Synopses & Reviews
Review
"With the emergence of The Mindful Way Through Depression, those with chronic unhappiness now have a text that speaks poignantly to their experience....Overall the text is a personal and easy to read narrative that still manages to include most of the difficult concepts of mindfulness....The reader is left feeling hopeful and excited about the possibility of being truly free from chronic unhappiness and fully alive."--Canadian Psychology
"Very easy to read and is a useful guide to those wishing to use just one aid from the vast number available to those in the practice."--Journal of the Buddhist Society"Every word in this affordable paperback seems to embody the gentleness and the spirit of openness that one brings to the practice of MBCT. It is therefore an ideal tool for guided self-help....Invaluable for all non-professionals and therapist alike, The Mindful Way through Depression takes the reader step by step on a journey of exploration....Just get the book, get your bottom on the cushion and read it."--British Journal of Psychiatry "A practical, thoughtful approach to the treatment of depression, combining classic cognitive techniques with the use of mindfulness, or a sense of non-judgmental awareness of and attention to the present moment....I would definitely recommend The Mindful Way Through Depression to therapists wanting to incorporate the use of mindfulness techniques with their clients, and I also believe that it would be appropriate self-help reading for depression sufferers who have an interest in meditation techniques and/or who are looking for a fresh perspective to assist with managing their depression."--Metapsychology Online Reviews
"This is a helpful book for readers interested in mindfulness and meditation approaches to treating depression….This can be a good resource for individuals wishing to embark on a self-therapy voyage."--Doody's Review Service
"Composed by a star-studded team of scientists and practitioners, this powerful book is the best self-help title to arrive since David Burnss seminal Feeling Good. Williams, Teasdale, and Segal previously collaborated on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression,a well-received text for mental health professionals. Add to the mix Jon Kabat-Zinn, a luminary in his own right, and the result is a useful lay readers guide to incorporating mindfulness techniques in everyday life. Providing a realistic 8-week program, this wonderful guide and its accompanying CD offer invaluable practical strategies for banishing depression and regaining ones life. Highly recommended. (starred review)"--Library Journal
Review
"Using mindfulness training to prevent and treat depression is a novel strategy in the West, though it is a traditional application of Eastern meditation practice. Whether you struggle with depression or simply want to understand your mind and emotions better, you will find this book accessible and useful. Depression is epidemic in our society, and I would love to see this sensible treatment approach gain ground." –Andrew Weil, MD, author of
8 Weeks to Optimum Health and
Healthy Aging "A revolutionary treatment approach. For depression sufferers, this is a truly useful guide to achieving emotional balance. For mental health professionals, it should be mandatory reading. I recommend this book and companion CD
most highly." –Daniel Goleman, PhD, author of
Emotional Intelligence "An invaluable resource not only for those who suffer from depression, but for anyone familiar with the downward spiral of negative thinking and self-doubt. The authors of this book explore the reasons for depression and give us guidance and support, along with useful tools to find a way through it." --Sharon Salzberg, author of
Lovingkindness "If I could select one group of individuals for people to
really pay attention to when grappling with chronic unhappiness, I could not think of a better group than these authors. Not only are they consummate scientists, but they are each personally immersed in the moment-to-moment mindfulness that they teach. This book brings together the practices of both science and insight meditation in an effective fashion that is understandable to the ordinary person--no esoteric practice or mental health background is necessary. Read it and see for yourself!" –Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, University of Washington –
"With the emergence of The Mindful Way Through Depression, those with chronic unhappiness now have a text that speaks poignantly to their experience....Overall the text is a personal and easy to read narrative that still manages to include most of the difficult concepts of mindfulness....The reader is left feeling hopeful and excited about the possibility of being truly free from chronic unhappiness and fully alive."--Canadian Psychology
"Very easy to read and is a useful guide to those wishing to use just one aid from the vast number available to those in the practice."--Journal of the Buddhist Society"Every word in this affordable paperback seems to embody the gentleness and the spirit of openness that one brings to the practice of MBCT. It is therefore an ideal tool for guided self-help....Invaluable for all non-professionals and therapist alike, The Mindful Way through Depression takes the reader step by step on a journey of exploration....Just get the book, get your bottom on the cushion and read it."--British Journal of Psychiatry "A practical, thoughtful approach to the treatment of depression, combining classic cognitive techniques with the use of mindfulness, or a sense of non-judgmental awareness of and attention to the present moment....I would definitely recommend The Mindful Way Through Depression to therapists wanting to incorporate the use of mindfulness techniques with their clients, and I also believe that it would be appropriate self-help reading for depression sufferers who have an interest in meditation techniques and/or who are looking for a fresh perspective to assist with managing their depression."--Metapsychology Online Reviews
"This is a helpful book for readers interested in mindfulness and meditation approaches to treating depression….This can be a good resource for individuals wishing to embark on a self-therapy voyage."--Doody's Review Service
"Composed by a star-studded team of scientists and practitioners, this powerful book is the best self-help title to arrive since David Burnss seminal Feeling Good. Williams, Teasdale, and Segal previously collaborated on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression,a well-received text for mental health professionals. Add to the mix Jon Kabat-Zinn, a luminary in his own right, and the result is a useful lay readers guide to incorporating mindfulness techniques in everyday life. Providing a realistic 8-week program, this wonderful guide and its accompanying CD offer invaluable practical strategies for banishing depression and regaining ones life. Highly recommended. (starred review)"--Library Journal
Review
