Welcome to the Mindfulness and Psychotherapy blog’s grand opening! I want to thank John Grohol Psy.D., for inviting me to host a blog about the intersection of mindfulness, mental health, and stress-reduction in daily life. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is intentionally paying attention to the present moment while putting aside our preconceived ideas, expectations, and judgments. It is being in connection with the here and now. Over the past 30 years there has been a buildup of evidence-based research using mindfulness practice to work with difficult medical and mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, relationships, addiction, insomnia, chronic pain, immune function, cancer, trauma, and more.

Over the coming months I will be posting news, studies, and advice to help you integrate mental health and mindfulness strategies into your daily life. While mindfulness practice is thousands of years old, with rising statistics in stress and distressing disorders there isn’t a more important time than today to learn about how it intersects with mental health.  Many programs have been created to support people with various conditions of suffering that include mindfulness. These include Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for depression, Mindfulness-based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) for addictive behaviors, Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness-based Relationship Enhancement (MBRE), Mindfulness-based Behavioral therapy (MBBT) for obsessive compulsive disorder, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and more approaches being created as you read this.

Although I will be providing you with interesting information and tips, the most important part of this process is you. We now know that the most effective way for people to change is through community and feedback. So whether you are a mental health professional, someone struggling with mental health issues, or just interested in this topic, I hope you return and engage as education, practice, and community interaction are important for all of us to learn, grow, and change. If you have any thoughts, comments, or questions, please feel free to always connect through the comment section below. I will try to respond to what is written, but best of all is that your writing becomes part of a living wisdom that so many others can benefit from.

I look forward to connecting with you through this blog and wish you health, happiness, safety, and freedom from your struggles. To find out more about me, visit the about me page.

Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles and is author of The Now Effect, co-author of A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook, Foreword by Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of the Mindful Solutions at Work App, the Mindful Solutions audio series, and the Mindfulness at Work™ program currently being adopted in multiple multinational corporations. Join The Now Effect Community for free Daily Now Moments, Weekly Updates and tips and free access to a Live Monthly Online Event with Elisha Goldstein, PhD.

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    Last reviewed: 29 Jan 2009