the impact of mindfulness training and practice on counselor-trainees: a phenomenological study
TRANSCRIPT
THE IMPACT OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING AND PRACTICE
ON COUNSELOR-TRAINEES: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY
A Master’s Thesis
Presented to
The Graduate College of
Missouri State University
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Science in Counseling
By
J. Justin Cook
July 2015
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Copyright 2015 by Joshua Justin Cook
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THE IMPACT OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING AND PRACTICE ON
COUNSLOR-TRAINEES: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY
Counseling Graduate Program
Missouri State University, July 2015
Master of Science
J. Justin Cook
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to obtain a greater insight into the experiences and perceptions of counselor trainees who received training in mindfulness practices. There were three participants, who were enrolled in a graduate level course in counseling micro-skills and were trained in mindfulness practices during this course, chosen for the qualitative study. A phenomenological approach was used to understand the experience of these participants through two interviews and journal entries over a one-week period of time. The interviews concentrated on their thoughts and perceptions about the impact of their training in mindfulness both in their personal and professional lives. A thematic analysis was conducted to find core themes of impacted areas within the participants’ experiences. These themes found were: emotional effects, interpersonal relationships, and self-care. The conclusions of this study showed the benefits of mindfulness practices, which included an overall improvement of life for the participants. Future studies may use this as support toward inquiries over the use of mindfulness within counselor development programs and other related areas. KEYWORDS: mindfulness, counselor trainee development, emotional effects, interpersonal relationships, self-care
This abstract is approved as to form and content
_______________________________ Dr. A. Leslie Anderson Chairperson, Advisory Committee Missouri State University
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The Impact of Mindfulness Training and Practice
on Counselor-Trainees: A Phenomenological Study
By
Justin Cook
A Master’s Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College
Of Missouri State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree of Master of Science in Counseling
July 2015 Approved: _______________________________________ A. Leslie Anderson, PhD: Chairperson
_______________________________________ Cynthia K. Hail, PhD _______________________________________ Lyle Q. Foster, MA _______________________________________ Julie Masterson, PhD: Dean, Graduate College
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to acknowledge Dr. Leslie Anderson for all of the help and support
that she gave me through this process. Her passion and dedication to this subject and to
the process of counselor trainee’s development has been inspiring. Through all of the
growth pains, questions, stumbles, and frustrations, she allowed my growth to happen and
believed in me. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Cindy Hail and Mr. Lyle Foster for
their continued support, guidance, and expertise. This thesis committee allowed me to
explore and learn about this process and supported me as a student and as a researcher.
I dedicate this thesis to my family. Suzy, Kaiya, and Cade. Without your support,
dedication, laughs, hugs, kisses, and allowing me to be gone for hours on end working on
a computer at the “Bear School”, I would have never been able to do this. Thank you for
everything. I love you all.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose Statement ................................................................................................... 1 Rationale ................................................................................................................. 1 Research Question .................................................................................................. 3 Significance of Study .............................................................................................. 3 Personal Impact Statement ...................................................................................... 4 Assumptions ........................................................................................................... 4 Limitations ............................................................................................................. 5 Implications ............................................................................................................ 5 Literature Review ................................................................................................................ 7 Mindfulness ............................................................................................................. 7 Exploration of meaning ............................................................................... 7 History of mindfulness ................................................................................ 8 Benefits of mindfulness ............................................................................ 10 Neurology and mindfulness ...................................................................... 13 Counselor Development ....................................................................................... 16 Challenges faced in training ...................................................................... 16 Self-Care and skill development for counselors ....................................... 19 Possible risks ............................................................................................. 21 Summary .............................................................................................................. 22 Methodology .................................................................................................................... 23 Phenomenology ..................................................................................................... 23 Design ................................................................................................................... 24 Participants ........................................................................................................... 25 Procedures ............................................................................................................. 26 Informed Consent ...................................................................................... 26 Data ........................................................................................................... 27 Confidentiality .......................................................................................... 27 Data Analysis ....................................................................................................... 28 Summary .............................................................................................................. 28 Presentation of Findings ................................................................................................... 30 Pertinent Characteristics ....................................................................................... 30 Design of the research conducted ......................................................................... 30 Participant Interviews .......................................................................................... 33 Participant A ............................................................................................. 34 Participant B .............................................................................................. 37 Participant C .............................................................................................. 43 Presentation of Essential Themes ........................................................................ 49 Effects on Emotions ................................................................................. 55 Interpersonal Relationships ...................................................................... 57 Self-Care ................................................................................................... 59
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Summary of essential themes ................................................................................ 61 Discussion and Recommendations ................................................................................... 63 Summary of Approach ......................................................................................... 63 Major Findings ...................................................................................................... 64 Discussion ............................................................................................................ 65 Conclusions ........................................................................................................... 79 Personal Reflections ............................................................................................. 86 Recommendations ................................................................................................ 86 References ......................................................................................................................... 89 Appendices ....................................................................................................................... 95
Appendix A. Consent to Participate ...................................................................... 95 Appendix B. IRB Approval Memo ....................................................................... 98 Appendix C. Interview 1 Question Script ........................................................... 100 Appendix D. Interview 2 Question Script ........................................................... 101
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LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Word Cloud for Participant A ........................................................................... 50
Figure 2. Word Cloud for Participant B ............................................................................ 50
Figure 3. Word Cloud for Participant C ............................................................................ 51
Figure 4. Cluster 1 Themes .............................................................................................. 52
Figure 5. Cluster 2 Themes ............................................................................................... 53
Figure 6. Cluster 3 Themes ............................................................................................... 54
INTRODUCTION
Mindfulness is an area of interest for counselor trainees due to the benefits shown
in the areas of an individual’s mental, physical, emotional, interpersonal, and
intrapersonal areas of life (Schure, Christopher, & Christopher, 2008; Davis & Hayes,
2011). Counselor trainees are faced with being involved in what Kottler and Shephard
(2011) believe to be “about the most challenging emotional experience a student can
undertake” (p. 6) as well as the development of skills to use during their professional
careers. This thesis explored the experiences of a select group of counselor trainees, the
impacts they perceived mindfulness had on their lives, and what those impacts might
suggest for further inquiry.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this study was to obtain a greater insight into the experiences and
perceptions of counselor trainees who received training in mindfulness practices.
Rationale
Counselor trainees have long been faced with how to balance the understanding of
self and the understanding of others with the stress and pressure of an academic setting.
Counseling students are faced with how to learn self-care while developing skills related
to helping others. They are also faced with the rigors and stresses of being in a graduate
program and the time constraints and pressure associated with this level of education.
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Counseling students may be exposed to vicarious trauma through course content, feelings
of past personal trauma, class discussion, and exposure to client stories (Bride, 2007;
O’Halloran & O’Halloran, 2001).
This exposure to stressors and trauma can be coupled with burnout and
compassion fatigue causing the stress levels of counselor trainees to rise and have the
potential to impair students’ attention, ability to connect with clients, decision making
abilities, and concentration (Schure et al., 2008). Increased levels of stress can be
detrimental to their development as counselors and can cause other physical and
psychological health concerns. These concerns include cardiovascular disease,
gastrointestinal distress, worsening of previous disease or disorders, and other mental
health concerns like depression and anxiety (Schure et al., 2008).
Due to the concerns about the physical and psychological health of counselor
trainees it is imperative to gain a better understanding of the experiences of counselor
trainees and their struggles within their development. Research conducted previously has
focused on stress experienced by counselor trainees and the self-care methods of
counselor trainees (Lawson &Venart, 2005; Schure et al., 2008; Shapiro, S., Brown, K.,
& Biegel, G., 2007; Christopher & Maris, 2010; Moore and Cooper, 1996). This research
showed, as well as other findings, the continued need for understanding and exploration
into these areas and what methods may be used to address the needs of counselor
trainees.
Mindfulness practices are being explored in multiple settings as an approach to
address stress and improve self-care due to its effects and benefits (Brown & Ryan, 2003;
Christophe et al., 2010; Desrosiers, Klemanski, & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2013; Grossman,
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Niemann, Schmidt, & Walach, 2004; Hülsheger, Alberts, Feinholdt, & Lang, 2013;
Shapiro et al., 2007). Through research the benefits of mindfulness practices have also
been linked to decreases in depression and anxiety (Desrosiers et. al, 2013; Davis &
Hayes, 2011). It was of interest to take note that the amount of publications that focus on
mindfulness had drastically increased over the past ten years (Williams & Kabat-Zinn,
2011).
Research has shown mindfulness practices gave counselor trainees an opportunity
to develop self-efficacy in their work with clients and have shown to increase their ability
to be present and pay attention while in a therapeutic session (Greason & Cashwell,
2009). These counseling skills are beneficial to the counselor trainee in their
development. Research has also linked mindfulness to the ability of counselor trainees to
be present, be responsive, be empathic, and be attentive to their clients, which creates a
stronger therapeutic alliance and can influence therapeutic outcomes (Campbell &
Christopher, 2012).
With the ongoing research being conducted over mindfulness and its effects,
many of which were quantitative studies, it was beneficial to explore the effects of
mindfulness on counselor trainees, their thoughts about mindfulness, and their
experiences with practicing mindfulness, using a qualitative lens. Through the course of
interviewing students who had been exposed to and trained in mindfulness, the impacts
mindfulness had on the counselor trainees was better understood. This gave insight to
how programs, facilitators, and instructors may better foster the development of
counselor trainees.
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Research Question
The following primary and secondary research questions guided the study:
The primary research question was: What were the perceived effects of
mindfulness on counselor trainees who received training in mindfulness?
Secondary questions were:
1. What impact has mindfulness training had on counselor trainees personally?
2. What impact do counselor trainees perceive their mindfulness training has on
their clients?
3. What aspects of mindfulness training do counselor trainees find most useful?
4. What are the self-care aspects related to practicing mindfulness?
Significance of Study
This was a phenomenological study to help gain a deeper understanding of the
experiences of counselor trainees who had been introduced to and practiced mindfulness.
This approach was chosen to gain an understanding of the phenomenon counselor
trainees experienced when mindfulness was introduced into their development, what the
effects of this introduction were, and what aspects were similar between each participant.
It was in this approach the researcher was able to reduce the experiences the participants
had to be able to better describe the essence of the phenomenon (Creswell, 2007).
Personal Impact Statement
The subject of mindfulness and how it might impact counselor trainees was an
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area of interest for me due to my status as a counselor trainee as well as my interest in
mindfulness. I had experienced a lot of stress, being overwhelmed, limited on time, and a
pressure to perform while going through my counselor training. As a father of two young
children, working full time, renovating a house, and attending a demanding graduate
level program, it was important for me to better understand how to care for myself and to
prevent any unwanted effects from stress. I had personally found use of mindfulness
practices such as breathing exercises, meditation, mindful eating, and progressive muscle
relaxation beneficial in my own practices and with my clients. This created an interest in
exploring whether other counselor trainees found benefits in their experiences.
Assumptions
For the purpose of this study, the following assumptions were identified:
1. It was assumed that all participants answered truthfully about their
perceptions.
2. The participants were voluntary and it was assumed they continued to
participate out of a voluntary position unless they removed themselves from
the study.
3. It was assumed that the participants were able to accurately identify changes
related to the introduction of mindfulness and as separate from the general
growth that occurred during their development.
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Limitations
For the purpose of this study, the following limitations were identified:
1. The study was limited to the self-reporting of experiences by the participants.
2. The study was limited to two interviews with the participants, observational
field notes taken, and journals written by the participants over a one-week
period.
3. The study was limited to three purposively selected counselor trainees who
attended a micro skills graduate course at Missouri State University.
Implications
There is a continued need for the development of therapeutic skills and self-care
amongst counselor trainees (Wolf, Thompson, Thompson, & Smith-Adcock, 2014). This
study hoped to gain a greater insight into the experiences of students who had gone
through mindfulness training. The researcher sought to understand more in depth the
phenomenon experienced by the participants and what aspects of each experience were
similar. The insight into the perceived experiences of the participants gave a greater
understanding of the effects mindfulness training had on the participants.
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LITERATURE REVIEW
The purpose of this study was to obtain a greater insight into the experiences and
perceptions of counselor trainees who received training in mindfulness practices. This
chapter presents the literature reviewed in the areas of: (a) mindfulness, (b) counselor
development, and (c) a summary of the literature review.
Mindfulness
Exploration of meaning. Jon Kabat-Zinn (1994) defined mindfulness as
“paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally, to the
unfolding of experience moment to moment” (p. 23). A proposal for an operational
definition for mindfulness was discussed by Bishop et al. (2004) with their final
collaborative proposal being, “mindfulness is a process of regulating attention in order to
bring a quality of nonelaborative awareness to current experience and a quality of relating
to one’s experience within an orientation of curiosity, experiential openness, and
acceptance” (p.234). Bishop et al. also see mindfulness as a “process of gaining insight
into one’s mind and a de-centered perspective on thoughts and feelings” (p. 234).
The attempt to define mindfulness has been broad as seen with the definitions
above as well as those proposed by Goleman (1988) who talks about the ability to stay
focused in the present moment, Hanh (1996) who describes mindfulness as “keeping
one’s consciousness alive in the present reality” (p. 3), and Germer (2004) explored many
definitions and came to a working definition of mindfulness being “awareness of present
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experience with acceptance” (p. 26). The common themes that occurred within each of
these definitions are being present in the experience, being accepting, being open to
things, and looking at things in a nonjudgmental way. Black (2009) found in his research
of mindfulness definitions the common theme of “general receptivity and full
engagement with the present moment” (p. 1). These definitions contain differences in
wording but show the core of what mindfulness is and continue to echo the definition set
forth by Kabat-Zinn (1994).
Mindfulness has been described as having five different facets. Distinct facets
identified: describing, observing, acting with awareness, non-judging, and non-reactivity
(Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, & Toney, 2006). Desrosiers et al. (2013) describe
these facets as such.
“Observing refers to the process of noticing or attending to both internal and external experiences. Acting with awareness refers to attending to current activities in the present moment, and is frequently contrasted with operating mechanically. Non-judging involves adopting a non-evaluative viewpoint towards thoughts and feelings. Non-reactivity consists of allowing thoughts and feelings to come and go without reacting or fixating on them”. (Mapping of Mindfulness section, para. 8)
This structure has provided a foundation for studying mindfulness multi-dimensionally
that is derived from both theory and research.
