You can spend years in graduate school, internship, and clinical practice. You can learn to skillfully conceptualize cases and structure interventions for your clients. You can have every skill and advantage as a therapist, but if you want to make the most of every session, both you and your client need to show up in the therapy room. Really show up. And this kind of mindful presence can be a lot harder than it sounds.
Mindfulness for Two is a practical and theoretical guide to the role mindfulness plays in psychotherapy, specifically acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). In the book, author Kelly Wilson carefully defines mindfulness from an ACT perspective and explores its relationship to the six ACT processes and to the therapeutic relationship itself. With unprecedented clarity, he explains the principles that anchor the ACT model to basic behavioral science. The latter half of the book is a practical guide to observing and fostering mindfulness in your clients and in yourself-good advice you can put to use in your practice right away. Wilson, coauthor of the seminal Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, guides you through this sometimes-challenging material with the clarity, humor, and warmth for which he is known around the world. More than any other resource available, Mindfulness for Two gets at the heart of Wilson's unique brand of experiential ACT training.
The book includes a DVD-ROM with more than six hours of sample therapy sessions with a variety of therapists on QuickTime video, DRM-free audio tracks of Wilson leading guided mindfulness exercises, and more. To find out more, please visit www.mindfulnessfortwo.com.
Kelly Wilson does a masterful job of framing the many different ways in which a therapist grounded in mindfulness might skillfully nurture greater awareness and self-knowing in his or her clients. His approach is a very creative use of mindfulness within the dyadic relationship, both verbal and non-verbal. Of course, it is impossible to engage authentically without continually listening deeply to and learning from the myriad 'dyadic relationships' we have within ourselves, as he so aptly and honestly recounts. This book makes a seminal contribution to the growing literature on ACT and its interface with mindfulness theory and practice.
-Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Full Catastrophe Living and Letting Everything Become Your Teacher and coauthor of The Mindful Way Through Depression
This is a book of enormous breadth and depth, a book full of wisdom from an internationally acclaimed clinician and researcher. Wilson builds bridges between therapy traditions in a wonderful way. For those who already teach mindfulness as part of their therapy, this is a must-read. For those who have yet to do so, this book is the best invitation possible.
-Mark Williams, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Oxford and coauthor of The Mindful Way Through Depression
There is a tremendous change occurring in our collective thinking regarding empirically supported interventions. Mindfulness for Two portends the direction of this change, toward the idea that the scientist, therapist, and client are motivated and affected by the same set of principles. Wilson and DuFrene are insightful, emotionally honest, and pragmatic. This is a refreshing and timely contribution to the therapy process.
-Thomas J. Dishion, Ph.D., director of the Child and Family Center and professor of psychology and school psychology at the University of Oregon
As a clinical psychologist who applies mindfulness therapy to clients with addictive behavior problems, I highly recommend Wilson's Mindfulness for Two. As stated in the preface, 'if you're offended by my speaking directly to you, or if you're unwilling to sit with hard issues, both your own and your clients', this book isn't for you.' But if you want too know how to be more mindful in therapy practice and learn how to help your clients be more aware in the present moment, this book is definitely for you.
-G. Alan Marlatt, Ph.D., professor of psychology and director of the Addictive Behaviors Research Center at the University of Washington
Wilson and DuFrene have provided therapists with the clearest understanding of ACT and mindfulness that I have encountered. They explain the basic theory of emotions and human learning in simple, clear, and understandable prose. Also, I found this book rich in philosophical insights concerning the human condition. Their models of assessment and intervention flow from this basic knowledge and philosophy. This work will help all therapists see a new way to understand and assess their clients' suffering and potential for improving their lives. They will also learn to construct treatment plans to make such a transition.
-Raymond DiGiuseppe, Ph.D., ABPP, professor and chair of the department of psychology at St. John's University
This book provides the clearest description I've seen of how understanding both mindfulness and behavior analysis contributes to effective therapy. It also provides unique, creative, and powerful exercises to help therapists cultivate mindful awareness of their interactions with their clients to create life-changing conversations.
-Ruth A. Baer, professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky
In this book, Wilson, an internationally respected therapist, provides an outstanding and innovative overview of new trends in behavior therapy and mindfulness. He shares his insights into the complexities of what happens when we try to use our own minds to heal the minds of others. Beautifully written, clear, and bristling with wisdom from a very experienced therapist, this gem of a book will be a pleasure to read and a source for much reflection and learning.
-Paul Gilbert, author of Overcoming Depression and The Compassionate Mind
This is an extraordinary book. Wilson speaks to the reader directly and honestly. He uses not only state-of-the-art scientific research but also his own most intimate personal experiences, his considerable clinical wisdom, and even great poetry to explain some of the most technical concepts in modern behavior analysis. Mindfulness for Two is a must-read for both novice clinicians seeking an introductory treatment of modern behavior analytic psychotherapy and for seasoned clinicians who wish to deepen their understanding and skills.
-James D. Herbert, Ph.D., professor of psychology and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Drexel University
