Social work focuses on serving the most vulnerable members of society, and social workers must often address the contextual forces that contribute to human problems. Mindfulness and acceptance are powerful tools for this practice. By offering interventions like dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), social workers can help their clients become more aware and take effective action. In Mindfulness and Acceptance in Social Work, editor and social worker Matthew S. Boone brings together contributions from emerging voices in social work, such as Elana Rosenbaum, Yuk-Lin Renita Wong, and Diana Coholic, along with ACT pioneers Kirk Strosahl, Patricia Robinson, and others. This book focuses not only on mindfulness-based interventions for direct practice, but also on the intersection of mindfulness and social work education, cultural diversity, and macro social work. It includes a framework for moving past culturally-informed biases, and for how to best utilize mindfulness interventions for both individuals and the community at large.

Social work focuses on serving the most vulnerable members of society, and social workers must often address the contextual forces that contribute to human problems. Mindfulness and acceptance are powerful tools for this practice. By offering interventions like dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), social workers can help their clients become more aware and take effective action. In Mindfulness and Acceptance in Social Work, editor and social worker Matthew S. Boone brings together contributions from emerging voices in social work, such as Elana Rosenbaum, Yuk-Lin Renita Wong, and Diana Coholic, along with ACT pioneers Kirk Strosahl, Patricia Robinson, and others. This book focuses not only on mindfulness-based interventions for direct practice, but also on the intersection of mindfulness and social work education, cultural diversity, and macro social work. It includes a framework for moving past culturally-informed biases, and for how to best utilize mindfulness interventions for both individuals and the community at large.

This volume examines the role of mindfulness principles and practices in a range of well-established cognitive and behavioral treatment approaches. Leading scientist-practitioners describe how their respective modalities incorporate such nontraditional themes as mindfulness, acceptance, values, spirituality, being in relationship, focusing on the present moment, and emotional deepening. Coverage includes acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, integrative behavioral couple therapy, behavioral activation, and functional analytic psychotherapy. In every chapter, the authors describe their clinical methods and goals, articulate their theoretical models, and examine similarities to and differences from other approaches both inside and outside behavior therapy.

This practice-focused resource integrates broad therapeutic knowledge with current neuroscience to present vast possibilities for mindfulness in clinical social work. Seasoned practitioners posit mindfulness practice and process as a significant bridge between taking care of self and taking care of others, demonstrating its implications for physical and mental health in personal and professional contexts. Case studies show timeless concepts (e.g., acceptance) and new mindfulness-based ideas (e.g., learned helpfulness) in use in individual treatment as well as couples counseling and group interventions. Also attesting to the utility of mindfulness across problems, settings, and practitioner orientations, diverse applications are organized along ten robust lenses, among them: • Beginning with the context: the mind-body conundrum.• Beginning with the body: the neurobiology of mindfulness.• Beginning with the training: training clinicians in essential methods for integrating mindfulness in clinical practice.• Beginning with the clients: mindfully reconciling opposites with survivors of trauma/complex traumatic stress disorders.• Beginning with the symptom: incorporating mindfulness in the treatment of substance misuse. • Beginning with the larger social system: mindfulness and restorative justice. Clinicians and research professionals particularly interested in psychotherapy treatment and mindfulness practice will find Cultivating Mindfulness in Clinical Social Work not only stimulating and intriguing, but also a fresh source of real-world wisdom.

This book reviews the research and philosophical foundations for using mindfulness, acceptance, and Buddhist psychology in couple and family therapy. It also provides a detailed and practical approach for putting these ideas into action in the therapy room, including a mindful approach to therapeutic relationships, case conceptualization, treatment planning, teaching meditation, and intervention.

Shyness is a common problem that comes with a high price. If you suffer from shyness or social anxiety you might avoid social situations and may have trouble connecting with others due to an extreme fear of humiliation, rejection, and judgment. As a shy person, you may also experience panic attacks that make it even more likely that you’ll avoid social situations. With The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Social Anxiety and Shyness, the authors’ acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) program for overcoming shyness has become available to the public for the first time. This program has been found to be highly effective in research studies for the treatment of social anxiety disorder and related subclinical levels of shyness. In the first section, you will confront performance fears, test anxiety, shy bladder, and interpersonal fears—fundamental symptoms of social anxiety. The second part helps you learn psychological flexibility to improve your ability to accept the feelings, thoughts, and behavior that may arise as you learn to work past your anxiety. By keeping your values front and center, you will gradually learn to move beyond your fears and toward greater social confidence. This book has been awarded The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit — an award bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.

In recent years, mindfulness and acceptances-based therapies have gained immense popularity in the field of behavioral health. And as these therapeutic models have proliferated, their teachings and practices have been introduced to a wide range of diverse applications. Cognitive behavioral approaches often rely on a client’s values as a catalyst for treatment. But because values are often culturally biased, it can be difficult to apply the same techniques to clients from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. That’s why multicultural competency training for mental health professionals is so important. Mindfulness and Acceptance in Multicultural Competency presents a contextual approach to sociocultural diversity in both theory and practice. In this book, author Akihiko Masuda examines the cultural competency and cultural adaptation of three major therapeutic models based in mindfulness and acceptance: dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Readers will learn how to translate these treatment models to other language communities, and how to tailor therapeutic approaches to address a number of cultural factors, including religion and spirituality, social stigma, and prejudice. Written for professionals, students, and practitioners, this book offers solid data and research that shows how innovations in acceptance and mindfulness therapies can be directed for the health and wellness of all people, no matter their race, creed, or cultural background. The book includes contributions by Lynn McFarr, PhD, Holly Hazlett-Stevens, PhD, Michael P. Twohig, PhD, Jason Lillis, PhD, Michael Levin, MA, and Jason Luoma, PhD. The Mindfulness and Acceptance Practica Series As mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies gain momentum in the field of mental health, it is increasingly important for professionals to understand the full range of their applications. To keep up with the growing demand for authoritative resources on these treatments, The Mindfulness and Acceptance Practica Series was created. These edited books cover a range of evidence-based treatments, such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), compassion-focused therapy (CFT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) therapy. Incorporating new research in the field of psychology, these books are powerful tools for mental health clinicians, researchers, advanced students, and anyone interested in the growth of mindfulness and acceptance strategies.