• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

Mindfulness and CBT for individuals and families affected by OCD, Anxiety, and related disorders  (410) 927-5462

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

OCD & Anxiety Center of Baltimore | Jon Hershfield, MFT

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for OCD and Related Disorders - Director, Jon Hershfield, MFT

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Overview
    • Jon Hershfield, MFT, Director
    • Brenda Kijesky, LCMFT
    • Molly Schiffer, LCPC
  • SERVICES
    • Overview
    • Exposure and Response Prevention
    • Cognitive Therapy
    • Mindfulness
  • GROUPS
    • Overview
    • Adult OCD Group
  • JON’S BLOG
  • NEWS & EVENTS
  • RESOURCES
    • Media
    • Memes Gallery
  • CONTACT
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Overview
    • Jon Hershfield, MFT, Director
    • Brenda Kijesky, LCMFT
    • Molly Schiffer, LCPC
  • SERVICES
    • Overview
    • Exposure and Response Prevention
    • Cognitive Therapy
    • Mindfulness
  • GROUPS
    • Overview
    • Adult OCD Group
  • JON’S BLOG
  • NEWS & EVENTS
  • RESOURCES
    • Media
    • Memes Gallery
  • CONTACT

Mobile Menu

Mindfulness

You are here: Home / Practice Areas / Mindfulness

Mindfulness

The term is used to signify many different things, but in the world of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), it simply means paying attention to the present moment without judgment or analysis.

The present moment is whatever is going on at any given time. This includes the presence of thoughts, feelings, and sensations, whether wanted or unwanted. The struggle of the OCD sufferer is one in which certain internal experiences (thoughts, etc.) are viewed as unacceptable, whereas others are allowed to pass by without critique. Mindfulness suggests a different perspective on the presence of these internal experiences, that they be simply noticed, not judged or pushed away.

Obsessing is the state of being stuck in the mind, being distracted by unwanted thoughts and feelings, but not feeling capable of returning from looking them without compulsions or judgments. One tool for developing the skill of coming back is meditation, in which you attend to an anchor (often breathing), notice when your attention has wandered, and then gently invite yourself back to your anchor. This skill can become more automatic and applied to the experience of intrusive thoughts in OCD.

At the core of mindfulness for OCD is identifying thoughts as simply being thoughts, not threats, meaning the content of the thought itself holds no intrinsic value. Similarly, if you suffer from OCD, you may have come to believe that feelings are facts, signs that your obsessions hold some important truths. Mindfulness challenges this by simply identifying feeling as feelings, experiences that can be observed as they pass through. A common metaphor for this concept is that of sitting on a train platform, watching trains go by without attempting to board them.

Primary Sidebar

Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on new services, blogs, and more

Subscribe

Our Services

  • Exposure with Response Prevention
  • Cognitive Therapy
  • Mindfulness

We Are Here To Help

Contact Us Now

Footer

Who We Are

  • Jon Hershfield, MFT, Director
  • Brenda Kijesky, LCMFT
  • Molly Schiffer, LCPC

Our Location

The OCD and Anxiety Center of Greater Baltimore
(410) 927-5462

11350 McCormick Rd.
Executive Plaza III
Suite LL4
Hunt Valley, MD 21031

Contact OCGB

Contact Us Now

Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on new services, blogs, and more

Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Jon’s Blog
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use

Site Footer

Copyright © 2019 OCD & Anxiety Center of Baltimore | Jon Hershfield, MFT · All Rights Reserved · Powered by SPARKS! Marketing Communications

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Necessary Always Enabled