Mindfulness is a concept that has been present in the eastern philosophy of
Buddhism for over 2500 years (Black, 2009). To better understand mindfulness as a
practice and aspect of life it was important to understand the historical beginnings of
mindfulness and how it was introduced to western society.
History of mindfulness. Mindfulness has its roots in Buddhist practices. The
common translation comes from the Buddhist words meaning “awareness” or “bare
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attention” (Mace, 2007, p. 2). To practice mindfulness is not to practice Buddhism but it
is connected to the belief of being aware of life. Yogis, Sages, and Zen Masters have
been exploring the ability to move away from a life of doing to a life of being for
thousands of years. Mindfulness is part of the eighth fold path of Buddhism and was
cultivated by Buddha to have four frames of reference, which are mindfulness of the
body, mindfulness of feelings or sensations, mindfulness of the mind or mental processes,
and mindfulness of mental objects or qualities (O’Brien, 2015).
Buddhism places mindfulness in each part of the teachings on the path of
freedom. Buddha believed mindfulness was useful in all aspects of life. The belief that
one needs to be open and aware of all is a way to be conscious and free. The Buddhist
way of being is one of mindfulness and has been practiced as a way to be one with self,
one with each other, one with nature, and one with the universe (Sujato, 2012). For
thousands of years, the Buddhists have found mindfulness to not only be a useful tool to
use occasionally but as a way of living and being. According to Sujato (2012),
mindfulness was mostly used as a practice within the Eastern cultures as a religious
practice that allowed the practitioner to “guard the senses, endowing the meditator with
circumspection, dignity, and collectedness, not allowing the senses to play with the
tantalizing toys and baubles of the world”, and “on the plane of wisdom, mindfulness
extends the continuity of awareness” (p. 131).
Gradually mindfulness found its way into the fields of psychology and
counseling as early practitioners explored its usefulness. Freud, Jung, Fromm, and
Horney have all been linked in having an interest in eastern philosophies and as the
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zeitgeist of the 60’s and 70’s arrived in western societies, so did a renewal in the interest
of meditation and desires for enlightenment (Germer, 2004).
During this time some clinicians began to explore ways of “connecting their
personal practices of meditation with their clinical work” (Germer, 2004, p. 28). This
exploration was being conducted across the field of medicine and clinical psychology
(Germer, 2004). One of the practitioners who connected his own personal practice of Zen
meditation with his clinical work was Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Kabat-Zinn (1994) described that this way of life and being would be very
beneficial to Western society so people can slow down and be more mindful about what
they are doing and how they are living and not be so automated. In 1979, Kabat-Zinn
launched his Mindful Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at the University of
Massachusetts Medical School (University of Massachusetts Medical School, 2015).
Since its inception the MBSR program has seen continuous “reduction of many medical
symptoms including chronic pain conditions, anxiety, and/or panic, as well as an increase
in sense of self, self-in-relationship, and act effectively under stress” (UMASSMS, 2015).
Benefits of mindfulness. Research has found that MBSR has a consistent benefit
to both the mental and physical health. Grossman e al. (2004) conducted a meta-analysis
of studies looking at the benefits of MBSR and found that over 10 studies showed there
were strong levels of support over a wide range of samples. This indicated that there were
indeed benefits to both the physical and mental health of those who went through a
MBSR program. Christopher, Chrisman, Trotter-Mathison, Schure, Dahlen, and
Christopher (2010) conducted a qualitative study of 16 participants who had formerly
been a part of an MBSR based graduate level course at a CACREP accredited program.
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The study reported two main themes of effect: (a) impact on personal life, and (b) impact
on professional life. The study reported the participants as having positive effects in their
physical, mental, emotional, and attitudinal aspects of life. The participants also reported
having positive effects interpersonally, in their therapeutic relationships, with self-
efficacy, and in their clinical practices. Compassion with self and others, increased
awareness, increased response flexibility, and increased acceptance were areas denoted
by the study as having been positively affected by the participants continued use of
mindfulness practices.
A similar four-year qualitative study, Schure et al. (2008) examined the influence
of teaching mindfulness practices, such as hatha yoga, meditation, and qigong, to
counseling students using a model based on MBSR. The study explored the experiences
of 33 master’s level counselor trainees over a four-year period. The participants were
enrolled in a 15-week three credit hour course titled “Mind/Body Medicine and the Art of
Self Care” (p. 48). The purpose of the course was to familiarize students with
mindfulness and contemplative practices; to identify their relevance for the fields of
counseling, psychotherapy, and behavioral medicine; and to provide students with
practical tools for self-care. The course included a twice weekly, in-class, 75-minute
mindfulness practice using hatha yoga, sitting meditation, qigong, and conscious
relaxation techniques. The students were required to practice outside of the class for 45
minutes four times a week. The participants were required to complete readings, conduct
research, and journal during the course.
The findings in the study conducted by Schure et al. (2008) showed positive
effects on physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and interpersonal aspects of the
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participants’ lives. The students reported a positive effect on how often they were getting
sick and their physical health as a whole. Students found they were able to deal with
negative emotions more effectively, and were able to accept and let go of things with
more ease. The study also reported more clarity of thought and a greater capacity for
reflection.
Some of the other findings of the study were a greater awareness of themselves
and their world, slowing down the mind, and a greater trust in their beliefs and values.
There were even reports of a greater understanding of purpose and direction. There were
many positive reports about the experience of the course on the participants, themselves.
These reports were also consistent with the outcomes students found in their therapeutic
relationships. Many of the participants reported a desire to continue to use these practices
in their future and also in their professional careers (Schure et al., 2008).
Greason and Cashwell (2009) conducted a study that examined the predictive
relationship between mindfulness and counseling self-efficacy, and the potential
mediating effects of attention and empathy. Their study was conducted with a broad
range of graduate students who had at least one semester of counseling internship. Their
findings showed empirical evidence that mindfulness has a direct positive relationship
with self-efficacy, empathy, and attention. They found counselor trainees who practiced
mindfulness were more able to be in the moment of counseling and to be non-judgmental
in that moment, which allowed them to be more present and accepting. This showed a
link between mindfulness and empathy.
In a review of psychotherapy related research, Davis and Hayes (2011) looked at
the benefits of practice, research, and training in mindfulness. They found mindfulness
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was beneficial to practicing therapists and those in training. They found that empathy,
compassion, counseling skills, stress, anxiety, and other areas were positively affected by
mindfulness. They also found that benefits for clients whose therapists actively used
mindfulness within sessions included emotion regulation; decreased reactivity; and
increased response flexibility, as well as both interpersonal and intrapersonal benefits
such as the ability to develop and maintain therapeutic relationships and mental processes
like the ability to pay attention to the present moment.
Neurology and mindfulness. Within the study of mindfulness, there has been an
increasing interest in the neuroscience behind why and how it works, which has been
stimulated by the ability to analyze fMRI scans for brain function. Before the current
abilities within medical science, it was difficult for researchers to study mindfulness
because of its complexities (Treadway & Lazar, 2009). One of these complexities was
that meditation is done in a moment-to-moment consciousness where there was no
specific task, which made it difficult to measure. More recently, neurologists have been
able to study the effects of meditation and other mindfulness activities through EEG,
fMRI, and PET scans.
In a study by Creswell, Way, Eisenberger, and Lieberman (2007), mindfulness
was shown to have a direct effect on the emotional reactivity and repair of portions of the
brain, through fMRI scans. The study measured the amygdala activation, which is the
body’s fear detector, and the prefrontal cortical mechanisms by which people regulate
their threat responses through stimulus labeling. The research found those who scored
higher on a mindful attention awareness scale were less reactive to threatening emotional
stimuli as indicated by an attenuated bilateral amygdala response and greater prefrontal
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cortical activation. These findings showed associations between mindfulness and greater
affect regulation ability through enhanced prefrontal cortical inhibition of amygdala
responses.
In looking at how the brain processed different information, it was found the
prefrontal cortex had the mechanisms that processed the functions of regulating the body,
balancing emotions, attuning to others, modulating fear, responding flexibly and
exhibiting insight and empathy (Siegel, 2007). During his research Siegel (2007) found
that mindfulness was shown to create awareness of self and with this awareness came
neural activity and physical changes in the parts of the brain responsible for relationships,
emotional life, and physiological response to stress.
In 2007, Siegel described a triangle of reality he describes as “the interconnection
of the mind, the brain, and relationships” (p. 48). He described the brain as embedded
with the pathways of energy and information flow, the mind as how to regulate energy
and information flow, and relationships as how to share energy and information flow. He
described how people are able to “move toward a harmonious flow” (p. 208) in their lives
through the “triangle of well-being” (p. 208). He identifies this triangle of well being as
having “ neural integration, a coherent mind, and empathic relationships” (p.208). He
further suggests mindfulness is a way people can become aware of, practice, and obtain
the needed functions to cultivate these mental states.
“Integration is the linkage of differentiated elements” (Siegel, 2007, p. 27).
Educators think of integration as when two or more things previously not connected are
linked together. Within the neural network, “integration involves the synaptic linkage of
physically and functionally distinct regions into a working whole” (Siegel, 2007, p. 334).
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Mindfulness plays a part in integration by facilitating integrative functioning with the
brain, mind, and relationships.
“The prefrontal cortex is integrative as its neurons reach out to distant and
differentiated areas of the brain and body” (Siegel, 2007, p. 335). “The middle prefrontal
cortex has nine functions that are important to the work with mindfulness (a) body
regulation, (b) attuned communication, (c) emotional balance, (d) response flexibility, (e)
empathy, (f) self-knowing awareness, (g) fear modulation, (h) intuition, and (i) morality”
(Siegel, 2007, p. 292). With mindfulness associated with the nine functions mentioned
above it appears that mindfulness is able to help integrate areas within the neurology of
the brain. The repeated focus of attention and repeated creation of intentional states
within the use of mindfulness practices allowed neural networks that help the brain
become integrated be created and strengthened (Siegel, 2010).
Siegel (2010) uses the acronym FACES (flexible, adaptive, coherent, energized,
and stable) to explain the “characteristics of an integrated flow” (p. 262) between “chaos
and rigidity” (p. 263). He describes how when a system becomes integrated and finds a
FACES flow it is capable of achieving the quality of harmony. Mindfulness practices
create an opportunity to achieve a FACES flow by helping the practitioner gain greater
awareness, response flexibility, acceptance, and the ability to regulate emotions (Siegel,
2007). Siegel (2010) describes FACES as the “vital outcome of integration and how we
become open to what is within us and open to what is inside of others”(p. 85).
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It is suspected that mirror neurons found in the brain may be the pathway in
which energy and information is processed when attunement happens (Siegel, 2010).
According to Siegel (2010), it is suggested that mirror neurons are essential to attuning to
the internal states of others and a critical aspect for effective counseling. With
mindfulness being focused on the ability to pay attention without bias, it stands that it
would benefit the ability to attune to others accurately without putting judgment on them,
which in return would build trust and rapport, strengthening the relationship. Siegel
(2007) shows the similarities both in the relational and brain aspects of mindfulness and
attachment. Siegel (2007) describes how positive attachment between client and therapist
is important. His research shows a marked amount of overlap with the outcomes of
studies for attachment and those functions of mindfulness. The ability to build and sustain
relationships with clients is an essential skill for counselor trainees to develop. Empathic
relationships are directly related to mindfulness due to the awareness of self and another
person.
Counselor Development
When a person decides to pursue a career in counseling, he/she may be faced with
many different challenges in their development. These challenges may include the areas
of stressors, self-care, and the culture within the counselor trainee development programs.
This section will look at these areas and how mindfulness has been used and may be used
in the future to address these areas of concern.
Challenges faced in training. Counseling programs have been labeled among
the most challenging emotional experiences students can undertake (Kottler & Shepard,
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2011). A typical program asks counselor trainees to take a deep look inside to gain a
greater understanding of themselves. With this understanding, students will be able to
respond to others with compassion and caring, free from personal biases that could cloud
their judgment (Kottler & Shepard, 2011). This openness and unbiased approach is very
similar to the basic tenets of mindfulness.
The frustrations and stressors present within this exploration and counselor’s
development are numerous. Melton, Nofzinger-Collins, Wynne, and Susman (2005)
conducted a study with a group of first year counseling students. The groups of counselor
trainees were asked to record their deepest thoughts and feelings during a simulated
session with a client. The trainees consistently reported having problems controlling their
feelings of anger and frustration when clients did not cooperate or meet their
expectations, and had to deal with feelings of their disappointment when moments of
deeper inquiry were missed. The trainees wrote about the fears of feeling incompetent
and also about the elation of feeling like they were helpful in some way. This type of
experience and intense feelings is common within the development of a counselor and
can be present throughout the practice of a counselor no matter how long they have been
practicing.
Those who work empathically with others in high stress situations or with those
who have experienced tragedies or trauma, like counselor trainees, may experience
compassion fatigue (Shapiro et al., 2007; Parsons & Zhang, 2014). Compassion fatigue
has been described as an exhaustive state that emerges suddenly with little warning and
can present with symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (Parsons & Zhang,
2014). According to Parsons and Zang, who identified ways to prevent compassion
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fatigue, meditation and yoga are also commonly associated with the practice of
mindfulness.
Shapiro et al. (2007) examined compassion fatigue and other psychological
distresses that happen with mental health professionals. They described how counselor
trainees were at an even higher susceptibility to syndromes like burnout that involves
depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and a sense of low personal accomplishments.
The study by Shapiro et al. (2007) described some of the possible negative consequences
of these stressors as including increased depression and emotional exhaustion, anxiety,
psychosocial isolation; decreased job satisfaction; reduced self-esteem; disrupted
personal relationships, and increased loneliness. They indicated stress can also harm the
person’s attention and concentration, impinge on decision-making skills, and reduce
his/her ability to establish strong relationships with patients.
