ABSTRACT
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) was developed as a targeted approach for people who have a history of depression and are therefore vulnerable to future episodes. Taught while participants are in remission, it aims to enable them to learn how to bring awareness to body sensations, thoughts, and emotions and to respond adaptively to the early warning signs of relapse. The programme has the practice of mindfulness meditation at its core; it draws on the structure and process of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme and integrates within these some aspects of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for depression. It is taught in an eight-week class format for up to twelve participants. This Point offers a summary of these areas which are integral to MBCT and have informed its development: mindfulness meditation practice, MBSR and CBT.
