Mindfulness Groups
Our Mindfulness-Based Therapy groups are a journey toward healing through practices of meditation and shifting, redefining, or addressing expectations and mindsets that have left us feeling stuck in ominous thought-heavy or emotionally reactive stories. We explore burdens we take on stemming from old stories of our past and assumptions or predictions about the future. We learn new skills that will help us be more sustainably curious and compassionate, purposeful and intentional rather than critical and reactive.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is intentionally placing your awareness in the present moment and place, with kindness and curiosity, rather than judgment or criticism. Mindfulness is NOT stopping, ignoring, or pushing away thoughts. Brains think; that's one of their primary purposes. Why would we want to stop that? Instead, we accept thoughts are not facts; therefore, we don't have to believe every thought right away, nor do we have to react to them. Mindfulness is just as much about recognizing we've left the present moment and gently bringing ourselves back, as it is about remaining present. By viewing our experiences through the lens of curiosity, we afford ourselves the ability to better understand what is actually happening.
What is Meditation?
Meditation takes many forms, and has been a part of the human experience since ancient times, perhaps as long as our existence. Indigenous peoples all over the world, spiritual practitioners, healers, and everyday folks have all practiced meditation for thousands of years. No specific religion, nationality, or race has ownership of this practice. Nor is practicing meditation a violation of any religious dogma.
Meditation rooted in mindfulness is the practice of intentionally placing your focus and awareness on something specific - your breath, your body, a flame, water, nature, etc. - and allowing yourself to be with this awareness without judgment, analysis, impulse being in charge of defining the experience. In this meditative practice, we are leading with curiosity and kindness. There is no need to label everything in our experience, because our intended purpose is not to do anything with our awareness during the meditation. In mindfulness-based meditation, we notice thoughts for what they are, and simply allow them to move on through our awareness without engaging them, chasing them, or reacting to them. Most of us are not monks, so we may go through the cycle of leaving present-moment awareness and gently returning several times during meditation. Sometimes, we allow ourselves to be curious about our response to thoughts. "Hmmm, I notice I'm feeling anxious all of a sudden." or "My shoulders are super tense right now." We don't judge or analyze this awareness, we sit with it, allow our body to adjust as it needs to or move on if we don't need anything from it, and ultimately come back to our intended focus.
Meditation may take many forms: sitting, walking, moving. This practice can last 40+ minutes or even as little as 3 to 5 minutes when you need a quick reset. It can help us focus, sleep, heal, calm, energize, engage, navigate stress, stimulate creativity, regulate emotions, relax, just to name a few. Scientific studies have provided empirical evidence to what we've known to be true through generations of experience - meditation and mindfulness are beneficial for our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health. Whether on a meditation cushion, in a Hatha yoga studio, in nature, or in your living room, meditation is an enriching practice, accessible to practically everyone.
About the Group
Our Mindfulness Groups are an 8-week series, largely based in the evidenced-based practice of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy an offspring of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, integrated with the Mindful Response Method, developed by Patrick Bryant, LCSW. Each group meets once per week for for 1.5 hours over 8 consecutive weeks. Though the experiences within each meeting are integral parts to this program, there will be invitations for independent practice, intended to supplement what you're learning, and further integrate this practice into your personal lived experience. In order to get the most from this series, participants are expected to complete the independent practice.
Our next series starts: New dates coming soon!
Week 1: Building a foundation of AWARENESS; Noticing our Automatic thoughts, feelings, reactions
Week 2: Living in our THOUGHTS; Identifying our Parts who react and take over.
Week 3: Grounding and returning to Center or Self-led responses.
Week 4: Aversion and Discomfort. Helping our minds more effectively and efficiently recognize threats from discomforts; Build resilience, and respond with intention and purpose.
Week 5: Do we need to control in order to feel safe? Start from where we already are, rather than jumping to perfection.
Week 6: What's real, and who's in charge: Thoughts, feelings, beliefs? Complete self, or one part of us?
Week 7: Self-compassion, loving kindness, harmony
Week 8: Maintaining your Mindfulness Practice
Our next series starts: New dates coming soon!
If you are interested in registering for this group due to experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, or simply want to expand your mindfulness practice, please contact me at patrick@thepeacefulplaceLLC.com to schedule a brief phone consultation, and help us determine if this group is a good fit for your needs.
Meet your guide
Patrick Bryant is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Mindfulness-Informed Professional, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Certified Mindful Outdoor Guide, and a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. He has over a decade of experience helping clients navigate and improve their lived experience through the lens of mindfulness and person-centered therapy. Patrick was trained in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy by Dr. Richard Sears, PsyD.
In addition to owning, operating, and practicing in a group psychotherapy and holistic health practice, Patrick provides training in mindfully navigating stress in the workplace, provides clinical supervision for therapists in training, guides small groups in Mindful Outdoor Experiences, leads Mindful Outdoor Retreats, and offers workshops on mindfulness, identities and roles of men, and clinical practices.
Patrick also has extensive training and practice in Aikido, earning his black belt in 2014. Aikido principles of harmony, purposeful fluid movement, and intentional breath are practiced in both his personal and professional experiences.