Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Program (MBCT)

About The Course

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a mindfulness-based approach that integrates the elements of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). After 10 years of research and clinical applications, the MBCT Handbook was created in 2002 by Siegel, Williams, and Teasdale. MBCT is a group intervention program that consists of approximately 75% MBSR and 25% Cognitive Behavioral Therapy elements. Since MBCT was established at a mental health center affiliated with Oxford University, it is primarily conducted by clinicians.

MBCT Program Structure

MBCT consists of 8 weekly sessions, each lasting 2 hours. It also includes a 6-hour silent retreat as part of the program.

In MBCT sessions, participants are taught how to observe their emotions and thoughts without identifying with them. They are encouraged to allow negative emotions and the accompanying negative thoughts to emerge without trying to change or eliminate them. Through meditation practices, participants learn to notice their emotions, thoughts, and judgments and to perceive them as mental events rather than as reality.

Why Was MBCT Developed?

While there are various treatment options for acute depression, there are no consistently effective methods for sustainably reducing the risk of relapse after a third depressive episode, which stands at 70–80%. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies depression as a global epidemic.

Against this backdrop, MBCT was developed by psychotherapy researchers and cognitive behavioral therapists Prof. Williams, Teasdale, and Segal at the University of Cambridge, Bangor, and Toronto. MBCT combines behavioral therapy elements with mindfulness, helping people break free from the depressive cycle and respond to emotional changes in a constructive way, thereby preventing automatic relapses into new depressive episodes.

Who Is MBCT For?

The program is primarily designed for individuals who are not currently experiencing acute depression but have already experienced multiple depressive episodes. However, MBCT also has broader applications for individuals with:
✅ Anxiety disorders
✅ Obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD)
✅ Bipolar disorder

Like the MBSR program, MBCT consists of eight 2-hour sessions in which participants are taught mindfulness exercises. These exercises help participants notice early-stage activation of depression-promoting thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations. As a result, depressive symptoms become easier to manage.

The course also includes essential psychoeducation on depression, the relationship between thoughts and emotions, and exercises for preventing relapses in a sustainable manner.

How Does MBCT Work?

Scientific studies have shown that participating in an MBCT training reduces the risk of relapse into another depressive episode by up to 50%. Several studies have also shown that MBCT has a similar effect to maintenance therapy with antidepressant medications.

Conditions for Receiving a Certificate of Completion

To qualify for a certificate of completion:
✔ Participants must not miss more than two sessions.
✔ Participation in the silent retreat is mandatory.
✔ Participants who fail to complete the silent retreat will not receive a certificate.

Weekly MBCT Program Overview

Session 1: Awareness and Automatic Pilot

• Learning to shift out of automatic pilot mode and cultivate present-moment awareness.

Session 2: Living in Our Minds

• Understanding the patterns of thoughts and how they influence emotional states.

Session 3: Gathering the Scattered Mind

• Developing skills to focus attention and bring the mind back to the present moment.

Session 4: Recognizing Unpleasant Experiences/Aversions

• Learning to observe and accept discomfort rather than reacting automatically.

Session 5: Allowing

• Cultivating a mindset of acceptance rather than resistance.

Session 6: Thoughts Are Not Always Reality

• Understanding the nature of thoughts and their impact on emotions.

Session 7: Ways to Practice Self-Care

• Exploring strategies for self-care and emotional regulation.

Session 8: Sustaining and Developing New Learnings

• Strengthening the foundations of mindfulness practice and maintaining progress.

Upcoming MBCT Training

Training Schedule

You can apply to be notified when the next MBCT course is scheduled. Alternatively, you can explore the MBSR program, which shares approximately 75% of the content with MBCT.

Fee

To be announced.

Location

The training will be held online via ZOOM.