Mindfulness-based approaches: A guide for psychologists

The British Psychological Society commissioned a guide to mindfulness-based approaches for psychologists (clinical and applied). After many years of hard work, this document is now available.


It was edited by Dr. Tamara Russell (Mindfulness Centre of Excellence Founder and Director) and Dr. Stuart Whomsley with contributions with many of the UKs leading advocates of mindfulness in the clinical and applied setting.

This document is for all psychologists, clinical and academic, who like almost everyone, have heard about mindfulness and want to know more. It is a read from a psychological perspective that is sympathetic to mindfulness but not eulogistic. We hope it will prompt people to think about where mindfulness could potentially offer support in their area of work. We hope that it will stimulate research in the many areas that the document highlights where there are promising exploratory and feasibility studies.

“We aim to encourage the sceptical but to make the cavalier more cautious”

Dr. Stuart Whomsley, Clinical psychologist, NHS and Co-editor of the Guidelines

Part 1 provides an overview of What is mindfulness? Drawing from psychological, contemplative, spiritual and faith practices to try to understand how this mental orientation and training approach confers benefits for emotion regulation, physical and mental well-being, as well as performance and productivity. Readers can discover the distinctions between mindfulness training protocols (such as MBSR and MBCT) as well as those approaches that includes mindfulness elements as part of multi-component interventions (such as ACT and DBT).

Part 2 dives into different presenting issues across the spectrum of clinical settings. It also includes mindfulness in the applied setting (workplace, sports, education).

In most areas there is still a need for better controlled trials, and yet at the same time, a huge richness in the qualitative and case study reports which may provide deeper insights into what actually happens when mindfulness is introduced into the therapeutic setting.

Good to see a synthesis of findings without misleading anyone with hype.

David Vago, Director, Contemplative Neuroscience and Mind-Body Research Laboratory, Vanderbilt University

You can download the document for free from the BPS site.

You might also be interested in the BPS Learn webinar which will take place on December 6th 2022 (10am -12 UK Time).