Mindfulness in the experience of the therapist: A constructivist grounded theory study of psychotherapists integrating mindfulness into psychotherapy

This study used a constructivist grounded theory methodology to explore the question of “what is mindfulness” in the experience of psychotherapists integrating mindfulness into their practice of psychotherapy. Twelve experienced mindfulness-oriented therapists from a wide variety of psychotherapeutic orientations were interviewed using an in-depth, semi-structured interview. A constructivist-developmental model was proposed to explain the data. Therapists across different orientations were seen to develop through three stages of applying mindfulness, adapting mindfulness and going beyond mindfulness. Each stage coincided with an increasingly differentiated view of mindfulness, of the role of the therapist, and of the function of the therapeutic relationship. The model has important implications for the supervision of mindfulness-based psychotherapists as well as for the provision of any of the varieties of mindfulness-oriented therapy. Frameworks which encourage the development of meaning-making in both therapists and clients will be important to the further progress of mindfulness-oriented therapies. Additionally, the results suggest that some differences in how mindfulness is used and understood may reflect different developmentally appropriate views of mindfulness.