Mindfulness for Trauma: Overview

United States Department of Homeland Security

Mindfulness is paying attention for a purpose in the present without judging. It involves a combination of awareness, acceptance, and action.
Mindfulness involves a process of expanding awareness of the physical, internal, and external experiences.
Unresolved trauma gets stuck in the body and manifests somatically. Healing from trauma starts with mindfulness of the body.
When introducing mindfulness to clients, select activities that are inherently enjoyable, already part of their routine, do not require extra time and money, can be done in small time increments, and involves awareness of the body.
We have a thinking mind, a feeling mind, and a balanced mind. The thinking mind is verbal while the feeling mind is nonverbal. Both are equally important. The role of the balanced mind is to recognize thoughts and feelings, up or downregulate thoughts and feelings, synthesize thoughts and feelings, and make mindful dialectical decisions. The balanced mind is a repository of wisdom and a source of healing.