight change. Over time, as I practiced it, I was able to ‘hold’ this sensation of letting go. I had learned to be equanimous for short periods in a focussed way by letting go of an attachment to sensations in the body. I still use it and it led me to have an affinity later with the practice of mindfulness. I also learned a long time ago, of the impermanence of emotion and the notion that we are often rooted in the present by emotion, but have to also have an eye to the fact that this will change.

I met Bruno in 2000 and was struck by his calm, his dedication and the clarity he brought to things. He wanted me to understand mindfulness in a deeper way by practice. His view was that if you have found something this good, you want others you care about to also benefit from it. I resisted. “What was the point of working hard on something designed to make you happier in your life when you are already happy?” I thought. Over time, we had chats about his methods and I could see a definite advantage in utilising a more pervasive mindfulness approach with clients.

I heard others, including Jon Kabat-Zinn, talking about the benefits of mindfulness and I had read much on it. So I began to practice it more formally. Since then, it has been imbedded in my work with clients. What I like about this approach is that it is experiential. It is one's own experience and not that of another who may be trying to help you change your understanding of what you experience. It asks you to do it to yourself, without a 'middle man'. In MiCBT, mindfulness is not on the periphery, it is central. When I thought about it, I realised that traditional CBT is often simply trying to put a wedge between someone and their troublesome thoughts. Why not start deeper; why not work on it yourself through the practice of mindfulness? Above all, being mindful really does impact on what you bring to therapy. I think Bruno has truly brought mindfulness to psychotherapy in a unique and powerful way and I am grateful for his wisdom.

MIndfulness in Meditation and Everyday Life

Tue, 31 May 2011 00:00:00 -1000

Venue: Bruny Island Community Health Centre. 16 School Rd, Alonnah

Course Dates: Preliminary interview on 26th July. The course runs from 23 August to 11 October 2011. 11am to 2 pm, including a light lunch.

The last session will be Tuesday December 13.

Please book on 62931143 at Bruny Island Community Health Centre.

Cost: $5 for lunch per session. You will also need to purchase two CDs at $10 each for your daily practice.

Tutor: Dr Peter Davies

This 8-week course is based on the one developed by Dr Bruno Cayoun, an internationally recognised Psychologist and Mindfulness practitioner, who regularly teaches in Australia and abroad.

For further information please contact Peter Davies: Email pfreemandavies@gmail.com and mobile 0417528375 after June 18

What does a Mindfulness course involve?

Mindfulness is a mental state that is experienced as a heightened awareness of our senses in the present moment, free from judgement, reactivity and identification to the experience. As a training method, mindfulness requires paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, from moment to moment, with unconditional acceptance of the current experience. In a Mindfulness course, participants meet together as a class with an instructor for 8 weekly 2-hour classes, with an additional one half-day session 2 months after the 8th session.

The skill of mindfulness is taught through formal and informal mindfulness practices. Formal mindfulness meditation practices include mindfulness of breath, and body-scanning meditation, which help regulate attention and emotion. Informal mindfulness meditation practice involves integrating mindfulness into everyday life. In each class, participants have an opportunity to talk about their experience of the home practices, the obstacles that inevitably arise, and how to deal with them skillfully. Each class is organized around a theme that is explored through mindfulness practice, group inquiry and other relevant exercises.

As mindfulness training is primarily experiential in nature, the main ‘work’ of the course is done at home between classes, using CDs with guided meditations that support participants developing practice outside of class. This requires devoting approximately 30 minutes twice each day to home practice. In many ways this commitment to daily practice is the most important aspect of the course. It is through personal experiencing of mindfulness that we come to understand the possibilities it opens for us in our daily lives.

Over the eight weeks of the program, the practices help you to:

become familiar with the workings of your mind
notice the times when you are at risk of getting caught in old habits of mind that re-activate downward mood spirals
explore ways of releasing yourself from those old and unhelpful habits
get in touch with a different way of knowing yourself and the world
notice small beauties and pleasures in the world around you instead of living in your head
be kind to yourself instead of wishing things were different, or driving yourself to meet impossible goals
improve your sense of self-worth
accept yourself as you are, rather than judging or blaming yourself
decrease stress and gain some peace of mind
be able to exercise greater choice confidently in life.

