Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Trauma
In line with the thousands of studies now available supporting the use of mindfulness-based interventions in depression, anxiety, chronic pain and addictions (via emotion regulation and interoception), this post will review recommended mindfulness interventions for trauma and PTSD. The post will note information from two recent books on this topic. Also recognize that meta-analytic research in 2004, 2010, and 2014 have found that mindfulness-based interventions improve depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and emotion regulation. These are common conditions co-occurring with addictions and trauma. Such interventions may be carried out as part of various Western therapies: cognitive, behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, dialectical-behavioral, and even psychodynamic.
Follette, Briere and others (2015, 2018) note the many benefits of using mindfulness-based skills as part of trauma therapy. Here is their summary. Mindfulness interventions when implemented by a mindfulness practitioner:
- Improves compassion, self-compassion, and radical acceptance;
- Improves the negative effects of deprivation, oppression, loss, and harm;
- Enhance contemplative responses;
- Integrates trauma-informed care with yoga and meditation;
- Clarifies emotion mind from reasonable mind;
- Empowers personal embodiment and being with one’s conditions;
- Expands loving kindness;
- Enables effective use of RAIN skills;
- Softens harsh, self-critical views of self;
- Reduces over-identification with traumatic experiences;
- Softens anger and blame;
- Brings people to the present – leaving “stuckness” in the past;
- Reduces apprehensions about the future;
- Strengthens meta-cognitive awareness of thoughts and images as triggers;
- Improved emotion regulation – less reactivity and impulsivity;
- Teaches breathing retraining for vagal and para-sympathetic activation;
- Teaches thoughts and emotions are only thoughts and emotions – not the self;
- Improves one’s sense of well-being and happiness; and,
- Often enhances self-esteem and empowerment.
Davis (2016) adds the following mindfulness-based effects:
- Improves balance in mind-body-heart (soul;);
- Empowers better stress reduction practices;
- Reduces the personal struggle to control cognitions, emotions, and behaviors;
- Enhances one’s observational capacities to just be present and “see” via mindful abiding;
- Allows people to recognize experience and life as pleasant, neutral/boring, and unpleasant as norms; and,
- Enhances the ability to be grounded when triggered.
For more information refer to Follette, V. M. , Briere, J. et.al. (2015, 2018). Mindfulness-Oriented Interventions for Trauma: Integrating Contemplative Practices. New York: Guilford Publications. See also Davis, L. (2016). Meditations for Healing Trauma. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC
From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont and the Home of The Monkton Sangha
Author of Mindful Happiness
experience of personal happiness. Since our mood, happiness and perhaps long-term health may depend on how we react to emotions, strong mind training is required. When we experience pleasant feelings (sukkah vedana), we are happy. When we experience unpleasant feelings (dukkah vedana), we are unhappy. We chase happiness, but we find endless cycles of ups and downs, the samsaric cycles. The goals of better health and emotional happiness can only be met by deeper understanding of how the human mind works and how to work with our destructive human emotions. The Buddha pointed out that reactions to our impermanent feelings cause us harm.
Now we will select a meditation form and become fully aware of emotions/feelings; we will simply be with them no matter if pleasant or unpleasant. We will be one with them to get to know them better. According to A. Brahm’s 
sensation to spread this way. Move it down the arms all the way to your fingertips. Recall a substance-free happy experience and smile more. Feel the emotion, even perhaps love. Now slowly and gently place both hands over your heart and rock gently. Continue for a couple minutes. Notice!
Buddhism, and clinical practice. So many things in common! However, after spending what appeared to be quality time together hiking, reading, and enjoying a great dinner, she decided against continuation of our short-lived relationship. The “spark” she felt no longer glowed, and she ended our relationship before it had any full substance of being. My age was also a factor. Ah, impermanence! Oh, yes, I was quite aware – very mindful about my desire and craving. Such is samsara and the Four Noble Truths.
contemporary reality has little to do with ultimate reality. We may also experience abandonment anxiety, fearing or suspecting that we will be left alone; once the loss experience happens, we find ourselves in abandonment depression – we have in fact been left alone. For some people these are normal cycles of life. For most of us this is not true.
high, thus the emotional reaction to loss is also high. In these short writings, much is offered to us. J. Kornfield calls us to practice loving kindness meditation. K. Neff recommends more self-compassion – always a good idea – and S. Salzberg calls for more generosity. J. Lief tells us to practice meditation with space, ultimately sharing that space with others. P. Chodron believes we need more tonglen practice. These experts all offer wisdom-based, wise-mind instructions on how to deal with love and its loss, human joy and human suffering. We are left with the realization that the most important thing is to “enjoy” happiness in the present moment when we experience it, and know that we cannot cling to it. Our ultimate reality is not the same as our contemporary reality.