As mentioned above, burnout is something that has been connected as a
possibility for counselors (Parsons & Zhang, 2014) and counselor trainees (Shapiro et al.,
2007). Burnout has been defined as the state of physical, emotional, intellectual, and
spiritual exhaustion characterized by feelings of helplessness and hopelessness (Parsons
& Zhang, 2014). They identified mindfulness as a strategy to prevent burnout through
cognitive wellness and to foster competency in practice. Hays et al. (2004) found the use
of mindfulness as part of acceptance and commitment therapy had a positive effect on
those experiencing burnout.
With the possibility of occurrences like burnout, compassion fatigue, and the
negative effects of stress, self-care for counselors is important. Parsons and Zhang (2014)
highlighted this by that stating self-care was an ethical mandate. They indicated self-care
19
should be a priority and was essential to competency and effective practices. They
believe a counselor cannot promote health and well being in their clients without having
first cultivated it in themselves. This need for self-care was not only identified as
something professional counselors need, but is also important for those who are
counselor trainees.
Self-care and skill development for counselors. The importance of counselor
trainee’s wellness has been a topic of research lately. Wolf et al. (2014) conducted a
study using a pilot of the Invisible Self Model of Wellness to examine five second-order
factors (i.e., creative, coping, social, essential, and physical selves) and 17 third-order
factors of wellness. They reported that promoting a wellness philosophy throughout the
counselor education program seemed to encourage students to address their own wellness
flexibly.
The study by Wolf et al. (2014) explored specific interventions to help counselor
trainees be proactive in their wellness. They explained the need for this type of research
as part of the preparation of counselor trainees to become professional counselors. They
referred to the ethical codes of the ACA when supporting the need for counselors to use
self-care to maintain mental, physical, and spiritual health so they might best meet their
professional responsibilities.
The focus on a counselor trainee’s wellness and self-care is related to how he/she
was able to be focused and present within the counseling setting (Campbell &
Christopher, 2012; Schure et al., 2008; Shapiro et al., 2007; Wolf et al., 2014). Shapiro et
al. (2007) determined there were several facets of self-care that are important, including
20
self-awareness, self-regulation or coping, and a balance of self-interests and others. These
facets are related to the aspects of mindfulness practices and its benefits.
In the study conducted by Greason and Cashwell (2009), mindfulness was related
to counseling self-efficacy and the mediating effects on attention and empathy. They
examined self-efficacy, attention, and empathy as foundations to the development and
practice of counselors. Self-efficacy was described as the belief in self-ability and was
linked to the well being of counselors, their ability to be present with their client, and
their performance. They found students who were mindful in everyday life were more
likely to strategically control their attention in the counseling session and to be empathic.
They sustained nonjudgmental attention on the client’s narrative as well as divided
attention to observe such things as client nonverbal messages without getting lost in their
own inner dialogue. They also found a positive relationship between mindfulness and the
ability to be empathic with clients. They recommended that counseling programs
seriously consider the implementation and teaching of mindfulness to their students.
Self-awareness was another skill that was identified as a need within counselor
training (Parsons & Zhang, 2014). The ability to change and adapt to the reactions from
the client and within the counselor while being present with a client is something self-
awareness provides (Smaby & Maddux, 2011). This development of being more aware of
self is something counseling students are faced with during many of their courses and is
the object of many of the self-evaluations and internal journeys they go through.
Mindfulness is a way that has been shown to create a greater attention to and awareness
of internal constructs, events, and processes (Brown & Ryan, 2003). This awareness is
21
critical to the development of the counselor trainee as they navigate how to take care of
themselves and their clients.
Possible risks. Mindfulness has been reported to have multiple beneficial
characteristics and applications. Brendel (2015) offers another side to mindfulness that he
believes is a side effect of an almost “cult of mindfulness” (para.5). Brendel is an
executive coach and physician who has recommended mindfulness practices to his clients
to address many different issues like “managing stress, avoiding burnout, enhancing
leadership capacity, and to steady their minds when in the midst of making important
business decisions, career transitions, and personal life changes” (para. 4). He also sees
the possibility of people taking advantage of mindfulness, using it inappropriately, or
forcing their beliefs on others.
He talks about the wide acceptance of mindfulness within the business world and
the trend of business to embrace and offer mindfulness workshops or meditation
practices. He also notes the negative side of this open acceptance and use of mindfulness
without the understanding of it. In Brendel’s opinion there are two drawbacks to the
implementation of mindfulness practices within the work setting as “the avoidance risk”
and “the groupthink risk” (p.1).
In his practice he has observed some people who began to use mindfulness to
avoid unpleasant situations or to “disconnect from their challenges” (para. 6). He has
witnessed a lack of engaging others in underperformance by supervisors who refer to this
as only accepting things how they are. He describes this practice as a misuse of
mindfulness to displace critical thinking instead of using mindfulness to enhance critical
thinking.
22
Brendel (2015) describes the second trend that he has witnessed, which is “the
groupthink risk” (para. 7). He reports that many companies are who are embracing
mindfulness and encouraging the use of mindfulness within the work environment are
now beginning to require time periods of practice. He talks about how mindfulness is
“rooted in a philosophy of self-efficacy and proactive self-care” which opposite of
“imposing it on people in a top-down manner” (para. 7). Brendel reports witnessing this
imposition and how it is creating the opposite effect of what was intended. He believes
that “mindfulness culture will be a huge step forward for Western cultures” but fears that
if it is blindly embraced, misused, and is not established as a self-chosen strategy that
there might be a backlash against it (para. 8).
Summary
In this chapter of the literature review, the working definition of mindfulness, its
history, the benefits that are related to mindfulness, and the neurological research being
done with the effects of mindfulness were examined. The literature shows the
possibilities of mindfulness as a tool in the development of counselor trainees. Over the
many studies discussed, mindfulness was discussed as a way to directly bring a positive
effect to counselor trainees and to the clients, which they serve. In summary, the review
looked at how mindfulness has been used to move from doing to being, and how this may
be utilized for the self-care and development of the counselor trainee when presented and
conducted in an appropriate manner. This understanding of its effects will give a better
understanding of the phenomenological study being conducted with the participants and
will help guide the inquiry and the exploration of the participants’ experiences.
23
METHODOLOGY
The purpose of this study was to obtain a greater insight into the experiences and
perceptions of counselor trainees who received training in mindfulness practices. This
chapter presented the research methodology utilized to help deepen the understanding of
these experiences through: (a) phenomenology, (b) design, (c) participants, (d) procedure,
(e) data analysis, and (f) summary.
Phenomenology
Phenomenology has the basic purpose of “taking the experiences of persons who
have encountered a phenomenon and to reduce them down to a description that shows the
universal essence of that experience” (Creswell et al., 2007, p. 76). Phenomenology has a
philosophical component to it. It has gained popularity in the areas of sociology,
psychology, education, and the health fields. It is a way to gain insight into people’s
experiences to arrive at a description of the essence of the experience and not to explain
or analyze the experience. This allows researchers to go deep within the lived experiences
of this phenomenon to better understand them (Creswell et al., 2007).
The phenomenon examined in this study was the experiences of counselors after
being exposed to and trained in mindfulness. This methodology provided a greater depth
of understanding of these experiences to help examine how mindfulness may be utilized
for counselor trainees. Phenomenological studies have been used to move past some
limitations, such as the restriction to openly explain experiences as seen in more
empirical-statistical approaches to the exploration of the human sciences (Dukes, 1984).
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These inner experiences may lead to a better understanding of how mindfulness training
was used in the development of three counselor trainees and what developments within
mindfulness training could be addressed in the future.
Design
This study used the method of in-depth interviewing as the basis of the
phenomenological study. Interviews allowed the researcher to explore the experiences of
the participant. This study used an emergent, which allowed the interviewer to have
questions emerge during the interview and allowed flexibility to pursue avenues or ask
questions that were not on the script (Jacob & Furgerson, 2012).
Interviews were conducted in rooms that allowed for the interviews to stay
confidential. Questions within the interview were structured as open-ended questions to
elicit the story of the participant in an attempt to gain insight into their perceptions and
experiences (see Appendix B). The researcher presented himself as a “listener of the story
of the participant” (Starks & Brown Trinidad, 2007, p. 1375), and asked the participant to
share his/her experiences with the researcher. Probes were used in the interview to
encourage the participant to elaborate on or explain his/her experiences to gain clarity
and be true to the experience (Starks & Brown Trinidad, 2007). Interviews were
conducted with one week in-between the participant’s two interviews.
Triangulation was used to increase validity and reliability within the interviewing
data collection. Triangulation is the use of multiple sources of data to strengthen the
findings by identifying any atypical or similar patterns that may arise in the data analysis
25
(Thurmond, 2001). A transcription of the interviews were examined for content, video
recordings of the interviews were examined to check for the accuracy of the coding, and
the transcriptions of the interviews were examined by another reviewer to check for
consistency within the coding. This triangulation of data allowed for consistency and
allowed the researcher to accurately identify themes.
The data collected through the interviews were coded into groups that showed
meaning to the researcher. Coding was used to group together sets of data so the
researcher could identify themes. Coding was done in three stages: 1) open coding, which
allowed the researcher to examine, compare, conceptualize, and categorize the data; 2)
axial coding, which allowed the researcher to organize data into groups based on
relationships and patterns within and among the data; and 3) selective coding, which
allowed the researcher to identify and describe the central or core category in the data
(Starks & Brown Trinidad, 2007).
Participants
Three participants were purposively selected from a roster of students registered
in a counseling micro skills course at a CACREP accredited program at Missouri State
University that focused on mindfulness practices at least weekly in class. The participants
were approached by email initially and then in person about their interest in being a part
of this study. The participants were told the subject of the study and were told about the
time commitment involved in their participation.
26
The participants selected were a 48 year old Caucasian male who was currently
working as a substance abuse counselor and was currently enrolled in the counseling
program at Missouri State University, a 49 year old Caucasian female who was currently
working as a substance abuse counselor who had recently graduated from the counseling
program at Missouri State University, and a 29 year old Caucasian female who was
currently working as a counselor at a university diagnostic clinic and was currently
enrolled in the counseling program at Missouri State University. The 48-year-old male
and the 29-year-old female were enrolled in a Masters graduate counseling program,
while the 49-year-old female had recently graduated from this same program.
Permission to conduct the research was obtained through the university
Institutional Review Board, which assured the appropriate conduct of this study for the
safety and security of the participants (see Appendix A). Participants completed informed
consent documents that explained confidentiality, purposes, and the volunteer nature of
the study.
Procedures
Informed consent. The participants in this study received an overview of the
study including the research study objectives, procedures that included the expected time
commitment to the study, risk and benefits in the research, and the confidentiality of their
personal information. The participants were contacted via email about their interest in
participating in the study, participants had the right to participate in the research and the
freedom to decline or withdraw from the research at any time without penalty or loss.
27
The informed consent documents were signed and collected before any interviews or data
collection began. The informed consent was delivered to the interested participants via
email and was returned in a hard copy format. This was to assure the understanding of the
study and the confidentiality of the research as well as the understanding of participation
in and time commitment of the research. A letter was assigned to each participant in place
of his or her name to keep personal information secure.
The participants had the opportunity to obtain further information and to ask
questions to the researcher related to the study during the time period of the research. The
researcher provided the appropriate contact information to each of the participants, which
included an email address and phone number for ease of access to the researcher.
Data. Data collection was conducted through video recorded interviews. Two
interviews per participant conducted in a private setting were recorded over a one-week
time period. Interviews were reviewed, transcribed, analyzed, and coded for themes. The
researcher and an outside reviewer were used to establish validity and reliability of the
transcriptions and coding.
The data information was stored on a password protected cloud drive. At the
conclusion of the study hard copy materials were destroyed using a shredding machine
and were discarded to protect the confidentiality of the participants. All electronic data
were erased from the cloud drive.
Confidentiality. Participants were contacted first through email addresses and
responded to the researcher through an email address. An individual email was sent to
each potential participant to solicit participants. A copy of informed consent and a
28
description of confidentiality were delivered in the email to inform the potential
participant before any confirmation of participation was collected.
Each participant was given a detailed description of confidentiality that included
the procedures of data collection, retention of information, and procedures for destroying
and discarding of any material. An explanation of the confidential letters assigned to each
participant was given. This information was distributed before any data collection was
obtained to help assure and inform the participants of their rights of confidentiality.
During the procedures of this study, there was no anticipated discomfort or harm
experienced, including psychologically, by the participants. There was no discomfort
reported. The participants were told that if there were any discomforts reported a referral
would have been utilized to minimize any harm that might have been caused by the
research to the participant. The participants reported no objections to the procedures of
the study. The participants had the freedom to withdraw from the study at any time. No
participants chose to withdraw from the study; all pieces of data collected that involved
the participant were used in the study.
Data Analysis
The researcher and an outside reviewer with experience in mindfulness reviewed
the tapes, transcriptions, and artifacts to allow for contrast and comparison within the
findings and observations of the reviewers. Each interview was transcribed from a video
recording that allowed the analysis of the verbal content within the interview. During the
viewing of the video recording, the researcher made notes about observations of the
29
participants during the interviews. The interview transcriptions were reviewed by the
outside reviewer to check for accuracy with the coding of the material.
Word clouds were used to highlight themes and to produce visual figures of the
important words and themes found within the interviews. Three sets of word clouds were
generated for each participant. The first two were generated using the transcriptions of
the interviews and the third was generated using words used by the researcher during the
open coding stage of analysis. These word clouds were generated through an online
generator that allowed clouds to be generated from inserted text. The word clouds
represented the words of the researcher as they were used during the axial coding
process.
Summary
A phenomenological study provides an opportunity to gain deep insights into the
experiences of others. It allows the experience to be described in a way that furthers
understanding of that experience without having to analyze or break down the
experience. This approach fit with the purpose of this study, which was to have a deeper
understanding of the effects of mindfulness on counselor trainees. This understanding
allowed me to see how mindfulness may be beneficial to counselor trainees. This
phenomenological study used the participant’s experiences and perceptions to gain a
deeper understanding of the phenomenon that happened within the exposure to and
training in mindfulness.
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PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS
The purpose of this study was to obtain a greater insight into the experiences and
perceptions of counselor trainees who received training in mindfulness practices. This
chapter presented the findings of this inquiry and will include: (a) pertinent
characteristics of the participants, (b) design of the research conducted, (c) participant
interviews, (d) presentation of the essential themes, and (e) summary of essential themes.
