Teaching mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to trainee psychologists: qualitative and quantitative effects

Abstract

Mindfulness training has been related in previous research to reduced stress and increases in therapy-relevant characteristics such as empathy in health professionals. The present study investigated the experience of clinical psychology trainees as they completed mindfulness training and the impact it had on their stress and development as psychologists. Eleven trainee clinical psychologists completed the eight-week Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy programme. Assessments were conducted prior to and following training, and again after two months, using semi-structured interviews and self-report measures of perceived stress, empathy and mindfulness. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts revealed four higher-level themes: challenging experience; altered stress experience; altered therapy experience; and expanded knowledge. Statistically significant changes were found for one empathy sub-scale and three facets of a self-report mindfulness scale. Benefits developed through the mindfulness training were largely maintained, or developed further, over the two-month follow-up period. The impact of the course appeared to be influenced more by participants’ personal engagement with the training rather than amount of meditation practice. The implications for the training of psychologists are discussed.