Effective Mindful-Based Teen Therapy Techniques

Table of Contents

This Article Discusses the Following:

  • Definition of mindful-based therapy
  • Major principles of mindfulness-based therapy techniques
  • The science behind mindfulness-based therapy and how it can improve mental and physical health
  • Common techniques used in mindfulness-based therapy
  • Applying mindfulness-based techniques to help manage specific issues
  • Benefits of mindfulness-based therapy
  • Misconceptions, challenges, and limitations of mindfulness-based therapy techniques
  • How to incorporate mindfulness-based techniques into daily life

Teen Mindfulness Therapy Techniques are increasingly used alongside other interventions to treat teen mental health issues and substance use disorders. They cultivate present-moment awareness and encourage people to accept their thoughts, feelings, and emotions without judgment.

Teenagers who undergo mindfulness-based therapy learn to experience moments, thoughts, and emotions without getting too engrossed and find healthier ways to cope or deal with challenges. This article will discuss mindful-based therapy techniques and how they can help adolescents manage specific issues. Let’s get started.

Definition of Mindfulness-Based Therapy

Mindfulness-based therapy is a common type of psychotherapy that incorporates awareness of situations, surroundings, thoughts, and feelings to treat dysfunctional behaviors and thought patterns. It is administered by trained mental health experts who help clients improve awareness of the self and surroundings to avoid automatic responses or destructive patterns.

Core Principles of Effective Mindfulness-Based Therapy

There are four main principles of effective mindfulness-based therapy, i.e., mindfulness and awareness, non-judgemental observation, acceptance and compassion, and cultivation of positive states. Let’s explore.

Mindfulness and Awareness

Mindfulness-based therapy requires being fully present and aware of thoughts, surroundings, feelings, and situations.

Non-judgmental Observation

This therapy approach requires participants to pay close attention to their thoughts and try as much as possible not to get caught up in their dislikes, likes, and ideas. They should let their minds wander but shift their focus to their breathing instead of judging themselves for not paying attention.

Acceptance and Compassion

By accepting a situation without trying to change it or wishing it was different, people become more aware of their experiences. Mindfulness-based therapy also champions compassion, the sympathetic consciousness of one’s and other’s suffering, and the desire to relieve it.

Cultivation of Positive States

Mindfulness-based therapy requires cultivating positive states by focusing on things that boost our acceptance, gratitude, anticipatory joy, and compassion for others and ourselves.

The Science Behind Mindfulness-Based Therapy

Mindfulness-based therapy helps us manage our stressors/reactions and positively influences how we recover from stressful events by reducing the volume and task-based activation of the amygdala in the brain and increasing its connection to our prefrontal cortices.

How Mindfulness Can Improve Mental and Physical Health

Mindfulness improves awareness of our thoughts and feelings, helping us manage them better instead of feeling overwhelmed. Studies have shown that certain mindfulness-based techniques can significantly lessen the symptoms of depression and anxiety and improve how we cope with difficult thoughts and understand our emotions. For instance, exploring 5 ways on how to get over depression can offer additional strategies to complement these techniques. Regarding physical health, mindfulness can be used alongside pharmacotherapy to treat heart disease, reduce chronic pain, lower blood pressure, lessen gastrointestinal difficulties, and improve sleep.

Techniques Used in Effective Mindfulness-Based Therapy

Mindfulness-based therapy techniques are grouped into breath awareness, conscious thinking, body and emotion and mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques.

Breath Awareness Techniques

Mindful Breathing

Mindfulness breathing is done by slowing down and focusing on one’s breath. Depending on one’s preference, it can be done unguided or through an app. The different forms of mindful breathing potentially lower blood pressure and manage chronic pain, anxiety, stress, depression, focusing difficulties, trauma, or post-traumatic disorder. Common mindful breathing exercises and scripts include pranayama, deep breathing, 4-7-8 breathing, and breath awareness meditation.

Counting Breaths

Mindfulness breath-counting is a traditional meditation technique that helps anchor attention to the present moment. Participants numerically count their inhalations and exhalations to draw mental attention to their breathing. This exercise increases hippocampus activity, promoting better memory. It also improves the connections between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala.

