Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) in Wolverhampton, West Midlands

Lewis Psychology is a Wolverhampton based psychology servcice and multi-award winning ethical business.  We are the only psychology practice in Wolverhampton to gain Service Accreditation status with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). BACP Service Accreditation is a nationally recognised benchmark awarded to services which can provide robust evidence to demonstrate a high quality of service delivery. Along with the award of accreditation, the BACP have commended Lewis Psychology for its thoroughness, clear policies and procedures and its organised, efficient and professional.

What is MBCT?

The core skill of MBCT is to recognise and disengage from mind states characterised by self-perpetuating patterns of ruminative negative thoughts. Such patterns, if left unchecked, are likely to produce a downward spiralling of mood and eventually lead to anxiety or depression.  In MBCT, you will learn how to disengage from one mode of mind and enter another mode, this will enable you to process problematic information in ways that are more helpful.

The basic tool to effect this change of mental modes, or shift of mental gears, is the intentional use of attention and awareness in particular ways.  By choosing what we are going to attend to, and how we are going to attend to it, we place our hand on the lever that enables us to change mental gears.

Components of MBCT

There are four main components of MBCT:

1. Concentration practices to steady and calm the mind: These practices involve learning to focus on an object of attention such as the breath, sounds or body sensations and trying to stay with it. When the mind wanders, it is gently and kindly brought back to the object of attention. This practice is a building block that facilitates other meditation practices.
2. Mindfulness: Once there is some comfort with concentration practice and you have learned to gather and steady attention, we can then expand the focus to begin practicing mindfulness. In concentration practice, we gently return the mind to the object of attention each time it wanders.  In mindfulness practice, we get curious about what has distracted us and captured our attention, and attend to the rising and passing of all phenomena in experience.
3. Compassion: If you are in significant pain or feeling overwhelmed, compassion practice can be especially useful.  It can be an effective counterpoint to self-criticism and self-loathing. This practice involves embracing who you are in an awake and accepting way, bringing kindness and acceptance to even the most difficult experiences.
4. Learning: A central element of treatment is providing information that can help you to fully understand and have compassion for your own experience. We will teach you about the nature of your condition and ways in which you habitually respond may increase distress and decrease satisfaction. Our methods include verbal instruction (supported by handouts), experiential demonstrations (e.g. demonstrating the paradoxical effects of thought suppression) and practicing mindfulness audio exercises at home.

 How can MBCT help?

MBCT focuses on helping you:

• develop a new relationship with your internal experiences so that you see your thoughts objectively rather than all-encompassing truths
• cultivate willingness to approach rather than trying to avoid experience
• engage in actions that matter to you rather than habitually avoiding
• respond rather than react to worrisome thoughts, catastrophic images or recurrent painful memories
• expand your awareness of experience, noticing reactions as what they are and allowing them to be
• developing kindness and compassion towards yourself

intentionally choosing to respond in an alternative way

Make an appointment for MBCT

If you would like to arrange an appointment or require further information regarding MBCT please telephone our Wolverhampton practice on: 01902 827808.  Alternatively fill out our online contact form and we will contact you back within 24 hours. We are open seven days a week. 

Initial telephone discussion

You are welcome to contact us for a 15 minute initial telephone discussion.  This will be with a BACP senior accredited psychotherapist who will use this time to gain an understanding of how you could benefit from the services offered at Lewis Psychology. During this discussion the practitioner will help guide you towards the service and therapist that is most suitable. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and find out more about the process. At this time you can decide whether you would like to book an appointment however the consultation is conducted entirely without obligation on your part.

Fees and Payment

MBCT is £80 for an hour appointment. We accept a variety of payment methods including cash, bank transfer or credit/debit card.