Pertinent Characteristics of the Participants
Three participants were chosen from a list of students who were enrolled in a
counseling course over micro skills in a CACREP accredited program at Missouri State
University. The participants were referred to the researcher by the professor of the
course. All three of the participants were familiar with the subject of the study. The
participants consisted of a 48 year old Caucasian male, a 49 year old Caucasian female,
and a 29-year-old Caucasian female. All participants were currently practicing in the field
of counseling at the time of the study.
Design of the Research Conducted
The participants were approached by email initially and then in person about their
interest in being a part of this study. The participants were told the subject of the study
and were told about the time commitment involved in their participation. The participants
were given a copy of the informed consent and agreed to the consent verbally and in
writing.
31
The participants were asked to be involved in two separate interviews and
maintain a written journal. The interviews were scheduled one week apart and were
conducted in a private setting. These interviews were video recorded for further review.
The participants were also provided a journal to record their thoughts about mindfulness
during the week in between the first and the second interview. These journals were
returned to the researcher at the beginning of the second interview.
The interviews were guided by a set of questions developed to gain insight into
the experiences of each participant. The set of questions for the first interview focused on
how the participant defined mindfulness, what their perceptions were about their
experiences with mindfulness during their graduate studies, how their training in
mindfulness had affected them both personally and professionally, and what their future
intentions with mindfulness were. The second set of interview questions focused on: their
thoughts and experiences with mindfulness during the week in between interviews; any
observations that they might have had about their thoughts; feelings, and behaviors since
the previous interview; what the experience of journaling was like for them; and if there
were any new thoughts about their future intentions with mindfulness were.
During the interviews, open-ended questions were utilized, which allowed for
emergent questions. These questions were used as probes in response to the discussion
that was generated by the initial scripted questions. These probes were focused on
information presented by the participant to gain further insight into their experiences and
clarification of some material. The participants were encouraged at the end of each
interview to add any information they saw important to add to the discussion.
32
The interviews were video recorded and reviewed directly after each interview.
The researcher took notes during viewing of the tapes about observations of the
participant’s behaviors in the interviews. The interviews were reviewed again to gain
more of the essence of the experiences of the participant before being transcribed by the
researcher. The transcriptions were then read by the researcher while listening to the
interview to ensure accuracy of the transcription.
A journal was given to the participants at the end of the first interview. The
participants were instructed to journal their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and anything
else they felt pertinent about mindfulness over the following week. The guidelines of
when, how much, and exactly what to journal about were left open to encourage true
experiences and to allow the participants to freely write about the subject. The journals
were then returned to the researcher at the beginning of the next interview. The
researcher transcribed the journal entries into a word format so the material could be
coded.
The material was read, highlighted, and commented on to begin the thematic
analysis. The open coding of the material focused on the meaning of each statement made
by the participant to gain insight into the flow of each interview. The transcriptions were
then reread along with the initial comments to begin to explore themes within the
material. The researcher used open coding to explore the meanings of the material and to
conceptualize and examine the material line by line so a more insightful understanding of
the three participants’ experiences could be gained.
The axial coding of the material gave the researcher a way to focus in on grouping
the emerging themes as they began to reflect subjects found. This coding was done by
33
looking at each of the open codes to examine the essence of each experience and
statement as a concept. This also allowed the researcher to begin to reduce these themes
to gain more insight in the essence of the experiences. This reduction of the material was
done within and through each set of data, which included each interview transcription,
participant journal, and observation note. This reduction of the material showed 12
emerging areas: (a) regulation, (b) Stability, (c) Compassion, (d) Vulnerability, (e)
Acceptance, (f) Connectedness, (g) Awareness, (h) Mindfulness practices, (i) Self-
compassion, (j) Issues, (k) Appreciation, and (l) Fulfillment. After examining the data
through selective coding to examine the core themes of the material so an overall essence
of the experiences could be understood, three core themes emerged that incorporated the
effects of mindfulness on the participants. These themes were (a) Effects on emotion, (b)
Interpersonal relationships, and (c) Self-care.
All transcriptions and coded materials were read and reviewed by an outside
reader who has experience with the subject and with qualitative analysis. This reviewing
and rereading of the material helped with consistency and validity within the analysis
process. The interview data, the journal data, and the review by an outside reader were
used to triangulate the information allowing for a greater reliability and validity in the
analysis.
Participant Interviews
Phenomenology uses a conversational interview to allow the exploration of the
lived experiences of a subject in hopes of reducing these interviews down to the essence
of the phenomenon experienced (Creswell et al., 2007). The researcher approached these
34
interviews as a learner and to witness the journey of each participant. These interviews
and journals gave the researcher an opportunity to gain insight into the experiences of
each participant as it pertained to mindfulness. During the interviews the researcher used
probing questions to encourage the participants to expand on their answers and to better
explain their experiences so that the researcher could gain a greater insight into those
experiences.
Participant A. Participant A was a 49 year old Caucasian female and a recent
graduate of a Midwestern counseling program who was currently working as a counselor
at a substance abuse recovery center. In Interview 1, she described mindfulness as “a way
we process energy and information as it comes in and also the awareness of the energy
and information and how we react to it.” She was first formally introduced to
mindfulness in her micro skills graduate course but had previous experiences with yoga.
She described her first exposure as being highlighted by the “ability to be present with
clients” and “being aware of how she is feeling within the session” and not allowing her
own feelings to be a distracting part of the session.
When asked about how mindfulness had affected her, she talked about the
changes she had seen in herself and her awareness of herself. She spoke about how
mindfulness had helped her “grow as a person and as a counselor”. She highlighted this
by saying “it keeps me fresh and that I am the best counselor I can be, or best parent, or
best friend I can be, and in life.”
She talked about the benefits she had seen when working with her clients. She
talked about having the ability to stay “grounded” and having an awareness of how she
was feeling within a session. She described herself as being able to recognize when she
35
was “feeling tense” or had the “feeling of wanting to interject something” but being able
to pull back from that and regulate her emotions within the session. She also talked about
being able to stay focused and present within a session, and having the awareness of her
own thoughts when they began to drift and then having the ability to bring them back to
the present moment.
As far as her future intentions were concerned, she described them as wanting to
personally continue to practice mindfulness in the forms of yoga, mindfulness walks, and
“practicing being in the moment”. She also had a desire to continue to research
mindfulness and to gain more knowledge about it. In the form of her professional
applications, she described herself as feeling comfortable leading mindfulness exercises
with individuals and with groups and wanted to continue to use and explore these
methods. The participant appeared very comfortable and confident when describing her
ability to use mindfulness in a professional capacity, which was a sign of her self-efficacy
in the subject.
The participant continued when asked about anything she wanted to add. She
talked about the scientific basis of mindfulness and the research showing the effects of
mindfulness on the brain. She believed this helped with her own acceptance of
mindfulness due to her medical background and also believed it was beneficial with
clients who were hesitant or skeptical. She believed that by introducing this information it
drew their attention and also gave them something to connect with how it helped change
things for them.
In Interview 2, the participant was asked to talk about her experiences with
mindfulness over the previous week. She talked about her practices that included a
36
mindfulness walk and mindful eating. She tried to “slow down” and be aware of when
she was feeling “really busy” or “rushed”. She described her feelings after a purposeful
practice of mindfulness as having “more clarity” and the ability to “problem solve issues”
she was having. When the participant was describing these feelings, it appeared to the
researcher that there was a sense of relief coming from the participant and the researcher
observed an appearance of physical relaxation.
When the researcher asked the participant about any changes in her actions,
behaviors, or approaches during the previous week, she talked about her purposeful
engagement of mindfulness with her clients and about two exercises she had done with
her clients. The participant described two activities where she had clients involved in
imagery work and how she continued to learn from her clients each time she introduced
something to them. The individual impacts of the exercise on the clients and the sharing
of those experiences with others were described by the participant. She described a
feeling of the clients having a physical release at that point in time.
Participant A continued to talk about past experiences with clients who were
unable to do some exercises, like a breathing practice for one reason or another. She also
included that she had not had any client who had been unable to do the imagery exercises
and found t everyone benefited from them. The participant described how it was very
useful to use these practices with her clients, but also how it was important to educate
them so they could use these practices on their own.
In her personal life, the participant talked about having feelings of being
overwhelmed and very busy during the previous week. The participant talked about how
she utilized mindfulness to allow her to regulate her emotions and thoughts instead of
37
having always to be “putting out fires.” She said this allowed her to be “grounded” and
appreciative of the present moment and to enjoy life. When asked to elaborate on being
grounded, the participant described it as “de-escalating herself” and allowing herself to
“let go of things that are not a priority.”
As far as her future intentions, she talked about her desire to continue to teach
others about mindfulness and to create opportunities for practice. A desire to create a
professional area that allowed those who were in recovery with substance abuse to
practice mindfulness through yoga, Pilates, and meditation was described. She wants to
be able to help others to “understand themselves better” and to give them coping skills
they can use personally. The participant described a desire to continue research and to
gain more knowledge about mindfulness and its applications.
Participant A talked about how mindfulness gave a person the opportunity to be
open to experiences and how it helped people to be “non-judgmental”. She described it as
getting to know yourself better and be able to have acceptance so you were not ignoring
things. The participant described a belief of not judging yourself or clients but allowing
exploration of feelings and thoughts so the person might gain more understanding of their
selves.
The participant at one point described mindfulness as being part of her life. This
statement seems to be an accurate summary of her experiences. She appeared to have the
belief that mindfulness was a way of being as well as a tool for specific effects. The
participant was very thoughtful in her speech, appeared to be very mindful in her choice
of words throughout the interviews, and showed a passion for the subject for herself and
to share with others.
38
Participant B. Participant B was a 48-year-old Caucasian male who was
currently still a student in a counseling program at Missouri State University. The
participant was currently working as a counselor in a substance abuse recovery center for
women. In Interview 1 he described mindfulness as “paying attention on purpose, with a
main characteristic of being non-judgmental, a state of non-judgmental awareness.” This
was described as a “nuts and bolts definition” drawn from his readings of Kabat-Zinn.
When asked about his experiences with mindfulness, he identified his first formal
introduction to mindfulness as being within the micro skills class in his graduate studies.
The participant talked about his previous experiences as being “a consumer of a lot of
things tied into the culture,” which appeared to be what he later described as meditation
practices and self-help strategies. He described this as having had experiences in his
“spiritual practices” and experiences with “self-help” that tied to this new exposure and
allowed for him to feel like he understood it quickly. He explained his initial enthusiasm
for mindfulness and how he saw it as a way to possibly “do counseling” and how he
began to dive head first into the subject. There was a great interested in the discussion of
this subject. This enthusiasm quickly turned into research about the use of mindfulness
for counselor education and he described this as not fitting with what he wanted to do.
The participant spoke about the desire to “just practice” and personally utilize it, which
he found beneficial for his own stressors he was experiencing in graduate school.
Participant B talked about the benefits he has personally encountered with
mindfulness. The ability to “immediately implement” his own version of mindfulness
practice for himself and have this “philosophical way of thinking” that allowed him to be
non-judgmental and open was something he found very appealing. This way of being also
39
allowed him to feel more present and focused when he was with his clients. He continued
to talk about this basic “nuts and bolts” part of mindfulness and how that was what
interested him about mindfulness.
When asked about his training in mindfulness, the participant did not completely
agree with the use of the word “training” but thought of his experiences within the
graduate school as more “modeling” than anything else. He found “talking about
mindfulness a bit of a paradox”. The participant described mindfulness as something we
are “swimming in” or something we are a part of more than something we do. This fit in
with his overall belief that mindfulness was not just a tool but was “a way of being.”
Mindfulness was described as having given him more “bang for his buck” when it came
to the enjoyment of life. He believed mindfulness “illuminates...you know...the
experiences that we are having that we are very often unconsciously having.”
When asked about how mindfulness had affected his work with clients, he
describes it as very beneficial. The ability to be able to “make it about them and less
about him” was something that he is experienced. There was an awareness of how much
things can quickly become about him, and with the use of his own mindfulness, he was
able to take this awareness and then remove himself from the session creating a more
meaningful therapeutic environment.
The participant described his use of mindfulness with his clients as more of a flow
to things rather than a direct practice that was used. He described how he sometimes used
visualizations but relied heavily on metaphors as a way of relating information to the
client. This was seen as being very “musical” in its flow. He explained this as “there is no
specific way to do music” but how it was something created between his self and the
40
client. The ability to show empathy and understanding to the clients were mindful ways
of being present and attentive to his clients. He found this to be beneficial within the
therapeutic setting.
When asked about his future intentions with mindfulness, the participant appeared
to have an emotional response. A description of feeling “burnt out” with the academic
inquiries of mindfulness at this point in time was used. He clarified this as not being
burnt out with practicing mindfulness but with the research, studying, and analyzing of it.
The participant appeared to be almost sad when talking about how it had become almost
a burden for him lately and how he wanted to be able to “step back from researching
mindfulness a bit and just get back to practicing mindfulness.” He described it as though
he had been “putting a lot into it and haven’t been able to get as much out”, so he wants
to stop trying to “operationalize” mindfulness and wanted to just get back to the basics of
his own practice of mindfulness.
During the last part of the interview the participant used a metaphor about playing
music and how you can tell someone how to “pluck the strings” and where to “put their
hands” or “you can sit back and play sweet home Alabama for them.” This was a real
demonstration about how he viewed mindfulness and how it should be conveyed to
others. This use of a metaphor showed how mindfulness, for him, was a way of being and
a feeling more than a step-by-step thing that you do to get a product.
In Interview 2, the participant was asked to describe his experiences with
mindfulness during the previous week. He described a feeling of an “awareness of time”.
There was awareness of the way his life had become almost mechanical and
“compartmentalized” in the way that every hour was scheduled out. He talked about how
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he was able to “cultivate” an appreciation of time and the quality of the time observed.
He was able to identify this and described being able to take the time to slow down so he
could “be in the present moment.” The awareness and connection of this time and the
quality it had along with an awareness of how these quality moments can be connected
over a length of time was something that drew his attention. He explained how this
awareness could help him “cultivate” these moments within a counseling session.