Breathing with a Mantra

Breathing with a mantra, popularly known as mantra meditation, involves repeating a word or phrase during meditation to help release the mind. It is recommended for people who cannot easily concentrate or get into the right meditation mind frame. It helps boost awareness and concentration, leading to better meditation results. Its other potential benefits include reduced stress, increased self-awareness, a more positive outlook, increased self-compassion, and greater calm. It can also improve brain health through positive brain changes leading to improved mood and memory and reduced fatigue and anxiety. Here is how you ace a mantra meditation- get comfortable, set a timer, begin with a few deep breaths, incorporate the mantra, allow your breath to guide you, and redirect wandering thoughts gently.

Body Scan Breathing

As the name suggests, body scan breathing checks the body for tension, pain, or anything strange to help participants feel more connected to their emotional and physical selves. It can promote physical and emotional wellness by increasing self-compassion, improving sleep, reducing pain, promoting self-awareness, reducing cravings (for smokers), and offering stress and anxiety relief. Beginners should make it a habit and disregard any negative feelings.

Mindfulness Body Techniques

Progressive Relaxation

Progressive relaxation helps relieve muscular tension by tensing and releasing muscle groups consecutively. It is premised on the theory that one cannot feel anxious when physically relaxed. Here is how it is done:

  • Take five slow deep breaths
  • While breathing in, apply tension to one muscle group in a deliberate and gentle manner
  • Hold for 5-10 seconds
  • Swiftly and fully relax the tensed muscle while exhaling. Ensure that you focus on the changing sensations.
  • Take 10-20 seconds to relax and repeat the steps on a different muscle group
  • Count backward from 5-1, then shift your focus to the present

At Key Healthcare, we use progressive relaxation to help treat common bodily states such as stress and anxiety. Potential benefits of this mindful body technique include improved overall mood, reduced anxiety, better sleep, lowered stress, increased mental and physical relaxation, and symptom relief in cancer patients.

Mindful Movement

Mindfulness movement can be achieved by paying attention to our breathing and body movements when engaging in compound activities. We must also be present in the moment and notice our surroundings. For example, you can listen deeply to a song as you walk while focusing on your breathing or environment. Potential benefits include improved focus, enhanced sleep, improved mood, lower stress/ anxiety, and enhanced relaxation.

Yoga

Yoga therapy is by far one of the most common mindful techniques. It is one of the first practices that comes to mind when someone mentions mindfulness. The term is derived from Yuj, a Sanskrit word that means union. It is believed to be at least 5,000 years old and is a common practice in Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Mindful yoga uses physical poses for mindful meditation, helping participants achieve greater mind-body awareness. Its potential benefits include improved creativity, greater insights into feelings, improved physical health (sleep quality, pain reduction, and stress relief), positive emotions, and better coping skills.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

Mindfulness-based stress reduction, known as MBSR, is a popular therapy technique for reducing stress levels. Instructors organize and guide participants through weekly practices such as yoga and meditation. This complementary practice is used alongside other evidence-based therapy approaches to help treat physical and mental challenges such as high blood pressure, anxiety, chronic pain, depression, immune disorders, and addiction. Common MBSR techniques include:

  • Breathing techniques such as mantra meditation, belly breathing, and diaphragmatic breathing that slow the heartbeat and lower blood pressure
  • Group dialogues (encourage participants to share their experiences)
  • Mindfulness meditations
  • Gratitude journaling, i.e., writing down things you are thankful for in life
  • Yoga
  • Home assignments, e.g., listening to guided meditations or practicing select mindfulness techniques

The benefits of mindfulness-based stress reduction include pain relief, reduced anxiety and depression, stress management, cognitive improvements, and bias reduction. It’s also important to note that this mindfulness-based therapy technique can present a higher risk for survivors of abuse, people with a history of trauma, people coping with addiction, and those who have attempted suicide.

