This 10 week class addresses the needs of people who are clinically depressed or anxious. The primary intent is three-fold, to:
- reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety
- help participants learn to recognize when depression or anxiety is worsening
- more effectively manage the damaging thought patterns that sustain or exacerbate their symptoms.
This class is not intended for anyone who has attempted suicide in the last six months or who has suicidal plans in place. Prospective participants will be screened to determine whether the class is a good fit.
What Can We Expect?
The Mindful Way through Depression and Anxiety meets two hours weekly for ten weeks plus a daylong retreat. The goal of the class is to develop two habits:
- noticing thought patterns that maintain or exacerbate depression and anxiety
- turning the mind to focus on what there is to do in the present moment.
Participants will:
- Practice and learn different types of meditation, including breathing meditation, body scan and mindful movement
- Identify personal triggers that lead down the rabbit hole of depression and anxiety
- Practice and learn to identify muscle tension and pain that signal depression and anxiety
- Practice noticing thought patterns that sustain and exacerbate depression and anxiety
- Practice and learn how to turn the mind from thought distortions to what is in the present moment
- Explore the mind of Christ
Experiential teaching methods include meditation, readings, guided discussion and exercises. Participants learn concepts in the context of discussion based on Socratic questioning. Other than the first session, didactic instruction is not used. Participants must agree to keep all discussion confidential.
Daily home practice is key to achieving the goal of the class, which is to form new habits. Home practice will include four elements.
- An assigned 10-20 minute daily meditation
- Commitment to do two daily activities mindfully (i.e., something you would do daily regardless)
- Notice and count a particular type of thought or emotion (e.g., self-judgments, all or nothing thinking, storytelling)
- Assigned reading (no more than 20-25 pages a week)
How Can My Church Participate?
Churches sponsor classes for their congregants. A church may sponsor a class on its own or partner with other churches. One Mindfully does the following:
- leads ten 2-hour classes and an 8-hour retreat
- provides marketing materials, including blurbs for your newsletter, flyers and posters
- works with a designated point person to make decisions about time, dates, promotion, etc.
- make one presentation to sponsoring group or committees to discuss needs of people with depression and anxiety disorders and orient them to Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
The sponsoring church will provide space for the class, a larger space with kitchen access for the retreat, promote and register participants and provide access to photocopier for handouts.
What Does The Class Cost?
The Mindful Way through Depression and Anxiety costs $60 per session per participant and will be billed to the participant weekly through St Louis DBT. Classes meet weekly for 10 weeks. Fees cover 20 hours of classes, an 8 hour retreat, an extra therapist for the retreat, notebook, textbook, thought counter and administrative fees. Participants will be billed for all ten classes regardless of attendance.
Maximum enrollment is eight participants and minimum enrollment is six participants. If the group reaches maximum enrollment, one partial scholarship will be offered, to someone who otherwise could not participate as needed.
St Louis DBT will provide documentation upon request so participant can file for out-of-network health insurance benefits. St Louis DBT’s policies addressing confidentiality, informed consent, payment, attendance and other issues apply. Therapists will participate in a consultation team and provide proof of liability insurance.
Book Now
One Mindfully is now booking classes and retreats for June 2019 through 2020. To learn more about sponsoring a class or retreat, contact Sandra Miller, MSW, LCSW at 1mindfullytoday@gmail.com or 314-399-8568. Ask a about special discounts for classes booked for 2019.