Effects of developing mindfulness include:

Lasting decreases in physical and psychological symptoms
An increased ability to relax
Reductions in pain levels and an enhanced ability to cope with pain that may not go away
Greater energy and enthusiasm for life
Improved self-esteem
An ability to cope more effectively with both short and long-term stressful situations
Enhanced interpersonal relationships
Increased ability to manage anxiety and depression and/or low mood
Reduced tension
Better sleep
Greater sense of meaning and purpose in life

Snapshot: Marise Fallon

Sun, 29 May 2011 00:00:00 -1000

I never knew what I wanted to do when I left school and I spent many hours thinking about it while growing up in Brisbane, never coming to a decision that lasted more than a couple of months. When I did finish year 12 in 2001 at the last minute I decided to sign up for a Bachelor of Psychological Science at UQ. It felt like the course chose me, without much conscious thought of my own. I ended up loving studying psychology and I was also lucky enough to be able to combine it with studies in Buddhism (pursuing an interest in Buddhism and Buddhist philosophy that began as a student in high school), meditation in eastern religions and philosophy during the first couple of years.

I have always felt that I have been extremely lucky in life and, wanting to give back to a world that I loved, I always had a strong desire to help others. Studying psychology seemed to fit well with this. I graduated in 2006 and, wanting a break from study, spent three years working in an office supporting computer systems. Throughout my undergraduate study and during these years working afterwards, I spent 6 months travelling through south-east Asia, worked on yachts in the Whitsundays for a few months and drove/camped around the coastline of Australia on another amazing trip. During these years I realised how much I loved meeting learning from people. I also found myself drawn to the pursuit of activities that pulled me into the present moment: snorkelling and scuba diving, rock climbing and skydiving.

When I moved to Tasmania in February 2010 to begin a Masters in Clinical Psychology at UTAS I didn’t know much about mindfulness. I remember it being mentioned only once in my undergraduate course. I had heard about it through friends working in psychology in Brisbane and was intrigued to find out more. As I sat on my first day at UTAS, listening to potential supervisors for the masters theses talk about their research interests, I distinctly remember being excited to hear about Dr Bruno Cayoun’s interest in mindfulness and all things “east meets west”. Over the next week I read whatever I could find on mindfulness and did what I could to convince the uni to let Bruno be my supervisor. I was very happy when I found out this had worked.

Bruno introduced me to MiCBT and, as I began to develop a thesis project looking into mindfulness, I also began my own daily meditation. Bruno’s guidance, with such wisdom and patience, through both of these endeavours has been invaluable. I slowly plodded along with the daily meditation, being one of Bruno’s worst students at times I’m sure, struggling to find a balance between my strong desire to do the mediation and my strong desire to do anything else but. The meditation has now become an integral part of my life, though, and while I still have bad weeks sometimes, I keep coming back to it. I have loved witnessing the gradual change in the way I experience each moment of each day. My practise has already taught me so much about myself - my emotions, my thoughts and my place amongst the world - and I know this is only the very beginning of a long journey of awakening. Mindfulness has also been an invaluable tool for dealing with the stresses of being back at university, which have included the research project I’ve been working on.

On top of coursework and placements, my research has required me to teach 25 mindfulness courses (some last year and some this year). My study investigates the results for those completing different types of 8-week mindfulness courses: everyday mindfulness (informal mindfulness only); mindfulness of breath only; and body scan. Running these courses has been an amazing experience and I feel blessed to have been able to offer this opportunity to so many in the community. While I have not yet analysed any data regarding the differences in participant outcomes for each type of course, I know that many benefited regardless of the course completed. Running these courses, along with my own practice of mindfulness, has convinced me of the value of these techniques. I am so grateful to have been able to learn these skills for my own life and also to have the skills to be able to teach mindfulness to my clients when I finally become a practicing psychologist. (Thanks Bruno.)

Marise Fallon, BSc.
Master Student (Clinical Psychology)
University of Tasmania

Contact: mlfallon@postoffice.utas.edu.au

Mindfulness-integrated CBT: Principles and Practice

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -1000

Mindfulness-integrated CBT: Principles and Practice (Wiley-Blackwell) represents the first set of general principles and practical guidelines for the integration of mindfulness meditation with well-documented and newly developed CBT techniques to address a broad range of psychological dysfunctions.

The first book to provide a strong rationale and general guidelines for the implementation of mindfulness meditation integrated with CBT for a wide range of psychological difficulties
Incorporates ancient Buddhist concepts of how the mind works, while remaining firmly grounded in well-documented cognitive and behavioural principles
Provides new insights into established understanding of conditioning principles
Includes a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions, week-by-week instructions for professionals to facilitate application of the therapy, along with case examples and the inspiring stories of former clients.

Click here for more information

Snapshot: Tess Huffam

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -1000

Mindfulness practice has revolutionised my life. I started daily mindfulness practice three years ago to assist me to manage my own emotional vulnerability and now I am inspired to share the inherent skill with others.