MBSR and Chronic Pain Management

Mindfulness-based stress reduction can help people achieve better mindfulness for improved pain perception and management. It also reduces stress, known to cause muscle spasms or tension, adding to pain perception. MBSR techniques can also help those experiencing chronic pain observe and relax their body using visualization and breathing exercises.

Mindful Thinking Techniques

Thought Observation

Thought observation is done by paying attention to the thoughts that come into our minds and accepting them without judgment. It is premised on the idea that thoughts are neither good nor bad but just what they are. This mindful thinking technique helps us focus on what we see, improving our awareness. We also notice when our thoughts distract us and redirect our attention to what we can see.

Labeling Thoughts

Thought labeling allows us to build a space between our experiences and responses by slowing down and perceiving our experiences before reacting. It helps regulate emotion and promote insight whenever we are stressed or emotionally upset. Potential benefits of this mindful thinking technique include improved emotional wiring, thought detachment, calmness, and reduced emotional reactions or preoccupation.

Self-enquiry

Self-enquiry is a mindful thinking technique derived from teen dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). It helps us learn more about ourselves and how we interact with the world and those around us by posing questions that point to freedom or help us find our edge (defined as a person’s unknown or where we have something to learn). It also imparts self-knowledge through self-development and self-control. Studies have shown that self-inquiry can help participants achieve higher consciousness for improved mental health, resilience, and cardiometabolic outcomes.

Letting Go

Letting go is a mindful thinking technique for attaining complete peace and freedom. We are expected to let go of the past, embrace change, and focus on the present. It can help us cultivate stability and connect to greater meaning during uncertainty.

Cognitive Restructuring

Cognitive restructuring is derived from teen cognitive behavioral therapy. It helps people change their beliefs and thinking patterns. Participants identify and challenge unhelpful beliefs to reduce their impact on well-being. Mastering and practicing cognitive structuring techniques can help deal with stress, insomnia, depression, relationship problems, low self-esteem, and anxiety. Such techniques include preventing thought errors, Socratic approaches, and addressing emotional reasoning.

Mindful Emotion Techniques

Loving-Kindness Meditation

Loving-kindness meditation allows us to nurture kindness for ourselves and others, strengthen positive emotions, and manage the symptoms of depression. This mindful emotion technique requires participants to focus on their thoughts and breathing. One needs to sit in a quiet place, focus on themselves and recite phrases such as “May I be happy and at ease,” then think about others and redirect the phrases to them.

Compassion Meditation

Compassion, or karuna meditation, is a mindful emotion technique that allows us to avoid self-centeredness and isolation and practice compassion. It guides us toward compassionate thoughts so that we connect with our sufferings (and those of others) and awaken our inherent compassion. Potential benefits include increased compassion/ empathy, better relationships, stress reduction, and improved mood.

Emotion Regulation Techniques

Emotional regulation techniques help people identify, manage and respond to emotions in ways that make them productive and useful aspects of their internal experience. At Key Healthcare, we offer cognitive reappraisal to alter teenagers’ thinking and help them achieve better emotional regulation. We also work on their self-awareness, adaptability, mindfulness awareness, and self-compassion skills to boost their emotion regulation.

Body Awareness

Body awareness “kinesthesia” refers to one’s consciousness and connection to their body. Techniques and exercises that balance proprioceptive and vestibular systems, such as yoga, can reduce depression, anxiety, and vertigo, improving mental and emotional well-being. Studies have also found that a mindful approach to body awareness can help lower sensory pain and improve vitality and self-acceptance.

Using Mindfulness-Based Therapy Techniques for Specific Issues

Anxiety and Stress

  • Progressive relaxation– It leaves the body feeling relaxed, helping alleviate negative emotions associated with such as anxiety, fear, and tension
  • Mindful breathing– This technique can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls the body’s ability to relax and lowers stress.
  • Labeling thoughts– Thought acknowledgement and labeling can help improve our brain’s emotional wiring. The resultant relaxing effect helps us detach from our thoughts, which can reduce anxiety.
  • Body scan– A mental scan can bring awareness to all body parts, allowing us to identify general discomfort, aches, pains, and tension. The mind is kept in the present for ten or so minutes, which helps with anxiety symptoms.

