Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy (MBP) is the individual psychotherapy aspect of Exquisite Mind aims to create a therapeutic relationship that promotes exquisite self-care, and seeks to change problem patterns of behavior and experience. The cultivation of mindfulness - nonjudgmental attention to the present moment - is an integrating factor to this process. MBP teaches skills and tools to for coping with stress and distress (for example, emotional and physical pain, difficult relationships or circumstances). In addition to teaching mindfulness, MBP focuses on listening to and learning from internal dialogues and understanding their relationship to the problem patterns of experience. This is accomplished by focusing on understanding what experiences have predisposed to the current problem patterns, what experiences precipitate problem patterns, and what experiences perpetuate these problem patterns. MBP has the goal of transforming the reactive mind into an Exquisite Mind. This is accomplished by cultivating mindfulness, encouraging self-monitoring the patterns of our life, and promoting exquisite self-care. For details, please refer to the Psychotherapy Contract.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy

Q: What is the name of your kind of therapy?

A: I practice mindfulness-based psychotherapy, which is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). More specifically, I specialize in behavioral medicine, a cognitive behavioral approach that focuses on coping with medical illness, stress, and mind-body problems such as anxiety,  stress, and pain. I incorporate elements from other forms of psychotherapy, including psychodynamic psychotherapy and existential psychotherapy.

Q: How did you learn how to do this therapy? Where?

A:  I was trained in psychotherapy at my graduate clinical psychology Ph.D. program at the State University of New York at Buffalo, and later at my clinical internship at the Brockton/West Roxbury Veterans Administration Hospital, which is part of the Harvard Medical School teaching hospital system. I was also trained at Behavioral Medicine Services, where I learned to apply cognitive-behavioral techniques for stress and coping with medical illnesses and pain. In addition, I did a training internship at the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center for incorporating mindfulness meditation into psychotherapy practice and stress reduction. I have also done training in mindfulness meditation since 1989.

Q: How does your kind of therapy compare with other kinds of therapy?

A: CBT has been empirically validated for conditions such as anxiety disorders, depression, and chronic pain. This means there are research studies that support its effectiveness. As well, mindfulness-based approaches have also been shown to be effective, including those such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, which incorporates both mindfulness meditation and cognitive behavioral techniques. Visit  www.exquisitemind.com for more information.

Q: How does your kind of therapy work?

A: CBT works by helping you to identify maladaptive and distorted thoughts and patterns of thinking and to challenge the validity of these thoughts. Mindfulness also identifies problematic thoughts and helps you to direct attention away from them. Mindfulness also focuses on the embodied consequences (that is, emotions and physical feelings) of distorted thinking and stress, and trains attention to focus on something that is happening in the present such as the process of breathing. This leads to better coping and less reactivity.

Q: What are the possible risks involved?

A: The psychotherapy process may result in changes in your life. Most of these will be positive, but sometimes the change process may lead to significant life changes such as leaving a unsatisfying job or an unhealthy marriage. At times, especially at the beginning of therapy when problems that have been avoided for a long time are now the focus of your attention, temporary increases in distress may occur. While initially, distress may increase, you will be learning tools that will help you to cope with this distress at the same time.

Q: About how long will it take?

A: The time course for therapy will vary with the individual and depends on the complexity of problems that bring you to therapy, your goals, and how quickly the methods I teach are integrated into your life. A typical course of therapy might last for six months with about 24 sessions. As a suggested guideline, a minimum of 12 sessions is typically required to learn the basic methods.

Q: What should I do if I feel therapy isn’t working?

A: If therapy does not appear to be working, this issue should be addressed and possible solutions discussed. One approach is to change the frequency of meetings. Another is to change the therapeutic approach. If neither of these options is successful, a referral to another therapist with a different therapeutic approach may be appropriate.

Q: Do you follow a therapy manual with predetermined steps?

Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy is a structured approach to therapy that incorporates mindfulness meditation and cognitive behavioral techniques in a structured manner. The approach is fluid and adaptive and does not follow a rigid format. During the course of treatment, you will learn multiple techniques for mindfulness meditation and cognitive behavioral techniques for monitoring thoughts and emotions, and intervening with problematic patterns of behavior.

Q: Do you do therapy over the phone? Over the Internet?

I do not conduct therapy on the phone or over the Internet. I am available through an emergency service 24 hours a day, or will have another professional covering for me. If you need phone support outside of the therapy session, this time will be billed (see Outpatient Contract).

Q: Do you prescribe medication? Do you work with others who do?

As a Licensed Psychologist—Doctorate, I do not prescribe medication. Typically, your primary care physician or a psychiatrist will prescribe medications for anxiety, depression, and pain. I work in consultation with a number of physicians who can manage medications. 

Q: What are the advantages to paying out of pocket versus paying through a third party (medical insurance)?

Paying for therapy out-of-pocket protects your privacy to the extent that privacy can be protected in therapy (see the Vermont Notice Form in your packet). When you use insurance, you relinquish certain privacy rights. Insurance companies vary in the types of information they require, but all require a medical (psychiatric) diagnosis to pay for treatment. Some companies reserve the right to audit your treatment records and to request whatever information they deem appropriate. Others may request progress notes or reports. In addition to protection of privacy, paying out-of-pocket allows you to make decisions about how long you wish to be in therapy. If you have managed care insurance, the insurance company may influence the length of treatment and will only pay for treatment that is “medically necessary.” As the treating psychologist, I might have to provide paperwork, or talk about your case with managed care workers to justify this medical necessity.

See My profile on Psychology Today

Current Fees: $125 per session

Insurances accepted: Medicare, MVP, Blue Cross Blue Shield, CIGNA (out of network only).

Call 802.660.8043 or 888.999.4995 to schedule a consultation (or email)