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Learn more about mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of paying deliberate, non-judgemental attention to the present moment. It involves noticing what is happening in the mind and body, as it happens, without immediately reacting or evaluating. Used therapeutically, it is a structured skill that helps people change their relationship to difficult thoughts and feelings.
Mindfulness has a well-established evidence base. It is a central component of several recognised treatments, including MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). It is also widely used as a complementary practice within other therapeutic approaches.
In a therapeutic context, mindfulness is taught as a skill rather than offered as a philosophy. The therapist introduces specific practices and helps the client build a regular habit of attention.
Practice may include:
- Breath awareness: noticing the breath as an anchor to the present moment
- Body scan: moving attention through the body to observe physical sensation without judgement
- Observing thoughts: watching thoughts arise and pass without treating them as facts
- Mindful movement: bringing awareness to physical action, such as walking or stretching
- Informal practice: bringing mindful attention to everyday activities
Mindfulness has the strongest evidence for presentations where attentional control and emotional reactivity are central.
Anxiety
Anxiety is the most well-supported application of mindfulness. By training the capacity to observe anxious thoughts rather than fuse with them, mindfulness reduces the automatic escalation that sustains anxiety. It is a core component of several anxiety-specific treatment programmes.
Burnout
Burnout involves a depletion of resources that often develops gradually and unnoticed. Mindfulness builds awareness of early warning signs, helps people reconnect with their physical and emotional state, and supports the kind of deliberate rest that recovery requires.
Chronic pain
Mindfulness is used in pain management settings to change how people relate to pain rather than to eliminate it. By reducing the secondary suffering, the fear, resistance, and rumination that amplify pain, it can meaningfully improve daily functioning and quality of life.
GAD: Generalised anxiety disorder
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) involves persistent, difficult-to-control worry that moves across topics. Mindfulness is one of the evidence-supported tools for GAD, helping people recognise the worry process itself and develop a less reactive relationship to it.
Choosing an approach isn't something you have to do alone. IC's matching can pair you with a therapist whose approach suits your situation. Get matched
It's Complicated is a therapist-founded mental health platform connecting clients with verified practitioners across Europe and globally, in over 60 languages. We work with over 2,500 vetted therapists, with in-person availability in Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon, Vienna, and other major cities, alongside online sessions worldwide. It's Complicated is free to use, and you pay your chosen therapist directly at rates they set.
Finding a therapist who uses mindfulness as a clinical tool rather than a general wellness recommendation requires knowing the difference. Our matching service is built to remove that friction. You complete a short survey, our psychologists combine data-driven insights with human judgement to identify the right therapists for your situation, and you choose from a shortlist of strong candidates. You can also browse our directory directly if you'd prefer to choose yourself.
Get matched with a mindfulness-trained therapist, or browse all mindfulness practitioners in the directory.
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