The interviewer asked him to talk about the changes in his behaviors, actions, and
approaches over the previous week. The participant talked about an awareness of how his
purposeful actions of mindful eating had a continuing effect on how the rest of his day
went. He described this domino effect as having impacts on the way he “encountered
others”, his “awareness of himself and others”, and the way he interacted with his clients.
This was described as something that was “created”, something that allowed for deeper
interaction and understanding as an awareness that continued to be “cultivated” and
enhanced as experiences were encountered.
The participant explained his awareness of the emotional effects. He talked about
being able to be more “detached,” which he described as being “less reactive” and
emotionally affected by his clients. This allowed him to be “less emotionally triggered”
and allowed him to be open to the experiences of the other person. He talked about how
he was able to accept more of himself and the other person. The participant described this
awareness as being heightened when it was in “close proximity” to a mindfulness
practice he had done.
The participant spent a lot of time talking about his feelings of being “burnt out”
right now. The initial question was about his experiences with journaling in the previous
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week, which he initially described himself as being “lazy about.” He began to explore
this and quickly moved from being lazy to the experience being “liberating.” The
participant talked about his feelings of being overwhelmed, burnt out, and stressed over
the recent past when thinking about researching mindfulness or “analyzing it.” He
explained the dislike of having the responsibility of “producing something about
mindfulness” and the dislike for the need for him to “analyze” and “operationalize”
mindfulness. His desire to be able to “digest what he has learned” and to return back to a
state of being and to “step away” from this need to explain was described. The journaling
was something he ultimately found liberating because of its structure not having a desired
purpose or expected outcome rather than just being able to write what he wanted when he
wanted. This feeling of liberation appeared to be a direct representation of what he
described as his desire to get back to his own practice of mindfulness and away from the
analysis of it.
When looking at the benefits of mindfulness, the participant talked about the
usefulness of it in many different aspects. Mindfulness was seen as something that can be
much more useful than just a tool a counselor can use. The participant appeared to view
mindfulness as something that helped him bridge the need for an evidence-based practice
and an existential way of thinking that he felt was a humanistic approach to counseling.
He talked about how this helped him in his own counseling practice but had also made
him aware of the possible downfalls of many counseling practices. The awareness of
power held by counselors in the eyes of their clients, the awareness of societal roles, and
an awareness of gender roles and what that meant in his work setting were explained. He
attributed all of this awareness to his practice in mindfulness. He described mindfulness
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as a “road map to compassion” he believed was extremely important in the impacts that
we may have on others.
When asked about his future intentions with mindfulness, he described a desire to
“stop trying to make sense about something that is already sensible.” He highlighted this
by saying “somewhere down the line we have evolved into beings that have some interest
or capability or some idea that we need to make something that is very possibly already
there.” He described mindfulness as a “natural thing” that we need to just be aware of and
adhere. It appeared to be the ability to accept what was there and to not have to force
people to do or think how we feel they should but to be with them while they “explore the
sensibility that is already there”. He believed that mindfulness allowed you to “get out of
the way of someone else’s personal growth.”
The participant was very passionate in his discussion of the topic and appeared
very careful and thoughtful with his words. He modeled the feeling that mindfulness was
a way of being rather than something you do but also saw the benefits of specific
mindfulness practices as therapeutic activities. The participant was obviously burnt out
with the research and operationalizing of mindfulness and had a great desire to return to
the “essence” of it and just be with it. The illustration of music in Interview 1 really
showed his experiences and beliefs in mindfulness.
Participant C. Participant C was a 29-year-old female who was a current student
in a counseling program at Missouri State University and was currently working as a
counselor in a university diagnostic clinic. The participant described mindfulness as
“taking time to shut off and focus on what is happening right here and now within my
body and just being able to focus on where I am at and um kind of shut off and to
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everything else that is affecting me from the outside world.” She talked about how it
allowed her to connect and to not be so cognitive about things; it relaxed her.
The first formal introduction to mindfulness was during her graduate class on
micro skills. She had previously done yoga a few times before this introduction but did
not seem to really connect the experiences. Her first reactions to mindfulness were
described as being skeptical toward it and how the individual experiences “didn’t really
click with her.” The participant described an exercise she did during the micro skills class
that involved looking silently into another person’s eyes for an amount of time and the
intimate emotional experience she gained from that. The ability to “feel someone else’s
pain and joy” by just sitting in silence and being in tuned with them through the
mindfulness was something she described with passion and was the point in time she
marked as when she became intrigued about mindfulness. This was also an experience
she shared with others to explain the power and effects of mindfulness.
The participant talked about her introduction into breath work and how it had
allowed her to de-escalate and to “slow things down.” Some of the other benefits she
found through breath work and other mindfulness practices were the abilities to “be
present with another person” and being connected to them, regulating her emotions, and
relaxing. She afforded mindfulness with helping her “become the person that she is”.
Credit was given to the professor of the micro skills class as the person who had taught
her the most about mindfulness. The participant showed a great deal of appreciation when
talking about this.
Participant C talked about her belief in the simplicity of breath work and how she
was a big endorser for how it helped her and how it can help others. Throughout the
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interview she took deep breaths, as examples, and it appeared to slow her speech patterns
and physically relax her body. She explained how she used this with clients as something
simple she can teach them and they can have readily available. The participant talked
about how she had encountered some clients who were more resistant to imagery work or
other practices but most everyone she had worked with had been receptive to breathing
exercises.
When describing her own personal uses of breath work, it was used to help
alleviate stress, to relax before bed, and as something that she is very aware of when she
is running. She talked about how this focus on her breath allowed her to become aware of
her own body, thoughts, feelings, and the environment she was encountering. This in turn
allowed her to forget about any stresses she was currently dealing with or any worries she
had before the practice.
The participant was asked to describe how mindfulness has affected her work
with her clients. She focused on how it had given her a tool to help her clients become
more connected to themselves and to be able to focus on the present moment. The
simplicity of the breathing and how she hoped these breathing exercises would be
something “they are able to take that with them and use” by themselves was described by
the participant.
The description of her future intentions with mindfulness was mostly focused on
her work with her clients. A desire to continue to cultivate her skills with imagery work
and a sharing of applications she found through research were described. The participant
was very passionate about the benefits of mindfulness and talked about how she just
wanted to “get the word out there to people”. A belief in the practice of mindfulness was
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shown through her excitement and passion when talking about the subject. She
highlighted this by talking about her need to “lean” on mindfulness at times. When asked
to elaborate, she described it as being something t she used to “better herself” and in turn
helped her to “be the best I can for my clients”. She reiterated that it was something, like
a tool she can “give to her clients”, even if she only saw them a few times.
The participant described one of her clients she was currently working with and
how mindfulness had helped her. The client was suffering from performance anxiety and
stress. She talked about how she worked with the client to prepare herself for the anxiety
and stress, and used simple applications of mindfulness to help her have something in the
moment to help her regulate her emotions. She continued to give examples of how
mindfulness had been impactful by using herself as an example and how her practice of
mindful eating had affected her.
In Interview 2, the participant was asked to talk about her experiences over the
previous week as it pertained to mindfulness. She talked about having “awareness” that
she had recently put mindfulness practice on the “back burner” and how mindfulness had
“affected her and how it could affect others.” There was an awareness of how stressed
she had been and how she was hard on herself. She identified that she needed to stop
being “judgmental toward myself” and be “more present” with herself. The participant
appeared to believe that by doing some mindfulness practices she could accomplish these
goals of not being judgmental of herself, her presence, and possibly the lowering of her
stress.
Participant C talked about her experiences over the last week by adding her
feelings of “taking things for granted.” She explained how she became very wrapped up
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in what she had to do and being stressed about things, which caused her to take some
things for granted. Mindfulness was a way that she found to “slow things down”, “be
aware of the present moment”, and was “appreciative” of all she was experiencing and
had. She described the need to be less stressed and unstable and how she planned to use
mindfulness to become more stable and more appreciative of “the little things”.
When asked about whether she wanted to make any changes to her answers from
the last interview, she wanted to include “non-judgmental” to her definition of
mindfulness. This seemed to be a focal point for her in the previous week and highlighted
how she had become more aware of her own self-criticism. She described being her
“worst critic” and a tendency to “find something wrong in everything”, be full of anxiety,
worry about things a lot, and have high stress. She explained how she got migraines at
times. She described how her mindfulness practices had helped her become more relaxed,
less stressed, and to have more self-compassion and to not be so judgmental of herself.
She shared the experience of a migraine during the previous week and how she had used
a breathing exercise to help her “relax to the point of sleeping” and had not needed
anything else to alleviate the migraine.
The participant explained the benefits she was experiencing from mindfulness.
She described that it allowed her to “be the best that I can be” for herself and her clients.
She expressed that if she was stressed out or too much in her own head she was “not
being present with the client” and she was “not giving her best self to the client.” The
participant described how she noticed a lower stress level in anticipation of doing a
mindful practice, and afterwards she had a greater awareness of things and a “deeper
appreciation for little things” she noticed, did, or experienced.
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When talking about her clients and also about her future intentions, she replied
that she had a desire to continue to study and research mindfulness so she can become
more knowledgeable of different practices that can serve her clients better. A desire to
find a way to operationalize mindfulness, especially for the specific clientele she was
working with was shared. She hoped to share her passion with others and to foster a
comfortable acceptance of mindfulness within her clients. Her being able to utilize
mobile apps, recordings, and other techniques to give simple and accessible tools to her
clients would foster this.
Personally the participant wanted to continue to practice mindfulness to help her
be less stressed and help with her anxiety. She explained the need to be able to do this
consistently so she had an ongoing benefit from it. This once again highlighted the need
for her to have more self-compassion and to be less judgmental of herself. Participant C
demonstrated this tendency throughout the interview as she had harsh words about herself
or her answers.
The participant appeared to view mindfulness as a tool to be used to get a desired
effect or to avoid something less desirable. She did show some thoughts of it being more
about a way of being when she described the realization of how much she used it even
when she was not thinking about it. She talked about the benefits of mindfulness and
showed great passion for sharing her experiences with others and helping foster self-help
in others as well. It appeared her own experience of the benefits of mindfulness was at
the core of her experience and passion for the subject.
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Presentation of Essential Themes
The interviews and journals were coded using three stages of coding to find the
essence of the experiences of participants: (a) open coding, (b) axial coding, and (c)
selective coding. The word clouds in Figures 1, 2, and 3 were used to show the regularity
of words used by the researcher during the open stage of coding. These words
represented the researchers exploration of meaning within the statements of participants
and were guided by: (a) emerging themes observed by the researcher; (b) knowledge base
of the researcher; and (c) phrases and words used by the participants. These word clouds
were used to draw attention to frequent words used within the researcher’s thematic
coding. Some of the similarities within these word clouds were words like greater,
awareness, experiences, non-judgmental, and emotional.
In Figures 4, 5, and 6, a graphical organization of the coding process and
representation of the findings was shown. Each Figure showed an array of themes
identified through the axial coding process and were at the outside edge of the Figure.
These themes then were reduced down to more narrow categories that encompassed some
of the themes as a whole. This was a continuation of the axial coding process and allowed
the researcher to explore broader meanings of the material. These themes were closer in
to the center to represent the reduction process. The core themes were at the center of the
graphs. These core themes were developed through the selective coding process and
encompassed the essence of the impacts of mindfulness on the participants.
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Figure 1: Word Cloud for Participant A
Figure 1: Word Cloud for Participant A. The word cloud was produced using the words of the researcher during axial coding.
Figure 2: Word Cloud for Participant B
Figure 2: Word Cloud for Participant B. The word cloud was produced using the words of the researcher during axial coding.
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Figure 3: Word Cloud for Participant C
Figure 3: Word Cloud for Participant C. The word cloud was produced using the words of the researcher during axial coding.
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Figure 4: Cluster 1 Themes
Figure 4: Cluster 1 Themes. The figure was developed to show the coding process of the data for the effects on emotions cluster.
Cluster 1 Themes
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Figure 5: Cluster 2 Themes
Figure 5: Cluster 2 Themes. The figure was developed to show the coding process of the data for the interpersonal relationships cluster.
Cluster 2 Themes
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Figure 6: Cluster 3 Themes
Figure 6: Cluster 3 Themes. The figure was developed to show the coding process of the data for the self-care cluster.
Cluster 3 Themes
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The following sections described the core themes that emerged to the researcher
through the thematic analysis and showed the supporting themes and clusters. These
themes were derived from the researcher and the words chosen for each theme were
guided by the knowledge base of the researcher and the words used by the participants.
The samples of direct quotes from the interviews conducted with the participants gave
examples of where these themes were present. This was only a sampling of the direct
quotes that applied to each of these themes. These samples were shown to strengthen the
findings of the thematic analysis.
