“To the surprise of some, the psychotherapeutic tradition now taking meditation most seriously is
cognitive behavioral therapy, the article reports. Behavioral therapy in its original form was
concerned only with stimulus and response and tangible rewards and punishments. Eventually
behavior therapists recognized the need to take account of thoughts and feelings, and they
incorporated cognitive techniques into therapy. Now some therapists have gone further, merging
cognitive techniques and meditation in something they call the ‘third wave’ of cognitive
behavioral therapy.
“Approaches to the new technique include dialectical behavior therapy, acceptance and
commitment therapy, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. All three incorporate meditation
and mindfulness into therapy in a slightly different way. In mindfulness-based cognitive therapy,
for example, instead of struggling against depressive thoughts, patients are taught to notice when
“The Harvard Mental Health Letter concludes that different types of psychotherapy are starting
to borrow ideas and techniques from one another, and therapists may use several different
approaches with a single patient. ‘The introduction of meditation practice into cognitive
behavioral therapy may represent a further stage in the historical evolution of psychotherapy,’
says Dr. Miller.”
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