Depression

Teen Depression is a common mental health disorder that negatively affects how people feel, think, and react. It is estimated that roughly 7% of US adults suffer from depression yearly and that 1 in 6 (16%+) people are likely to experience it at some point. Even though symptom severity can vary depending on the type of depression, it is common to experience low energy, sleep changes, teenage suicidal ideation, irritability, sadness or hopelessness, concentration difficulties, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, and difficulty making decisions when depressed. The mindful techniques that have proven helpful in treating this illness include:

  • Loving Kindness Meditation- This meditation can increase attention, enhance positive emotions and reduce negative emotional states associated with depression. Additionally, it can increase empathy and shift how we view ourselves in relation to others.
  • Positive thinking- One can reduce depressive symptoms by focusing on positive thoughts rather than negative ones. Positive thinking can also increase our psychological well-being and happiness, which helps with depression.
  • Mindful movement- Mindful movement helps us focus on the present instead of dwelling on past and future events, reducing our pondering and worry.
  • Emotion regulation techniques- Depression is generally caused by impaired emotional regulation. We can therefore counter it by learning how to regulate our emotions better.

Substance Abuse

  • Mindful breathing – This technique can help teens in recovery experience a sense of control and calm by focusing on their breathing.
  • Emotion regulation techniques – Emotion regulation techniques can help manage negative emotions and enhance positive ones for long-term recovery.
  • Relapse prevention techniques – Relapse prevention techniques help teenagers in recovery identify triggers and acquire the right skills, strategies, and mechanisms for dealing with them.
  • Body awareness – At Key Healthcare, we offer mindful body awareness training to help teenagers understand and respond better to their bodily, physical, and emotional signals for enhanced self-care.

Eating Disorders

  • Mindful eating – Mindful eating allows us to experience and enjoy our food choices. When we engage our physical and emotional senses during meal times, we increase gratitude for food, which can help with eating disorders.
  • Body scan – Body scans can increase physical and emotional state awareness, helping people with an eating disorder identify, access, understand, and respond to related internal signals such as fullness and hunger cues.
  • Emotion Regulation Techniques – Emotion regulation helps people with eating disorders deal with unpleasant emotions such as anxiety, anger, and sadness that may push them into binge eating or compulsive restriction.
  • Positive affirmations – Positive affirmations can help adolescents, especially those dealing with teenage eating disorders, to recover from negative thinking patterns associated with the disorder.

Benefits of Mindfulness-Based Therapy

Several people have reported improved relationships, reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, lower stress levels, improved sleep quality, better cognitive function, improved self-awareness, enhanced self-acceptance, and improved emotional regulation after successful mindfulness-based therapy.

Who Can Benefit from Mindfulness-Based Therapy

Types of Mental Health Conditions That Can Be Treated with Mindfulness-Based Therapy

This approach can help treat or manage problems such as depression, anxiety, restlessness, tension, panic, negative thoughts, insomnia, excessive worrying, and stress.

Individuals Who May Benefit from Mindful-based Therapy

Those suffering from restless legs syndrome

Mindfulness techniques such as meditation and progressive relaxation can help reduce restless leg syndrome symptoms.

College students with depression

This therapy approach can help depressed college students focus more on the present and less on negative/depressive thought spirals. According to the Harvard Graduate School of Education, relaxation techniques can also help reduce the negative effects of stress, a prevalent condition in depression.

Healthcare professionals

Healthcare professionals experience high-stress levels owing to their working environment. Mindful meditation can help them handle stress and burnout and improve their well-being and empathy, making them better positioned to care for patients.

Veterans with depression and/or PTSD

Mindfulness can make veterans suffering from PTSD more willing to experience the difficult emotions that follow a traumatic event. It can also potentially increase the ability of depressed veterans to cope with difficult emotions.

Police officers

Mindful practices can help keep police officers calm and focused, allowing them to respond more appropriately to critical incidents and high-stress situations.