Effects on emotions
The participants discussed this core theme in many different ways and different
aspects. The participants referred to both positive and negative experiences for
themselves or those they had encountered with the subject of mindfulness. This core
theme was supported by four sub-themes: a) Regulation: clustered themes included de-
escalation, relaxation, stress relief, patience, and release of emotions; b) Stability:
clustered themes included acceptance, calmness, less triggering, control, and grounded; c)
Compassion: clustered themes included empathy, acceptance, shared experiences,
awareness, and helping others; d) Vulnerability: that represented the sharing of
information. Examples of the statements the participants said, which showed this theme
were:
Participant A: regulation; de-escalating
So...um..when different things happen and you feel yourself escalating escalating escalating and it can be the one little thing and then you just lose everything. So I can just, when when I feel myself escalating I can just bring myself back down to where, ok where ok. (Interview 2)
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Participant B: stability; less triggering
Um...and those things um...often I feel sort of pulled upon...by those things or sort of moved around by them in a way or ...so...when I am practicing some kind of sensory level mindfulness activity like the eating thing or.... meditation and the feeling of being in my chair and so forth. Even in-between sessions when I do that I feel less triggered emotionally. (Interview 2)
Participant C: compassion; helping others
I know that they are encountering a really stressful week right now and... that I can... I can feel those feelings that they are experiencing and that stress that they are experiencing and I think that’s. I feel that stress so that's why it’s important for me. (Interview 2)
Participant A: vulnerability; sharing information
You might have a group that you know they might.... have the giggles or something where they can't quit turn off the outside noise or they might feel a little funny doing it at first, but then I think that if they over time..they get better or maybe you start with the drawing. Something that they are not so vulnerable to. Hey close your eyes and we are going to go through some imagery work but to just draw. So something you know just, everyone is at a different stage. (Interview 2)
Participant B: stability; grounded, control, calmness
In a counseling session for example...I felt more detached...more...more...even though there was more of this flavor, more of this presence, it felt less. I felt...more smooth on those days.... Especially when I was in close proximity to the other activity, whatever that was...What I mean is that I didn't feel as.... I felt more stabilized in my reactions. (Interview 2)
Interpersonal relationships
The participants talked about their experiences with mindfulness and how it had
affected their interpersonal relationships both in their personal lives and in their
professional lives. The four main themes that supported this core theme were: a)
Connectedness: clusters included presence, empathy, quality, compassion, and learning;
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b) Acceptance: clusters included non-judgmental, support vs. advice, openness, emotions,
and experiences; c) Awareness: clusters included feelings, thoughts, focus, impact, and
roles; d) Mindfulness practice: clusters included shared experiences, resistance, groups,
personal growth, and teaching. Examples of these themes within the interviews are:
Participant A: connectedness; quality
It just it just keeps me feeling like I am fresh and that I ummm I am the best counselor I can be, or the best parent I can be, or the best friend I can be and in life. (Interview 1)
Participant B: acceptance; openness, experiences
I feel more accepting...I don't feel like I am responding to.... you know let me take care of that for you or your hurting so...I feel like I am making more...I am letting things come in... and float out with more ease.... Right. (Interview 2)
Participant B: awareness; focus
Experience say for example of paying attention to what I am eating on the way to work and really getting into the sensory of that. I have experienced in the past week um...direct...effects of that on interpersonal communions. (Interview 2)
Participant C: mindfulness practice; shared experiences. awareness; feelings,
thoughts: connectedness; empathy, presence.
[Professor’s name] used the dual; two-person mindfulness where for 10 minutes you looked at someone and just listened to the prompts and you didn't do anything else. You never said anything you just looked at each other’s eyes. And it was kind of wicked in the sense that you could just feel, I didn't know the person from anyone. I didn't know, I knew her name but I didn't know anything about her otherwise, but I could feel that pain and feel that happiness and feel those kind of feelings that she said, or not said but with her eyes. It was what she said with her eyes and after the class we talked to each other about it and I said you know that was the coolest experience and she had some, you know similar experiences as well. I said, I don't know anything about you but I could feel the there was a lot of pain there. Or I could feel when we talked about happiness that there where things that made you really happy. And I just felt really in tuned with her. And kind of connected. At that point we were kind of
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bonded in a sense at that point as well. But it was, that was kind of, I have shared that a lot of people that people, as long as you have two people who are really focused on doing the mindfulness it can, I feel, like it can do great things in that case. (Interview 1)
Participant B: acceptance; support vs. advice, experiences, emotions: awareness;
feelings, thoughts
When I.... this is the essence of it for me...if I am accepting what you are telling me and what you are presenting to me and I am accepting my own thoughts feelings and beliefs and experiences that I am having in that moment. I have nothing to say about what you should or should not do. That's that's just not part of it....Um...and I am very very conscious of that when I am with people. (Interview 2)
Self-care
The subject of self-care was a common theme in the data. The participants talked
about many different aspects of self-care as it pertained to mindfulness and how they
used it for self-care and also some of the problems and issues they faced that they have
addressed through mindfulness. The themes that supported the core theme of self-care
were: a) Self-compassion: clusters included non-judgmental, awareness, best friend, and
acceptance; b) Issues: clusters included anxiety, being overwhelmed, burnt out,
emotionally effected, and self-importance; c) Appreciation: clusters included presence,
deeper meanings, nature, illumination, and the small things; d) Fulfillment: clusters
included learning, personal growth, quality of time, relationships, and way of being.
Some examples are:
Participant C: self-compassion; best friend, awareness: issues; overwhelmed
I was just like bashing myself. Like why would you wait till the last minute to do this, you have things going on and your running around like a chicken with your head cut off. So, I think I realized ...whoa... like at this point I need to be my best friend. I need to step back and not be putting
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myself down about it. So I needed to take some deep breathes and kind of get in the zone of... of just to be. (Interview 2)
Participant A: appreciation; presence: fulfillment; quality of time
But just through like...just take a couple of deep breathes or just appreciate this moment. Or just let that go for now and just be present and I am able to kind of enjoy life and handle my stress level. (Interview 1)
Participant C: fulfillment; personal growth
I think that the mindfulness experience that I have had throughout this program has ultimately helped me grow into the person that I am today. (Interview 1)
Participant B: fulfillment; way of being: appreciation; illumination, deeper meaning.
It's the water that we are swimming in not...the lines that we are drawing or whatever. So that has certainly carried over into just ... I guess...this general state of being or awareness...of what my...what umm...daily experiences or...um...I would say that it in general ways given me more ...uh...bang for my buck...in daily living... I think that's fair...sort of...I don't know if enhance is right word but it certainly illuminates...you know...the experiences that we are having that we are very often unconsciously having. (Interview 1)
Participant A: fulfillment; personal growth
It has helped me with my growth as far as a person and as a counselor. (Interview 2)
Participant C: appreciation; nature, the small things
Experiences of you know kind of like I said a little bit ago, like the little things. Uh... cleaning the house and actually taking time to enjoy. And to...um...kind of noticed the small things that I wouldn't have noticed, you know. Cut grass, or new mulch or, you know, um. You know like seeing a hummingbird for the first time on my hummingbird feeder. Just kind of being there looking at this thing and just. Like being there versus.... everything else going around, you know constantly go go go. (Interview 2)
Participant C: issues; anxiety, emotionally affected.
I am like the hardest, biggest, I will criticize myself till days in ... Um I will find something wrong with everything. And I am like, that doesn't help me work at my best. Its its, so that's something I am thinking about,
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that nonjudgmental part is something important to me. That I need to continue to work on. (Interview 2)
Summary of Essential Themes
The data was analyzed to gain an insight into the experiences of the chosen
participants as it pertained to mindfulness. The participants shared their stories to the
researcher through interviews and journal entries over the course of a two-week period.
These interviews and journals focused on their experiences with mindfulness. The
analysis showed three core themes that emerged from the material. These themes were
effects on emotion, interpersonal relationships, and self-care. These core themes were
supported by axial themes and groups of codes found in the data. Samples of direct
quotes from the participants showed support for the emerged themes from the analysis.
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DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The purpose of this study was to obtain a greater insight into the experiences and
perceptions of counselor trainees who received training in mindfulness practices. This
chapter will present: (a) summary of approach (b) major findings, (c) discussion, and (d)
conclusions, and (e) recommendations.
Summary of Approach
This study used a phenomenological approach to gain insight into the experiences
of counselor trainees who had been trained in mindfulness practices. Phenomenology has
the basic purpose of taking the experiences of persons who have encountered a
phenomenon and to describe those experiences that showed the essence of that
experience (Creswell et al., 2007). This approach was chosen for this study to take a look
at the perceptions and beliefs about mindfulness amongst those counselor trainees who
had been exposed to and trained in mindfulness.
The researcher interviewed three participants who had been identified as having a
graduate micro skills class at Missouri State University, who introduced and trained the
participants in mindfulness. The participants were asked to complete two interviews
where they shared their experiences and practices with mindfulness. During the one-week
time period between each interview, the participants were asked to keep a journal over
their thoughts as it pertained to mindfulness.
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Once the interviews and journals were concluded, all material was transcribed and
coded to find core themes that gave insight into the essence of the experiences of the
participants. The coding was done in three stages:
1. Open coding, which allowed the researcher to look at each individual part
of the material to examine and conceptualize the meaning of it and to
compare it with the literature.
2. Axial coding, which allowed the researcher to organize these concepts
into groups based on relationships and patterns within and among the data
to gain more insight into the themes that emerged through the material as
a whole and finally.
3. Selective coding, which allowed the researcher to identify and describe
the central or core themes in the data that gave insight into the overall
essence of the participants experiences (Starks & Brown Trinidad, 2007).
Major Findings
The thematic analysis of this material revealed three core themes and several axial
themes: effects on emotion, which included regulation, stability, compassion, and
vulnerability; interpersonal relationships, which included acceptance, connectedness,
awareness, and mindfulness practice; and self-care, which included self-compassion,
issues, appreciation, and fulfillment. These core themes showed the essence of the
experiences of the participants. Direct quotes of the participants were used to give
examples of the core themes. The participants all shared their perceptions and
experiences of how mindfulness had affected them both personally and professionally.
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The stories of the participants showed many similarities within their experiences as well
as many personal experiences.
Discussion
The primary research question that was posed at the beginning of this study was:
What were the perceived effects of mindfulness on counselor trainees who received
training in mindfulness? The secondary questions were:
1. What impact had mindfulness training had on counselor trainees
personally?
2. What impact did counselor trainees perceive their mindfulness training
had on their clients?
3. What aspects of mindfulness training did counselor trainees find most
useful?
4. What were the self-care aspects related to practicing mindfulness?
Through the course of data collection, the researcher approached the material to
learn about the participants’ experiences through the interviews and the journals that were
conducted. The participants shared their perceptions, beliefs, thoughts, and experiences
with the researcher and in doing so gave the researcher insight into the phenomenon that
they had experienced. Through these interviews and journals the participants themselves
answered the primary question of the study. As is the belief of a phenomenological study
the sharing of their stories answered the question by talking about their experiences. The
participants showed the effects of mindfulness on their lives by sharing the experiences
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that they have had in their own lives as well as the experiences that they have had with
others.
A quote by participant C from interview 1 greatly shows the effects that she
believes mindfulness has had on her: “I think that the mindfulness experience that I have
had throughout this program has ultimately helped me grow into the person that I am
today.” This is echoed by participant A in interview 2: “It is something that I am...not
going to let go in my life, I guess...It is something that is part of my life.”
Two of the participants specifically talked about how mindfulness had become a
“part of them” or a “way of being,” which showed the impact it had on their lives. Each
of the participants talked about their formal introduction to mindfulness, if there were any
previous experiences that were tied to mindfulness, their present practice of mindfulness
personally and professionally, and what their future intentions were with regards to
mindfulness.
The thematic analysis provided an insight into how the participants viewed the
effects that mindfulness experiences had on their emotions. These effects included
feelings of stability, being able to regulate their emotions and reactions, having
compassion, and even feelings of vulnerability. Some of the more specific effects the
participants talked about were how mindfulness had an effect on their ability to de-
escalate themselves, had given them the ability to feel more grounded, helped them to
release unwanted emotions and thoughts, helped them be less triggered by others, helped
them be more accepting, and helped them have awareness of their own and others
feelings and emotions. These experiences reflected the findings of Schure et al. (2008)
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who found participants reported being able to deal with negative emotions more
effectively and that they were able to accept their feelings and let go of emotions easier.
The analysis of the participants’ experiences and perceptions showed that the
participants experienced what Smaby and Maddux (2011) called self-awareness, which
was the ability to recognize and appropriately respond to reactions from another person
and from within. The participants talked about having an awareness of others and feeling
more stable in their reactions to others and themselves. Participant B said:
I felt more detached...more...more...even though there was more of this flavor, more of this presence, it felt less. I felt...more smooth on those days.... Especially when I was in close proximity to the other activity, whatever that was...What I mean is that I didn't feel as.... I felt more stabilized in my reactions. (Participant B, Interview 2)
Participant A discussed vulnerability as an emotion she had encountered
with clients. Vulnerability was observed when the clients became giggly and
unable to focus when presented with an exercise that asked them to share intimate
feelings or thoughts. The participant described that she observed these clients
being able to complete other exercises that did not ask them to be as vulnerable.
This observed vulnerability might have been related to how comfortable the
clients were with the counselor, other clients, and possibly even how comfortable
they were in the setting. This vulnerability may have also been related to their
desire to avoid certain emotions or thoughts. This topic may be an area for further
research.
The next core theme that emerged from the analysis was interpersonal
relationships. Interpersonal relationships were the interactions between friends,
family, colleagues, counselor and client, and other interactions. Interpersonal
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relationships were related to mindfulness in the research conducted by Davis and
Hayes (2011). They found mindfulness benefitted the areas of empathy,
compassion, counseling skills, interpersonal and intrapersonal relations. The
participants all talked about different aspects of how their practice of mindfulness
had an impact on the interpersonal relationships they had encountered.
The participants talked about feeling more open to the feelings and
experiences of others, being aware of feelings, increasing compassion, accepting
the personal growth of others, and being non-judgmental. Participant C said:
To be present with them and the fact that.... it’s uh...with my clients... I know that they are encountering a really stressful week right now and... that I can... I can feel those feelings that they are experiencing and that stress that they are experiencing and I think that's. I feel that stress so that's why it’s important for me to. (Participant C, Interview 2)
Participant B talked about how mindfulness had directly affected their
interactions with others:
In that container...um...this.... uh uh uh...experience say for example of paying attention to what I am eating on the way to work and really getting into the sensory of that. I have experienced in the past week um...direct...effects of that on interpersonal communions. (Participant B, Interview 2)
This client also talked about how the practice of mindfulness created a type of domino
effect where his own practice led to how he interacted with the people as he encountered
them and then how it changed the trajectory of how those people in turn interacted with
themselves or others, and “so on and so forth”. This participant talked about being very
aware of this and how his awareness of his own social roles created dynamics within his
encounters with others.
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Greason and Cashwell (2009) conducted a study that examined the predictive
relationship between mindfulness and counseling self-efficacy. They found that a
counselor trainee who practiced mindfulness was more able to be in the moment of
counseling and to be non-judgmental in that moment, which allowed them to be more
present and accepting. The findings of Greason and Cashwell were seen in this data as
well. The participants talked about being more open and non-judgmental while being
with their clients. They also talked about being present in the moment with their clients.