I work part time as a Credentialed Diabetes Educator and Community Health Nurse in Atherton, Australia’s Far North Queensland. I enjoy this work. Among other things, I assist clients with lifestyle change including increasing physical activity, healthy eating and weight reduction. My aim is for people to feel empowered while making lifestyle changes of their choice. Most of the clients I see report having stress, anxiety or depression which impacts negatively on their quality of life.

For me, I start each day with a 30 minute formal mindfulness meditation practice and a 45 – 60 minute local rainforest walk (with my Kelpie, Max). My other main passion is Tai Chi, which I enjoy practicing in the afternoons and occasionally teaching. I also play tennis usually weekly with a friend. Also, for the last 18 months I have been treasurer of our local outrigger canoe club but earlier this month I resigned from this position to make time to commence work as a private diabetes educator.

My decision to start private practice as a diabetes educator was largely influenced by my desire to assist people with diabetes to reduce stress. While working privately, I will teach both MiCBT and Tai Chi groups. I have been upskilling in motivational interviewing and counselling skills to assist in my role.

The reason I am so passionate about mindfulness, is the impact that it has had on my own life. I have a diagnosis of Bipolar 1 Disorder. I am considered to be ‘high functioning’, I guess because I continue to enjoy work, close friendships and a happy marriage. Due to my reasonably ‘normal’ external life, I have been able to live somewhat in denial of my emotional vulnerability. However, before starting Mindfulness practice, I lived with constant anxiety and with slight increases in stress, insomnia became a concern. Mood swings came seemingly from nowhere, that is, with no relationship to current life circumstances. Still, for the most part, I found it difficult to accept the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. I told few people that I had bipolar disorder, I feared their disapproval. Furthermore, I was ashamed of this aspect of myself which I struggled to understand. My greatest fear was that I would very unexpectedly, inexplicably become unwell and need hospitalisation and heavy medicating... again.

Mindfulness has changed everything. The first noticeable change (within two weeks of commencing practice) was my sleep pattern. I started to fall to sleep quickly and then before long I could sleep for the entire night without waking. A sound night’s sleep was like bliss to me. I was soon able to do away with my medication crutches, like Valerian and my emergency back stop, Temazepam.

Another major difference with practicing mindfulness has been reducing chronic anxiety and managing strong emotions. Learning MiCBT has also helped me to become more assertive. I have surprised myself on numerous occasions by my ability to calmly advocate for my own needs and the needs of others.

Still, there have been more changes since commencing mindfulness practice. Unexplainable mood swings have reduced and are apparently eliminated. I have come to believe that bipolar disorder, for me, is really a condition of mindlessness. What I mean is that at some point in the past I unconsciously shut down or became emotionally numb. Ultimately, I could only experience very intense emotions; mania and depression.

While learning MiCBT with Bruno Cayoun, I remember Bruno saying “all emotions come from underlying body sensations”. I was staggered; this was a revelation to me. I started to realise how disconnected from myself I had been for a very long time. Now through mindfulness practice, all my emotions are linked to an associated event, thought and body sensation. My emotions are also much less intense and therefore more manageable.

Self-awareness through mindfulness meditation has allowed me greater understanding of who I am and what I value. I highly value finding inner balance, harmony, accepting who I am and being true to this. I am no longer ashamed of living with bipolar disorder. This condition has been a valuable teacher and motivator to live mindfully.

So, I am no longer afraid of sleepless nights, severe mood swings or actually of becoming unwell. My old mindless ways still exist and I still find myself at times operating mindlessly. However, I no longer get disappointed at being mindless, I accept and remind myself of the choices I now have. I remember Bruno’s empowering words (in relation to our thoughts), “you can become the master of the house”, and how liberating and true this notion is. Also liberating is the scientific concept of neuroplasticity.

Recently one friend and a colleague commented that I am calm, balanced and level headed. Three years ago, ‘pre-mindfulness’ training, these comments would not have applied; the opposite was more applicable. I approach life now with a new sense of self-reliance, awareness, strength and patience.

Perhaps one day I will have the opportunity to assist others living with mental illness. I would ultimately like to contribute to reducing the stigma of mental illness. I enjoy speaking publicly and would like to share my experience of living with a mental illness and the impact that mindfulness has had on my life.

I hope that my own personal challenges, personal growth and on-going commitment to mindfulness practice assist me to be an effective mindfulness teacher. I feel that helping others to be more mindful and lead a more meaningful and authentic life is an extremely valuable contribution to make. I am looking forward to my private practice growing; I have had a very positive start with support of many local GPs (US=MDs). I will be commencing MiCBT classes soon.

I would like to thank Bruno Cayoun for both teaching me MiCBT and allowing me to share my story. If you would like to contact me, I would be happy to hear from you. Please contact me via email at tess@hconnections.com.au