"Using mindfulness training to prevent and treat depression is a novel strategy in the West, though it is a traditional application of Eastern meditation practice. Whether you struggle with depression or simply want to understand your mind and emotions better, you will find this book accessible and useful. Depression is epidemic in our society, and I would love to see this sensible treatment approach gain ground." Andrew Weil, MD, author of 8 Weeks to Optimum Health and Healthy Aging "A revolutionary treatment approach. For depression sufferers, this is a truly useful guide to achieving emotional balance. For mental health professionals, it should be mandatory reading. I recommend this book and companion CD most highly." Daniel Goleman, PhD, author of Emotional Intelligence "An invaluable resource not only for those who suffer from depression, but for anyone familiar with the downward spiral of negative thinking and self-doubt. The authors of this book explore the reasons for depression and give us guidance and support, along with useful tools to find a way through it." --Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness "If I could select one group of individuals for people to really pay attention to when grappling with chronic unhappiness, I could not think of a better group than these authors. Not only are they consummate scientists, but they are each personally immersed in the moment-to-moment mindfulness that they teach. This book brings together the practices of both science and insight meditation in an effective fashion that is understandable to the ordinary person--no esoteric practice or mental health background is necessary. Read it and see for yourself!" Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, ABPP, University of Washington
Review
"An invaluable resource for patients who suffer with depression. In addition to psychotherapy, psychopharmacology and CBT, it provides another resource to patients and another way of looking at their struggle, a way of trying to understand what's happening and a way to learn a technique of self-help; a way of attempting to break through a cycle of chronic unhappiness. The book is accompanied by a CD with a series of guided meditations, making it a unique and useful package for the clinician to use in a comprehensive treatment program....A book of this sort is invaluable in that it provides a series of take-home exercises for the novice and provides a step-by-step guide to patients or clinicians interested in effective noninvasive therapeutic techniques."--Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic
Review
"Williams and his international team of authors provide insight into the healing power of so-called 'awareness' through which people can escape the wearisome ruminations of the obsessed mind, befriend alien feelings, and come more alive in themselves. The book is accompanied by a CD with meditations that can help the listener enter the present moment, own more fully their physical context, and stand back from the flow of their thinking and feeling....A practical volume that bears the authority both of contemporary psychology and the age old spiritual practice of meditation."--New Directions
Review
"The book is well written and easy to read....People who are prone to depression, dysthymia, or general unhappiness will find this a helpful new way to reframe their thinking about their issues, and practitioners may also find it a useful basis for counseling."--Drug and Alcohol Review
Review
"Composed by a star-studded team of scientists and practitioners, this powerful book is the best self-help title to arrive since David Burns's seminal Feeling Good. Williams, Teasdale, and Segal previously collaborated on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, a well-received text for mental health professionals. Add to the mix Jon Kabat-Zinn, a luminary in his own right, and the result is a useful lay reader's guide to incorporating mindfulness techniques in everyday life. Providing a realistic eight-week program, this wonderful guide and its accompanying CD offer invaluable practical strategies for banishing depression and regaining one's life. Highly recommended. (starred review)"--Library Journal
Synopsis
If you've ever struggled with depression, take heart. Mindfulness, a simple yet powerful way of paying attention to your most difficult emotions and life experiences, can help you break the cycle of chronic unhappiness once and for all. In The Mindful Way through Depression, four uniquely qualified experts explain why our usual attempts to "think" our way out of a bad mood or just "snap out of it" lead us deeper into the downward spiral. Through insightful lessons drawn from both Eastern meditative traditions and cognitive therapy, they demonstrate how to sidestep the mental habits that lead to despair, including rumination and self-blame, so you can face life's challenges with greater resilience. Jon Kabat-Zinn gently and encouragingly narrates the accompanying CD of guided meditations, making this a complete package for anyone seeking to regain a sense of hope and well-being.
See also the authors' Mindful Way Workbook, which provides step-by-step guidance for building your mindfulness practice in 8 weeks. Plus, mental health professionals, see also the authors' bestselling therapy guide: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, Second Edition.
Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Self-Help Book of Merit
About the Author
J. Mark G. Williams, DPhil, is Professor of Clinical Psychology and Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellow at University of Oxford, United Kingdom. With Drs. Segal and Teasdale, he authored Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, a bestselling book for professionals.
John D. Teasdale, PhD, has held senior research appointments in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, and in the Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Zindel V. Segal, PhD, is the Morgan Firestone Chair in Psychotherapy at the University of Toronto and Head of the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Unit at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, is internationally known for his work as a bestselling author, scientist, and meditation teacher. He is Professor Emeritus of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Tired of Feeling So Bad for So Long
I. Mind, Body, and Emotion
1. "Oh, No, Here I Go Again": Why Unhappiness Won't Let Go
2. The Healing Power of Awareness: Making a Shift to Freedom
II. Moment by Moment
3. Cultivating Mindfulness: A First Taste
4. The Breath: Gateway to Awareness
5. A Different Kind of Knowing: Sidestepping the Ruminative Mind
III. Transforming Unhappiness
6. Reconnecting with Our Feelings--Those We Like, Those We Dont Like, and Those We Dont Know We Have
7. Befriending our Feelings
8. Seeing Thoughts as Creations of the Mind
9. Mindfulness in Everyday Life: Taking a Breathing Space
IV. Reclaiming Your Life
10. From Being Unhappy to Being Fully Alive
11. The Mindfulness Program and Your Life: Bringing It All Together
*Resources and Further Reading
*Audio CD: Guided Meditation Practices for The Mindful Way through Depression
(Narrated by Jon Kabat-Zinn)1. Introduction (3:01)
2. Body Scan (29:02)
3. Mindful Standing Yoga (10:58)
4. Mindfulness of the Breath (10:38)
5. Mindfulness of the Breath and Body (9:24)
6. Mindfulness of Sounds and Thoughts (10:34)
7. The Breathing Space (3:48)