--- title: "Mindfulness-Based Therapy in Florida | McFadden Institute" url: https://mcfaddeninstitute.com/approach/mindfulness-based-therapy description: "How mindfulness-based approaches fit into online therapy with Robert Cushing, LCSW: noticing the present without becoming a meditator. Florida." lang: en --- How RRT works # Mindfulness-based therapy Mindfulness has become one of those words that's everywhere, printed on mugs and attached to apps. Underneath the marketing there's something simple and useful, and I draw on it in my work. You don't have to meditate for an hour a day, sit cross-legged, or buy anything. Here's what it actually involves, how it fits alongside RRT and CBT, and where its limits are. ## What mindfulness-based approaches are At its core, mindfulness is paying attention to what's happening right now, on purpose, without judging it. Noticing your breath, the chair under you, the thought that just arrived, the tightness in your shoulders, and letting them be there without rushing to change them or getting swept away. Mindfulness-based therapy uses that kind of attention as a tool. It isn't about emptying your mind. It's about noticing what's in it. ## Why the present matters in this work A lot of suffering happens somewhere other than now. Replaying what already happened. Rehearsing what might happen. The mind can time travel, and the body tends to go wherever the mind goes. You can be sitting on a quiet porch and feel like you're back in the worst day of your life, or bracing for next week. The present is usually more manageable than either. Much of the work I do is about helping your system notice that what it's reacting to isn't happening now. ## How noticing supports RRT and CBT In Rapid Resolution Therapy (https://mcfaddeninstitute.com/approach/rapid-resolution-therapy), being able to notice what's happening in your body and mind, in the moment, helps us see what's shifting. In CBT (https://mcfaddeninstitute.com/approach/cbt), noticing a thought before you follow it is half the battle. So mindfulness shows up in sessions as short, practical moments. Pausing to notice what you feel right now. Checking where the tension sits. Seeing a thought as a thought. A few seconds, not a retreat. ## You don't have to become a meditator If you enjoy meditation, great. If you've tried it and found it boring, frustrating or impossible, also fine. Nothing here requires a daily practice or a special app. The kind of mindfulness I use can be done with your eyes open, in the middle of a conversation. That makes it useful for people with full lives, including anyone dealing with stress and burnout (https://mcfaddeninstitute.com/specialties/stress-and-burnout) who doesn't need one more thing on the list. ## Its limits On its own, mindfulness may not shift trauma reactions. Noticing that your body is braced doesn't necessarily unbrace it. That's why, for me, it's a support, not the main event. And for some people, turning attention inward is uncomfortable at first. If you've been through a lot, sitting quietly with what's inside can feel like opening a door you've kept shut on purpose. That's common, especially with anxiety (https://mcfaddeninstitute.com/specialties/anxiety) or trauma. We go at your pace, keep your eyes open if you like, and stop whenever you want. ## Where it tends to help most People often find present-focused noticing helpful for the running-hot feeling of burnout, for catching an anxious spiral early, and for simply getting a little more room between a trigger and a reaction. It's a small skill with a wide reach. If you'd like to see how it fits into a session, the free 15-minute consultation is a good place to ask. ## A small example Here's the sort of thing that might happen in a session. You're describing a tense meeting, and I ask you to pause and notice where you feel it right now. Your jaw, maybe, or your stomach. We don't do anything with it yet. We just notice it, and notice that you're here, in your own chair, not in that meeting. That's it. A few seconds. But it gives us useful information, and it gives you a small experience of being present rather than somewhere else. Over time, many people find they can do that on their own, in the car or in line at the store, without anyone prompting them. It's not a technique you have to master. It's closer to a habit of checking in, and it gets easier the more natural it feels. ## Questions people ask ### Do I have to meditate? No. The mindfulness I use is short and practical, and it happens in conversation. No daily practice or app is required. ### What if sitting with my thoughts makes me more anxious? That's common, and it's fine to say so. We go at your pace, keep things brief, and you can stop at any time. It's a tool, not a test. ### Can mindfulness help with burnout? For many people, present-focused noticing can help with the constant sense of running hot. It works best alongside other work, not as the whole answer. Image: Tall golden grass moving in warm late-day light. (https://mcfaddeninstitute.com/__l5e/assets-v1/3deb7b68-8ebf-4439-9b8e-e7ee278d0987/grass-hero.jpg) Curious whether this could fit for you? Book a free consultation: https://mcfaddeninstitute.com/contact Rapid Resolution Therapy is a therapeutic approach, not a guarantee of specific results and not a substitute for medical care. Every person's experience is different and individual outcomes vary. Back to home: https://mcfaddeninstitute.com/ Free consultation ยท no pressure ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": [ "MedicalBusiness", "ProfessionalService" ], "@id": "https://mcfaddeninstitute.com/#practice", "name": "McFadden Institute", "legalName": "McFadden Institute, LLC", "url": "https://mcfaddeninstitute.com/", "description": "Online psychotherapy for adults in Florida using Rapid Resolution Therapy, for trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief and burnout. 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