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CherryBomb
Senior Contributor

Topic Tuesday // Mindfulness and CBT for carers // 21 March, 7 - 9pm AEDT

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CBT and Mindfulness for Carers

It's Brain Awareness Week 13 - 19th of March, so during this Topic Tuesday we are going to take a look at how you can sooth your mind using CBT and mindfulness. We'll address what's the difference between these therapies, how can they be uesful for carers, and what services are out there that can offer these services for carers. We'll be joined by @snowlee127 from Northside Community, where they are currently running an online CBT program, 'This Way Up,' as part of a pilot study within their organisation.

Join the discussion on March 21st, 7 - 9pm. 

Things you can do now:

1) Hit the 'Like' button below to receive an email reminder on the night

2.)  Can't make the session? Leave your question below to be answered during the session

3.) Read this CBT and Minfulness for Carers blog

115 REPLIES 115

Re: Topic Tuesday // Mindfulness and CBT for carers // 21 March, 7 - 9pm AEDT

What tips do you have to help me remain in a state of mindfulness whilst I am so physically busy, constantly multi tasking, having to think 20 steps ahead (for the safety of my son) and very rarely even able to sit still?

Re: Topic Tuesday // Mindfulness and CBT for carers // 21 March, 7 - 9pm AEDT

Hello all!

Welcome to tonight's Topic Tuesday on CBT and Mindfulness for carers, we're joined by our special guest, @snowlee127.

And to those who RSVPd @SkiBunny @Teapot @MissSlytherin @SJB @dpe @Orisha @Chuck1 @aliallyoop @AyersRockWalk @Breathe_Deep @soul @Determined @Former-Member @Bonnies @Annie11 @Former-Member @Marie7 @motherofthree @RMR @Tanoozle @Shaz51

 

@snowlee127, thanks so much for joining us tonight. I can see that we got a question from @MissSlytherin so let's get to that shortly, but before we answer it, it might be helfpul to first start with explaining to us what CBT is and mindfulness is? And how @MissSlytherin might be able to use either of these techniques?

Re: Topic Tuesday // Mindfulness and CBT for carers // 21 March, 7 - 9pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday // Mindfulness and CBT for carers // 21 March, 7 - 9pm AEDT

Hi Cherry

Thank you for having me. Today we will be sharing our thoughts and knowledge on CBT and Mindfulness for carers from our service experiences. But first, a bit of background on CBT and Mindfulness?

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT): CBT is one of the most commonly practiced psychological interventions used by psychologists. It is a goal-oriented talking therapy with established efficacy in the treatment of anxiety and depression, eating disorders, certain pain disorders, substance use disorders, and psychotic disorders.


CBT is an intervention that involves the therapist working with people to confront, challenge and modify unhelpful beliefs and thoughts. Maladaptive behaviors are those that prevent an individual from adjusting appropriately to normal situations, and which are considered counterproductive or not socially acceptable.1 The primary goal of CBT is to identify these maladaptive behaviors, recognize beliefs associated with those behaviors, correct any inappropriate beliefs, and replace those beliefs with more appropriate ones that will result in greater coping skills and adaptive behaviors.


The goals of most CBT approaches for depression have focused on instructing consumers about a cognitive approach to understanding the root cause and maintenance of mood disorders, applying specific skills to identify and modify unhelpful and automatic thoughts, as well as understanding maladaptive assumptions and beliefs judged as reflecting enduring thoughts and beliefs.


CBT may take place with individual clients or by within a group setting. Group-based CBT approaches have been found to be cost-effective and have achieved similar results to individual face-to-face approaches, which has contributed to the popularity of CBT as a treatment for depression

Mindfulness is a concept that has received exponentially increasing attention in psychological research and clinical application over the past two decades (Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are becoming increasingly popular in both medical and mental health settings, and there is growing evidence on their efficacy. The origins of mindfulness interventions can be traced to Buddhist ideas and practices that date back over 2500 years.

The word mindfulness is often connected to the Pali (ancient Indian language of early Buddhist texts) term sati, originally meaning 'to remember,' but with a connotation of 'lucid awareness' of the present moment. One possible way to integrate these meanings is by thinking of mindfulness as the moment of remembering to return (one's awareness or attention) to the present moment.

Re: Topic Tuesday // Mindfulness and CBT for carers // 21 March, 7 - 9pm AEDT

Good evening all

Re: Topic Tuesday // Mindfulness and CBT for carers // 21 March, 7 - 9pm AEDT

Hello @Shaz51, Sydney is having a thunderstorm!

Re: Topic Tuesday // Mindfulness and CBT for carers // 21 March, 7 - 9pm AEDT

Hello everyone.  I will be here as I can.  But will read up later on anything I miss live.

Woman Happy

Re: Topic Tuesday // Mindfulness and CBT for carers // 21 March, 7 - 9pm AEDT

Hi MissSlytherin @MissSlytherin 

Thank you for your question and it is a very good question. We found it is a common challenge that many carers experience when trying to improve their own emotional wellbeing. It is also a risk itself for not having time to attend their mental heath. One thing that our mindfulness therapist teaches carers to do is to start from practicing breathing. Many carers have found it helpful by simply start with [stop and breath] while thoughts became overwhelmingly busy. The idea of 'being in the present' in the mindfulness practice is often about accepting we can only do one thing at a time. 

You have also pointed out one important difference between CBT and Mindfulness practice. As we will be discussing the difference in the later conversation, feedback from one of our carer was that she found CBT was not practical for her as CBT is assuming the unhelpful thoughts came from a false underlying belief. In her situation, her son attempts to commit suicide almost every three months. She developed this phobia for incoming phone calls. It gives her a biological anxious reaction every time her phone rings. She is aware that her underlying belief is that ‘this phone call may be the call that tells her, her son has passed away, ’ and for her, the threat is real. The trauma and fear happen on a regular basis.  She has found mindfulness practice more practical for her. She started by practicing breathing technique and simply being more aware of her thoughts instead of judging them she found it beneficial for her.

Re: Topic Tuesday // Mindfulness and CBT for carers // 21 March, 7 - 9pm AEDT

I'm curious if anyone has ever tried mindfulness and CBT?

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