Factors That Can Influence the Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Therapy

  • Ability to work through uncomfortable thoughts, physical sensations, and emotions
  • Ability and willingness to practice acceptance and letting go
  • Ability to manage distractions and focus on the present
  • Readiness to incorporate mindfulness in daily life

Mindfulness-Based Therapy in Practice

What to Expect During a Mindfulness-Based Therapy Session

At Key Healthcare, we administer mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in group settings. Our trained therapists teach meditation techniques and apply basic cognition principles to help teenagers understand the relationship between their thoughts and feelings during the sessions. We also implore teenagers to incorporate present-moment awareness in their daily routines to enjoy their journey to wellness.

How to Find a Mindfulness-Based Therapist

We have assembled a team of qualified and experienced mindful-based therapists at Key Healthcare to administer mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to teenagers and help them overcome whatever challenges they may be facing.

Credentials to Look for in a Therapist

Here are common therapist titles and their credentials:

Psychologists:

  • Bachelor’s degree in psychology, e.g., BA in Psychology
  • Master’s degree (MA)
  • Doctor of Psychology degree (Psy.D) or a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degree in a related field

Social Workers:

  • Master’s of Social Work (MSW)
  • Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)-Requires a higher degree of training after the MSW degree
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)- The highest social work certification. It may require a doctorate in some instances

Counselors:

  • A Master’s degree in counseling or psychology (mental health and behavioral modification techniques)
  • Limited Licensed Professional Counselor (LLPC)- Requires a Master’s in Counseling. However, the holder can only practice under a licensed professional counselor
  • Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)- A Master’s degree in counseling holder with post-grad supervised experience.
  • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)- The holder should have a master’s or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy

Other certifications include Certified Advanced Addiction and Drug Counselor (CAADC), Certified Behavioral Therapist (CBT), Certified EMDR Therapist, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapist (DBT).

Questions to Ask a Potential Mindfulness-Based Therapist

Here are a few financial, worldview, qualifications, and setting expectations questions your teenager should ask before their first session:

  • How much do you charge per session?
  • Can I use my insurance coverage to pay for the sessions? If so, what insurance providers are accepted?
  • Are you religious? If so, how does it affect your therapy approach?
  • How will I tell that therapy is effective?
  • How many years have you worked as a therapist?
  • Are you experienced in treating conditions such as mine?
  • How many times a week do you expect us to meet?
  • What should I expect from a typical session?
  • Are your therapy sessions conducted physically or online?

Common Misconceptions about Effective Mindfulness-Based Therapy

The following common beliefs about mindfulness are not true:

  • Mindfulness only serves people with mental health issues

Everyone can practice mindfulness, including those without a mental health or substance use disorder.

  • Mindfulness is premised on religion.

Even though certain religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, incorporate mindful practices in their teachings, mindfulness is not a religious practice. It is open to anyone willing to improve their self-awareness and reap its benefits, religious beliefs notwithstanding.

  • Mindfulness is only used for stress reduction

Stress reduction is not the only reason people practice mindfulness. Other reasons include reducing anxiety and depression, coping with severe illnesses, improving sleep, and reducing chronic pain.

  • Mindfulness is too time-consuming

Practices such as mindful breathing only require 5-15 minutes. Additionally, those who can’t create time to practice techniques such as yoga or meditation can incorporate mindfulness into their daily activities.

Incorporating Mindfulness-Based Techniques into Daily Life

Here is how your teenager can incorporate mindfulness-based techniques into their daily life:

  • Spending a few minutes to check in with themselves when they wake up. They can consider how they feel, their current emotions, and whether there are certain physical pains or aches.
  • Incorporating mindful activities such as journaling or meditative movement in their morning routine
  • Performing regular mindful breathing exercises to stay present the entire day
  • Focusing on their senses, for example, paying attention to different textures, sensations, and flavors when drinking or eating.
  • Practicing mindful intimacy
  • Devoting at least 5 minutes daily to meditation
  • Taking deep breaths and focusing on their surrounding in different settings, e.g., at a supermarket

