Over the past few years, researchers studying mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have reported a multitude of benefits including improved emotion regulation, mood, social competence, and resilience, and research exploring mindfulness continues to expand. While much of this research emerges from the fields of health and psychology, social workers have a unique contribution to make to the practice and study of MBIs. Our approaches are holistic, creative, and strengths-based. We aim to create change that moves beyond an individual focus as practicing mindfulness encourages us to recognize our interconnections with all life forms, and to act to improve the communities we live in. With colleagues, I have been studying an arts-based mindfulness group program for over 10 years. We have tested our arts-based MBI with success with marginalized children/youth, university students, youths and adults seeking mental health services, Indigenous women, elementary school teachers, and women leaving abusive relationships.
- In this webinar, participants will learn about:the personal and professional benefits of practicing mindfulness, for examples, developing therapeutic presence,
- and engaging people in enjoyable processes that foster inclusion and expression,
- a variety of arts-based mindfulness activities used in our MBI how to facilitate/discuss the philosophy of mindfulness including some of its concepts (self-compassion/non-judgement) and practices (mindful breathing/meditation)
- and, importantly, how to facilitate these concepts and practices by way of arts-based and experiential methods that are highly engaging, and foster enjoyment and success.
