By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Hence, the ultimate goal of ACT is not to reduce symptoms or pain (although other simultaneous therapies may well be aimed at achieving this). Instead, its goal is to improve functioning by increasing psychological flexibility and the ability to act according to personal values, even in the presence […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “meditation practice is the best ongoing foundation for working with pain: Mindfulness practice is a wonderful opportunity to do just that. It helps to shift the locus of control from the outside (“this is happening to me and there is nothing I can do about it”) to the inside […]
Improve College Student Psychological Well-Being with Mindfulness and Relaxation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness helps focus by tuning out distractions, improving memory, decision-making and attention skills. . . It is not a panacea; it is not for everyone. However, it is very worth trying. It may be the next evolution in […]
Mindfulness Improves Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as well as Drug Treatment By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “most OCD sufferers I know who practice mindfulness find it very helpful in fighting their disorder. To be able to focus on what is really happening in any given moment, as opposed to dwelling on the past […]
Improve the Psychological Well-Being of Patients with Breast Cancer with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mindfulness based interventions hold a great deal of promise for helping people with cancer cope across a broad range of symptoms and issues, both during and after the completion of active treatment.” – Jessica Pieczynski […]
Improve the Psychological Well-Being of Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness instruction may help to ease the stress of parenting young children with autism.” – B. Grace Bullock Providing care for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be particularly challenging. These […]
Improve Chronic Fatigue with Mind-Body Practices By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mindfulness can be a powerful tool for overcoming fatigue. It allows you to recognize when fatigue is the cause of a current problem, and it offers you an intuition-based problem-solving ability. Furthermore, regular mindfulness practice is itself a source of energy.” […]
Improve the Well-Being of Children with Special Health Care Needs and Their Parents with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness-based parenting program can be an effective intervention for reducing the stress experienced by parents of children with special needs.” – Elizabeth J. Shaffer There is a tremendous demand for caregiving […]
Improve Health Outcomes in Women on Long-Term Sick Leave with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Since stress compromises our immune system, becoming caught up in this way can slow down our recovery. Instead, aim to approach your illness with care, seeing things as they are, with acceptance and compassion.” — Mark Bertin […]
Improve Sleep Quality in People with Insomnia with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “If you suffer from insomnia, mindfulness helps you be more accepting of your experience when you have difficulty sleeping. It may seem paradoxical, but this willingness to accept the experience of poor sleep can lead to less anxiety […]