Self-efficacy was also related to their practice of mindfulness. This was an example of
these experiences:
When I.... this is the essence of it for me...if I am accepting what you are telling me and what you are presenting to me and I am accepting my own thoughts feelings and beliefs and experiences that I am having in that moment. I have nothing to say about what you should or should not do. That's that's just not part of it....Um...and I am very very conscious of that when I am with people. (Participant B, Interview 2)
As well as this example:
Ah...you know judgment...you know when they’re...I and I tell my clients this as well. When you are experiencing something I never say well, you shouldn't, you ought, you must. You know this is wrong. That, ok I am feeling this way and lets figure out why you are feeling that way and I am not going to judge why I am feeling that way. But to focus more on that feeling and what’s that about. And not feeling like that guilt, shame, or resentment that is attached to it, that it is what it is and I am going to accept it and move on. (Participant A, Interview 2)
When looking at the ability to be present with a client, the information presented
by Siegel (2010) about mirror neurons and how this may be the way energy and
information was exchanged, which was attunement, may be what was described by
participant C when describing her interactions with another student in her micro skills
class:
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I could feel that pain and feel that happiness and feel those kind of feelings that she said, or not said but with her eyes. It was what she said with her eyes and after the class we talked to each other about it and I said, you know that was the coolest experience and she had some, you know similar experiences as well. I said, I don't know anything about you but I could feel the there was a lot of pain there. Or I could feel when we talked about happiness that there where things that made you really happy. And I just felt really intuned with her. And kind of connected. (Participant C, Interview 1)
This example of how two people can be in-tune with one another without the use of
words may have showed how this theory of mirror neurons may also be useful with
clients to create empathy and understanding.
Participant C went into detail about how her interactions with a client and her
ability to teach the client some mindfulness practices affected the client on an emotional
level as well as strengthened the relationship between the client and the counselor. She
said:
She is an acting major at the University and she gets super stressed about different things. She is constantly; she will say that she consistently puts herself down. Then she thinks that affects her ultimately in the end. So kind of the way that prior to her going out and doing, singing or things like that. She has actually has downloaded the applications in her phone and has something on hand that she can use. And go through this. We started doing that prior to her; we started doing different exercises prior to her going out on her own and doing it. She loved it so much that she downloaded the app. (Participant C, Interview 1)
These examples showed that the participants were having many of the same
experiences shown in the study by Greason and Cashwell (2011). Mindfulness appeared
to have an impact on the way people interacted with others. These examples showed the
effects mindfulness practices had on the participants and their perceptions of how
mindfulness has impacted their clients. These examples therefore answered the research
question about this impact of mindfulness.
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Another question asked in this study was about the aspect of self-care as it
pertained to mindfulness. During the interviews and the reviewing of the journals, it was
apparent that the participants believed mindfulness was a way to approach their own self-
care as well as it made them more aware of their own needs. Mindfulness was related to a
better, more fulfilling life that added the ability to be more appreciative of different
aspects of life.
These experiences of the participants were the same Christopher et al. (2010)
found in their meta-analysis of the benefits of mindfulness. They found mindfulness had
a direct benefit on both the mental and physical well being of those who practiced as well
an overall improvement in the quality of life. Schure et al. (2008) also found mindfulness
had effects on the physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and interpersonal aspects of
lives.
The participants in this study talked about many different aspects of self-care that
mindfulness had affected. Self-compassion was a topic that was discussed very
passionately by participant C. She stated:
With things on Friday and Thursday night I was just like bashing myself. Like why would you wait till the last minute to do this, you have things going on and your running around like a chicken with your head cut off. So, I think I realized ...whoa... like at this point I need to be my best friend. I need to step back and not be putting myself down about it. So I needed to take some deep breathes and kind of get in the zone of... of just to be and to help get things done, kind of to function at a better level. (Participant C, Interview 2)
Christopher et al. (2010) noted that self-compassion was a benefit of mindfulness. The
participants talked about their ability to “be aware of their own thoughts and feelings”
and then were able to accept those thoughts and feelings. Being “non-judgmental” of
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themselves and taking the time to clear their minds and let go of feelings helped to create
self-compassion and positive self-care.
The participants talked about being more appreciative of nature, time,
interactions, and “the little things in life”. This appreciation, which was fostered by
mindfulness, seemed to lead to a more fulfilling life and became a “way of being” for
some of the participants. This appreciation also led to a deeper meaning at times and an
“illumination of things” for one participant. It had become a “way of being” or a “part of
their lives” for some of the participants. Mindfulness was something they were a part of,
something they were experiencing more than something that was done. One example
was:
It's the water that we are swimming in not...the lines that we are drawing or whatever. So that has certainly carried over into just... I guess...this general state of being or awareness...of what my. What umm...daily experiences or...um...I would say that it in general ways given me more ...uh...bang for my buck...in daily living... I think that's fair...sort of...I don't know if enhance is right word but it certainly illuminates ...you know...the experiences that we are having that we are very often unconsciously having. (Participant B, Interview 1)
These sentiments appear to be related to how Buddhists describe mindfulness.
Sujato (2012) described the Buddhist way of being as one of mindfulness and a way of
being one with yourself, one with each other, one with nature, and one with the universe.
Schure et al. (2008) described the benefits of mindfulness as having a greater awareness
of themselves and to their world, slowing down the mind, and trusting greater in their
beliefs and values as well as a greater understanding of purpose and direction. This
statement was also reflected in participant A and her experience of having more clarity
once she had done a mindful practice. She stated:
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You know it’s interesting, I feel like when I am doing it obviously my focus is on all of the things all of the senses and then afterwards I feel a real sense of clarity. That maybe sometimes things that I have been struggling with or or wondering about. Even though I didn’t think of them on the walk, that once I kind of cleared my mind and thought about them after the walk I seem to have more um.... oh...you know...um... ability to problem solve it or solutions come and I don't know it just seems easier to think about those kind of problems after I have done that. (Participant A, Interview 2)
A topic apparent in the literature and came up again in the experiences of the
participants was the presence of issues they faced in their personal lives, professional
lives, and as students. Mindfulness practices and living in a mindful way were seen to be
ways they addressed these issues. Melton et al. (2005) noted the intense feelings that can
come with being a counselor. Shapiro et al. (2007) also noted that many counselor
trainees and counselors experience compassion fatigue and can have doubts about
themselves, their profession, and can feel very emotionally effected by their work and
even being burnt out. Shapiro et al. (2007) also identified mindfulness as a way to
alleviate these stresses and to address these feelings. This was apparent in the interviews
of the participants. These are some examples of how the participants were feeling
emotionally effected and were addressing their self-care through mindfulness:
I have had some...some sessions that have included some pretty.... intense...um.... what I would characterize as people who are really suffering. Really just disconnected from life, from feeling, from hope. Um...and those things um...often I feel sort of pulled upon...by those things or sort of moved around by them in a way or...so...when I am practicing some kind of sensory level mindfulness activity like the eating thing or.... meditation and the feeling of being in my chair and so forth. Even in-between sessions when I do that I feel less triggered emotionally. (Participant B, Interview 2)
It's really helped me regulate...um...the.... I guess stressors or the distractions... that occur, and you know the counseling that I have done since I have been in grad school. (Participant B, Interview 1)
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I don't think I realized how much I did a little bit of it (mindfulness) throughout each...you know...but I will continue to do it...because I am a stressful person...I have high anxiety. (Participant C, Interview 2)
These examples showed how the participants used mindfulness to address some
of the emotional issues they faced. Participant C described that she used mindfulness to
help her relax. The importance of this for her came when she was experiencing a
migraine and needed to be able to relax so that she could sleep. She described her ability
to be able to focus on her breathing and relax to the point she could sleep without the use
of medication or other things like ice packs. This ability to address pain in this manner
was something mentioned by Christopher et al. (2010). They also mentioned mindfulness
practice in the form of MBSR was used to address stress-related somatic issues. The
reason for the participant’s migraine was not mentioned so it was unclear if the migraine
was related to her high anxiety and high stress levels. Mindfulness was used to help her
lower her stress levels and anxiety, as well as being used to help her relax in this case.
These effects of her mindfulness practices served as examples of how mindfulness had a
positive effect on self-care in multiple facets.
Participant B had a different experience of being burnt out that directly related to
mindfulness. As a graduate student, he had been studying and researching mindfulness to
better understand it in hopes of operationalizing it. This was something the participant
ultimately found controversial to his own beliefs of mindfulness and had become burnt
out with researching mindfulness as an educational topic. His desire to practice
mindfulness and to be a part of this “culture” had become sidetracked with his feelings of
having to produce something about it and feeling like he had to perform at a certain level
as he wrote about it. There was a very strong desire to get back to the basics of practicing
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mindfulness as a way of being rather than some subject he was researching. Participant B
said this about the topic:
Right now I am a little bit caught up in this because I feel...um...I am kind of under the gun to sort of produce something about mindfulness that has sort of turned into this really sort of oxymoron for me or whatever. So as part of my work it's like car like ...it’s the thing that I am doing my seminar on.... I kind of want to get away from...I wanna...kind of break rocks...and then I wanna like really take a break from it. Get away from the ac...from the speculation of it...and let whatever it is that I have consumed... I feel like I didn't digest some of the stuff as far as the education piece…. So my plan is to really go back to the basics on...back out on the operationalizing of it...and almost...uhhh....you know...trying to...apply a skill framework to it...Right more than an academic approach to it...Immerse...in like a culture of it more. So that's my, that's my goal. (Participant B, Interview 1)
These expressions of his experiences showed his desire and passion for the practice of
mindfulness and to be a part of a “culture” of it. The view of his analysis and research of
mindfulness and the feelings of being “under the gun” as an oxymoron showed how he
felt about mindfulness and his understanding and beliefs about what mindfulness was for
him. For this participant, it appeared that during his research and analysis of mindfulness
the participant had not continued to practice mindfulness in the ways he wanted to and
this created what he described as this “oxymoron”. This may be what was the essence of
his desire to get back to a “ying and yang” flow of mindfulness. This feeling of being
“burnt-out” may also reflect what Brendel (2015) talked about in his article describing
the risks of mindfulness at work. He described a possibility of a backlash toward
mindfulness when people feel a top-down imposition to practice mindfulness in certain
ways. The participant began to use mindfulness practices less in his own life as he
perceived the demands to “produce something about mindfulness” increasing. Though
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the two scenarios are different, essentially they both show the risk of approaching
mindfulness in an inappropriate manner.
Even though the topic of mindfulness in ways had become burdensome for the
client, it appeared that his belief of the usefulness of mindfulness was still very much
intact. The participant talked about his future intentions of continuing to practice
mindfulness in his own life and in his professional career. This belief in the usefulness of
mindfulness was a topic discussed by all of the participants.
The usefulness of mindfulness was a topic broached by the research questions.
Some of the practices clients talked about regularly doing for themselves was mindful
walks to clear the mind, relax, be present in the moment, and to appreciate their
environment; mindful eating, which was a sensory level practice that helped them to be in
the moment and to slow down and appreciate the food; breathing exercises, which were
used to slow down, clear the mind, be in the moment, and to address anxiety and stress;
yoga, which was mentioned as a regular practice for some; and a general sense of being
more aware and present in the moment and having an appreciation for things like time,
nature, and experiences. Participant B talked about how mindfulness was connected to his
own spiritual practices and his belief of it as more of a “philosophical way of thinking”.
As far as the usefulness the participants saw with their clients, they talked about
many different approaches they used. The participants talked about the usefulness of
breathing exercises, group work, imagery, drawing exercises, using applications on their
phones, yoga, Pilates, meditation, and the use of metaphors to deliver messages. The
participants also talked about how they used mindfulness practices to be “less triggered”,
“more accepting”, “more aware”, and to “be present with their clients”. Siegel (2010)
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talked about how mindfulness was directly related to the integration of relationships by
attuning to another’s internal state of being, which allowed for the building of trust and
rapport. The participants found an ability to be present and attuned to their clients very
useful.
When asked about the future intentions of the participants they continued with
many of the same things they had currently found useful. A participant talked about her
belief in the usefulness of imagery and how she wanted to become more familiar and
comfortable with introducing this to her clients. Another participant was planning on
developing a professional space where her clients can practice yoga, Pilates, and
meditation. The participants as a whole all wanted to include the use of mindfulness
practices in their own lives as well as their professional lives.
Conclusions:
This study was a phenomenological study to approach the question: What were
the perceived effects of mindfulness on counselor trainees who received training in
mindfulness? This question explored mindfulness as a way to address the need of
counselor trainees in the area of self-care, professional development, and how this might
be used within counselor trainee programs as well as the counselor trainees themselves.
This researcher used the secondary questions to gain a greater insight and ultimately
answer the primary question.
What impact has mindfulness training had on counselor trainees personally?
The counselor trainees talked about the importance of being exposed to and practicing
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mindfulness. The participants had all been formally introduced to mindfulness through
the graduate micro skills class at Missouri State University and by the same professor.
This introduction was seen as beneficial by all of the participants, though one of the
participants did not see this exposure as “training” but talked about the “modeling” of the
practice by the professor as well as the discussions that had occurred.
The participants discussed their own personal use of mindfulness and the benefits
that they had seen through this use. They used language like “a part of me”, “helped me
become who I am”, “a way of being” which signifies their belief in the importance of
mindfulness in their own lives. The participants all appeared very passionate within the
interviews when talking about mindfulness and even continued conversations about the
subject after the interviews were done. One participant talked about how she believed in
mindfulness so much that she wanted to tell everyone and to “get the word out there”.
It is this researcher’s point of view that mindfulness was very impactful to the
participants on multiple levels, including their mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual
levels. Their willingness and desire to embrace mindfulness as a personal practice as well
as a professional practice showed the impact that it had on their lives. The findings of the
study gave a greater insight into the experiences of the participants and the intimate and
desirable impacts that were described.
What impact do counselor trainees perceive mindfulness training has on
their clients? Each of the participants was currently working with clients in a
professional setting. The participants also were actively using mindfulness practices with
their clients as well as with themselves during the client sessions. The participants
appeared to have different approaches of mindfulness as it pertained to their clients.