Challenges and Limitations of Mindfulness-Based Therapy Techniques

Common Challenges Faced During Mindfulness-Based Therapy

  • Most people fail to take the necessary self-regulatory steps to develop a consistent mindful practice.
  • Mindfulness requires patience, which most people lack.
  • People with mobility issues or breathing problems can have a hard time practicing mindful practices such as meditative movement and breath awareness techniques
  • Mindfulness requires lots of ongoing effort, which may make teenagers think of giving up
  • It’s easier to forget that the journey is the destination, i.e., the reward is in the journey
  • Your goals may get in the way of your journey, especially if you are too attached to them
  • It may take relatively longer to see results
  • Obstacles such as laziness, mental inaction, physical illness, carelessness, negligence, cravings, a false perception of events/ objects, not knowing the real meaning and purpose of mindfulness, and a tendency to slide back may hamper someone’s journey.
  • At times it may be easier to be anywhere, but in the present

How to Overcome Challenges and Limitations in Mindfulness-Based Therapy

  • Practice detachment
  • Incorporate mindfulness in all aspects of your life
  • Do not let distractions such as relationship drama and life problems impede your journey
  • Acknowledge that progress doesn’t come quickly and practice patience
  • Remember to enjoy the journey and not get too engrossed in the destination
  • Understand the common mindfulness obstacles and strive to avoid those you can (such as laziness)

Conclusion

The above-discussed mindfulness-based therapy techniques can be invaluable tools for teens with different disorders. Practicing present-moment awareness and acceptance can help people learn to flexibly and adaptively respond to difficult situations. We at Key Healthcare include these techniques in our teen treatment programs to promote holistic mental health and substance use disorder treatment. Feel free to contact us and learn more about our programs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Goal of Mindfulness-Based Therapy Techniques?

Mindfulness-based therapy techniques help people stay in the present in order to recognize and deal with their negative thoughts and emotions as they happen. Practicing mindfulness also helps us become calm, centered, and compassionate.

How Do Mindfulness-Based Therapy Techniques Differ from Other Types of Therapy Techniques?

Mindfulness-based therapy techniques alter attitudes or thought patterns, reducing their likeliness to influence behavior and feelings. In contrast, other therapy techniques restructure or dispute people’s cognitions and beliefs to influence their worldview.

Is Mindfulness-Based Therapy Techniques Evidence-Based?

According to the American Psychological Association, over 200 studies on mindfulness (among healthy people) reviewed by researchers have shown that mindfulness-based therapy is particularly effective for depression, anxiety, and stress.

Can Mindfulness-Based Therapy Techniques Be Used in Conjunction with Medication?

Yes. Studies have shown combining mindful-based therapy techniques and pharmacological interventions can significantly improve depressive symptoms. Patients also regulate their emotions better when these two inventions are used than when only pharmacotherapy is administered.

How Long Do Mindfulness-Based Therapy Techniques Take to See Results?

Most people have reported feeling better, livelier, happier, and more productive after eight weeks of mindfulness-based therapy. However, help your teenager focus on the journey and not the destination, i.e., they should not fix all their attention on the results to the point of missing how rewarding the journey can be.

Can Mindfulness-Based Therapy Techniques Be Done on Your Own?

Yes. One doesn’t need an instructor to perform most mindfulness-based therapy techniques discussed above. They only have to pay attention, shift their focus to the present moment, practice acceptance and focus on their breathing while performing related exercises.

Are Mindfulness-Based Therapy Techniques Suitable for Children?

People of all age groups can practice and benefit from mindfulness. Techniques such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for children can help address the cognitive and behavioral patterns that result from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic distress in children or adolescents.

How Can Mindfulness-Based Therapy Techniques Benefit My Relationships?

Certain mindfulness-based therapy techniques, such as loving-kindness and compassion meditations, can help us experience compassion and acceptance, significantly improving our relationship outcomes.

Can Mindfulness-Based Therapy Techniques Improve My Emotional Intelligence?

Yes. Mindfulness can promote emotional regulation and improve emotional intelligence, mitigating impulsivity by increasing the stimulus and response gap.