Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, MBCT, is a modified form of cognitive therapy that incorporates mindfulness practices that include present moment awareness, meditation, and breathing exercises. This therapy was formulated to address depression. Using these tools, the mindfulness-based therapist teaches a client to be in the here and now as well as break away from negative thought patterns that can cause a decline into a mood-disordered state; this therapy can help a person fight off a difficult frame of mind before it takes hold.
MBCT is derived from the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, a professor of medicine and creator of the mindfulness-based stress reduction technique, which is often used in meditation and yoga practices. Psychologists Philip Barnard and John Teasdale contributed to this work; and later, Teasdale along with psychologists Zindel Segal and Mark Williams combined this stress reduction strategy with cognitive behavioral therapy.
