ABSTRACT
Staying in the moment does not come naturally and we require practice to strengthen our mindfulness muscle. For practitioners, this is likely both a combination of a general reliance on the thinking mode of mind, along with a tendency to become ‘heady’ or problem-focused when engaged in the task of therapy. Therapy is a unique environment which draws on our skills to formulate, figure out, and understand, whilst requiring us to engage in complex emotional and interpersonal movements with another person, sometimes in the presence of high distress. Checking in regularly to notice the degree to which our own actions are consistent with our values can be a useful barometer for how much we may need to be connecting with the present moment. Also, as much as possible, it is helpful to approach this in a kind and compassionate way, so as not to beat ourselves over the head with judgements and self-depreciation.