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One participant appeared in her approach to see mindfulness practices primarily
as something that could be used as a tool or a coping skill with her clients and something
that she would do to help her be a more skillful counselor. Her view seemed to be that
mindfulness was something that you do to achieve a desired outcome or to avoid
something. This is in contrast to the other participants who appeared to view mindfulness
as a “way of being” and as a tool to use with clients. One participant talked about rarely
mentioning mindfulness in his session but used practices like metaphors and internal
practices to foster a deeper presence with his clients.
The participants showed a desire to help their clients with their presenting issues
and identified mindfulness as a way to do this. The use of mindfulness was mentioned as
an individual and group practice that was observed to be beneficial to most clients that
were involved. Two of the participants did mention the presence of resistance within their
clients. They talked about an observation of some clients being hesitant, resistant, and
even unable to do some practices introduced by the counselor. These may have been due
to resistance of new experiences, feelings of vulnerability, and possibly beliefs that
mindfulness was a religious practice. The counselor trainees did make mentions that most
clients were able to move past these resistances with the understanding and support of the
counselor trainee or with the introduction of a less vulnerable practice as seen by the
participant, which may be breathing for some or imagery for others. This natural
resistance in many ways appeared to be a possible draw back to introducing mindfulness
but can be overcome by the support of the counselor and for the counselor to be aware of
any participants that might feel vulnerable during an exercise.
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The counselor trainees used a variety of practices with the clients that they
encounter. The most prevalent effects appeared to be the emotional effects and
interpersonal relationships between the counselor trainees and their clients. The
participants talked extensively about the ability to use mindfulness to regulate their own
emotions and to be able to have the awareness of the feelings and emotions of their
clients. With this awareness the participants used an open, non-judgmental, and accepting
approach that appears to have had a positive outcome on both the counselor trainee and
the client.
In conclusion of this question about the impact of the counselor trainee’s
perceptions of how their training in mindfulness has affected their clients it appeared to
be beneficial. The ability of the counselor trainees to be more open, non-judgmental, and
accepting of themselves and their clients was a benefit to the therapeutic relationship and
to each individually. It was the opinion of this researcher that the training in and practice
of mindfulness has had a beneficial impact on the clients of the counselor trainees.
What aspects of mindfulness training do counselor trainees find most useful?
The participants were all current practitioners of mindfulness and all identified their
introduction of mindfulness through their micro skills class as being very impactful and
beneficial. The counselor trainees used a variety of mindfulness practice in their own
personal and professional lives. These practices included yoga, meditation, metaphors,
breathing exercises, mindfulness walks, mindfulness eating, imagery work, and general
states of being.
The most useful aspect of the counselor trainees training in mindfulness appeared
to be the overall improvement of life. The self-care aspects, interpersonal relationships,
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and emotional effects all appeared to have increased the quality of life that the
participants experience. The participants describe the effects of mindfulness on them as
“making them who they are”, “it makes me a better counselor, friend, parent, and person
in general”, and “it gives me more bang for my buck”.
This overall improvement of life appeared to be the most useful aspect. The
ability to have a more fulfilling life where there is appreciation of more aspects of life is a
very useful and beneficial aspect to mindfulness and was very apparent within the stories
of each participant. In conclusion to the question about what aspect is most useful it was
the opinion of this researcher to be the aspect of having an overall improvement of life.
What are the self-care aspects related to practicing mindfulness? The benefits
described by the participant’s points to the positive self-care aspects of practicing
mindfulness. The participants talked about the benefits they had seen within their mental,
emotional, physical, interpersonal, and quality of life. The counselor trainees used
mindfulness to address undesirable emotions, stresses, physical needs, and even spiritual
aspects of their lives.
The benefits of mindfulness as seen by the participants included: a greater
capacity for self-compassion and being non-judgmental and accepting of themselves;
greater appreciation for nature, the small things in life, experiences, and each moment in
time; deeper meanings in encounters; and the ability to address issues like anxiety, stress,
being overwhelmed, emotionally effected by their clients, and even their own self-
importance. The participants talked about an overall increase in fulfillment in life, which
they described as having more meaningful relationships, an appreciation of the quality of
time spent, self-betterment, and a way of being.
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The participant’s spoke about the increased awareness they had of their own
needs and were aware of their feelings, thoughts, and emotions. This allowed them to use
mindfulness in different ways to address these needs. Even though one of the counselor
trainees described the research and emersion of mindfulness as an academic venture as
being the source of some of the issues he was facing, he also identified that the simple
practice of mindfulness was something that he desired and would use to address these
feelings of being burnt out and overwhelmed.
What were the perceived effects of mindfulness on counselor trainees who
received training in mindfulness? The examination of the participant’s experiences
through the use of the secondary questions gave insight in to how an answer to the
primary question could be answered. The stories showed how the experiences of the
counselor trainees with mindfulness had affected them on many different levels. During
this study a variation of views of mindfulness between the participants became apparent
to the researcher. This variance in the participants’ views was something the researcher
examined.
On one end participant C had no previous experiences with mindfulness before
being introduced to it, became excited about the use of mindfulness personally and
professionally, but had not chosen to research or delve deeper into the topic, even though
she has plans to do so. The participant was very passionate about the use of mindfulness
personally and with her clients. She appeared to see mindfulness as a tool to use for a
specific effect, but had some mentions of beginning to realize it was more ingrained in
her and who she was as a person.
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Participant A had some previous experiences that were linked to mindfulness but
no formal exposure, had become very passionate about the personal and professional use
of mindfulness, and had done her own self-learning and education about mindfulness.
The participant appeared to view mindfulness as a tool to use and as a way of being. She
appeared to have a balance of how it was useful on both planes.
Participant B found the formal introduction to mindfulness to easily fit in with his
own beliefs and views and had previously been involved with practices linked to
mindfulness. The participant quickly became very passionate and engulfed himself in
mindfulness, which included the pursuit of researching, studying, analyzing, and trying to
produce material about mindfulness. He appeared to view mindfulness as a way of being
and something that you experienced or were a part of, more than a tool that was used.
The participant had also become burnt out in the academic aspects of mindfulness and
was looking to get back to simple practices.
Though the individual views varied from one participant to the next, many of their
experiences and beliefs were similar if not the same. The power and passion that was
portrayed by the counselor trainees showed how the participants all had been deeply
affected by mindfulness practices. The essence of their experiences spoke to the belief of
the benefits of mindfulness. Mindfulness had become something that had increased the
quality of their personal, interpersonal, and professional lives.
This improvement to the quality of life addressed the problem identified by the
researcher. The experiences of the participants suggested that mindfulness would be a
positive option to address the needs of self-care and the development of therapeutic skills
in counselor trainees. The effects of mindfulness on the emotional states, interpersonal
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relationships, and self-care aspects show the benefits that are available to counselor
trainees and may be used to address these needs in other counselor trainees. These
findings and insight into the participants experiences give support for continued research
about the effects of mindfulness and how the field of counselor development as well as
many other fields may benefit from utilizing mindfulness for participants.
Personal Reflection
Mindfulness and its applications for personal and professional benefits was an
interest during my counselor training. I used mindfulness practices to decrease stress,
create greater awareness, and to gain a greater appreciation for life. In my professional
development it has been used to be present, build report, and be aware of my own
reactions. During the course of this study, my knowledge and understanding of
mindfulness was enhanced and a greater desire for further research was sparked. While
exploring the experiences of the participants I learned that mindfulness, as a subject,
might be contained in a general sense, but the experience of mindfulness is very specific
to each individual. The application of mindfulness as an area for counselor development
will continue to be an area of research and inquiry for this researcher.
Recommendations
During the process of this study, it became apparent a greater ability to gather
information from the participants was needed. The use of interviews served as a very
beneficial format of information and allowed the participants to tell their stories, but it
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was limited to the momentary ability to draw on thoughts, memories, and feelings. The
journal was used to gather more information on a day-to-day time line. The use of these
journals by the participants was limited due to the time restrictions of the study. More
time allowed for journaling and a more guided instruction of what, when, and how to
write within the journals rather than an open format may have had an impact on the
amount and detail of the information recorded by the participants.
This study showed the need for further inquiry into how mindfulness may be used
within an educational program to help train counselor trainees in mindfulness to address
their current needs and their development as counselors. Future studies may want to take
a look at how programs who have implemented mindfulness into their training of
counselors is having an effect on the counselor trainees in comparison to other programs
who are not introducing mindfulness within their programs. This may give a greater
insight into the effects of this implementation on a wider scale and may result in
recommendations for the use or nonuse of mindfulness training.
Siegel talks about the nine functions of the middle prefrontal cortex were: (a)
body regulation, (b) attuned communication, (c) emotional balance, (d) response
flexibility, (e) empathy, (f) self-knowing awareness, (g) fear modulation, (h) intuition,
and (i) morality” (Siegel, 2007, p. 292). He described these nine functions as being
related to what many would call well-being. It might serve a researcher to conduct a
study focused on how mindfulness may have a direct impact on each of these nine
functions as they are seen with counselor trainees. This study appears to have approached
how mindfulness might affect many of these, but the area of fear modulation and possibly
intuition could be examined in more depth.
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After examining the findings of this study and seeing the benefits that
mindfulness has for counselor trainees it may serve a researcher to look into the benefits
that mindfulness might have for other populations as well. These populations might
include athletes, soldiers, officers of the law, and other populations that are regularly
faced with high amounts of stress and put into stressful situations. This study has shown
the positive effects on awareness and emotional regulation that might serve these specific
populations well.
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Appendix A
Consent to Participate in a Research Study Missouri State University
College of Education
The Impact of Mindfulness Training and Practice on Counselor-Trainees: A Phenomenological Study
Dr. A. Leslie Anderson J. Justin Cook
Introduction
You have been asked to participate in a research study. Before you agree to participate in this study, it is important that you read and understand the following explanation of the study and the procedure involved. The investigator will also explain the project to you in detail. If you have any questions about the study or your role in it, be sure to ask the investigator. If you have more questions later, J. Justin Cook, the person mainly responsible for this study, will answer them for you. You may contact the investigator(s) at:
J. Justin Cook: 2938 W. Nichols St.
Springfield, MO 65803
417-619-5382
You will need to sign this form giving us your permission to be involved in the study. Taking part in this study is entirely your choice. If you decide to take part but later change your mind, you may stop at any time. If you decide to stop, you do not have to give a reason and there will be no negative consequences for ending your participation.
Purpose of this Study
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The reason for this study is to gain a deeper insight into the experiences of counselor trainees who have been trained in and practice mindfulness techniques.
Description of Procedures
If you agree to be part of this study, you will be asked to answer questions through two interviews by J. Justin Cook. These interviews will last 1 hour. The interview will be video recorded for further review. During the time period between the two interviews you will be asked to keep a daily journal. A time commitment of 1 hour per interview and time spent on the journal entries will be asked of the participant.
What are the risks?
There are no known risks to you as a result of participating in this study.
What are the benefits?
You may not benefit directly from this study. However, the information from this study may help you identify the meaning of these experiences.
How will my privacy be protected?
The results of this study are confidential and only the investigators will have access to the information which will be kept in a locked facility at the University. All electronic data will be kept in a password protected electronic format. Numbers are used in place of names throughout the study. Your name or personal identifying information will not be used in any published reports of this research. All information gathered during this study will be destroyed after a minimum of three years after the study.
Consent to Participate
93
If you want to participate in this study, The Impact of Mindfulness Training and Practice on Counselor-Trainees: A Phenomenological Study, you will be asked to sign below:
I have read and understand the information in this form. I have been encouraged to ask questions and all of my questions have been answered to my satisfaction. By signing this form, I agree voluntarily to participate in this study. I know that I can withdraw from the study at any time. I have received a copy of this form for my own records.
_______________________________ _______________
Signature of Participant Date
_______________________________
Printed Name of Participant
_______________________________ ________________
Signature of Person Obtaining Consent Date
94
Appendix B
IRB Approval Memo
IRB Notice
IRB [[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2015 10:08 AM
To: Anderson, A Leslie
Cc: Cook, Joshua J
To: Angela Anderson
Counseling Ldrshp and Special Ed
901 S National Ave Springfield MO 65897-0027
Approval Date: 4/14/2015
Expiration Date of Approval: 4/13/2016
RE: Notice of IRB Approval by Expedited Review (under 45 CFR 46.110)
Submission Type: Initial
Expedited Category: 7.Surveys/interviews/focus groups
Study #: 15-0423
Study Title: The Impact of Mindfulness Training and Practice on Counselor Trainees: A
Phenomenological Study
95
This submission has been approved by the above IRB for the period indicated. It has been
determined that the risk involved in this research is no more than minimal.
Investigator’s Responsibilities:
Federal regulations require that all research be reviewed at least annually. It is the
Principal Investigator’s responsibility to submit for renewal and obtain approval before
the expiration date. You may not continue any research activity beyond the expiration
date without IRB approval. Failure to receive approval for continuation before the
expiration date will result in automatic termination of the approval for this study on the
expiration date.
You are required to obtain IRB approval for any changes to any aspect of this study
before they can be implemented (use the procedures found at
http://orc.missouristate.edu). Should any adverse event or unanticipated problem
involving risks to subjects or others occur it must be reported immediately to the IRB
following the adverse event procedures at the same website.
This study was reviewed in accordance with federal regulations governing human
subjects research, including those found at 45 CFR 46 (Common Rule), 45 CFR 164
(HIPAA), 21 CFR 50 & 56 (FDA), and 40 CFR 26 (EPA), where applicable.
CC:
Joshua Cook, Counseling Ldrshp And Special Ed
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Appendix C
Interview 1 Question Script
1st Interview Questionnaire:
1. How would you describe mindfulness?
2. Tell me about your experiences with mindfulness during your graduate studies.
3. How do you believe your training in mindfulness has affected you personally?
4. How do you believe your training in mindfulness has affected your work with clients?
5. Tell me about what your future intentions are in regards to mindfulness practices.
97
Appendix D
Interview 2 Question Script
2nd Interview Questionnaire:
1. Tell about your thoughts over your experiences with mindfulness since the last interview.
2. Explain to me any changes or clarifications that you would make to your answers from the first interview.
3. Talk about any changes in your actions, behaviors, approaches, etc. that you have perceived since our last interview.
4. What was it like for you to journal about your thoughts over mindfulness?
5. Talk about any new ideas or thoughts about your future use of mindfulness practices.