Module 1 - Thought Observation Theory

Accepting Thoughts and Emotions

With the statements above being mentioned, accepting and trusting your own emotions and
thoughts aren’t equivalent to being them. It is important for someone to have a strong
grasp of this statement: you are not your thoughts.

To understand further, let's have an example. When seeing a sick dog in a corner, it is
expected that you feel empathy towards the animal. Understanding that the dog is in a sick
state will eventually make you feel sad, and this will be your emotion. However, even if you
are thinking of and feeling sadness, it doesn’t mean to say that you, all of a sudden, become
sadness. This is very important as the more that you become acquainted and aware of your
own emotions and thoughts, the faster that you will be able to detect your three different
strands of awareness: thoughts, emotions, and self.

However, knowing that you are not your thoughts and emotions doesn’t necessarily mean
that they are not important and valid. In fact, the more that you become aware of them,
the greater your understanding of them will be. On the other hand, ignoring your emotions
and thoughts would only lead to a life of denial and suppression of emotions and thoughts,
which, in case you are not aware, pose the dangers and threats of neurotic behaviours.

The argument above, however, is not intended to be an excuse to respond to feelings and
thoughts without validating or questioning them.
Selection of Responses

With the arguments being laid down, we have the following gist: emotions and thoughts are
important, real, valid, and should be accepted and not ignored; however, they don’t form
the entire cognitive process, but rather just a part of it, which means that your thoughts
and feelings don’t automatically lead to the formation of a set behaviour.

Our thinking, therefore, is not dependent on our personal thoughts and feelings alone.
Thinking is a process made up of various parts; one is becoming aware of our emotions and
feelings in order choose the appropriate reaction for a certain scenario.

Such argument gave way to the theory of behavioural conditioning or behaviourism during
the 1950s. Theorists like Pavlov, in an attempt to explain the interaction and behaviour of
humans, developed a theory, which explains that humans were programmed to manifest
certain responses to specific stimulus. A stimulus with positive outcome will easily be
repeated by an individual, whereas a stimulus yielding a negative outcome will easily be
abandoned.

Difference Between Mindfulness and Cognitive Theory

 Despite these arguments involving Mindfulness and cognitive theory, these two concepts
aren’t the same. There may be similar points but this doesn’t change the fact that they are
two separate theories that need establishment.

Cognitive theory states that things are perceived and understood by a person in certain
ways, which will then affect how they choose their behaviours. It is a theory involving
experience, which is the foundation for learning. Mindfulness, on the other hand, is a concept
that encourages individuals to take a moment to pause and evaluate things based on the
present situation. Since it is based on the present, it urges people to not make presumptions
of validity involving previous learning.

Your awareness of the present situation will significantly affect the way you see the situation
and act upon it. The philosophy of mindfulness is often manifested in complex scenarios and
in situations where phobias and fears are to be addressed. For instance, a technique widely
used in CBT involves the person imagining a train station where train carriages, each with a
label of the fear's feature, approach nearer and nearer the person. The train, though
approaching, will eventually pass through the person. This technique clearly shows that
feelings and thoughts are acknowledged, but they will eventually pass, leaving the person's
behaviour uncontrolled.

Mindfulness is further proven to be effective in situations involving relationships where

people engaged commit the same acts and behaviours over and over again. When people are
confronted with the same situation, the same thoughts will be thought of and the same
feelings will be felt, leading to the same set of behaviours manifested. This is where
problems arise and conflicts surface.

When mindfulness is applied, however, the person/s involved think of and become aware of
the present situation, and not just based on the previous situations, giving them time to
choose a response or behaviour different from the previous ones.

This proves that mindfulness is a way to let the other person reflect on their stance in the
situation. Mindfulness gives a more understanding and less provocative manner of
responding to situations, especially those that happen repetitively yielding the same results.
Moreover, the person applying the concept of mindfulness acquires a sense of control over
themselves, in that they can choose not to make things worse.

Mindfulness basically requires the person to apply these two things: an honest verbalisation
of emotions and feelings, and a choice of behaviour or response. This philosophy is also
helpful in situations where a person has suppressed feelings that they are unable to express.
The individual, rather than having pretentious acts of not feeling angry, for instance, can
express their feelings honestly while giving them the chance to choose their reactions.
Normally, when faced with a particular situation, an individual will think of a certain thought
first as a reaction. This thought will yield an emotion or feeling, which in turn will lead to the
formation of a certain behaviour or set of behaviours to address the situation.

Module 2 - Practical And Complex

Mindfulness Application

Learning Objectives

At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

o Determine some o Demonstrate how o Discuss the

mental health mindfulness is applied importance of being
conditions where to solve a stressful aware with your daily
mindfulness is situation; and dialogues and impulse
applied; activities
 Introduction

One of the most prominent application of mindfulness or the concept of observation

and awareness of one's thinking patterns is seen in mental health conditions and
cases. In certain conditions concerning mental health, a person experiences two
patterns of thinking: the normal pattern and a different pattern unique to that
particular condition, where the individual has thoughts or feelings intruding directly
because of the underlying condition.

Mindfulness on Mental Health Conditions

Let's take a look at some of the mental health conditions an individual can experience.

Bipolar Disorder
In bipolar, the individual suffers from various states: depression, anxiety, or mania. Natural
responses and triggers can still be experienced, but with sudden state changes that occur
mainly due to deeper reasons.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive emotions and thoughts sometimes linger in one's mind, which can lead to
behaviours manifested by a person with OCD. The main reason proven to trigger OCD is a
state of anxiety or stress, but it can also be triggered by certain events. If you will come to
think of it, anxiety is produced once a person has obsessive thoughts, fears, and feelings.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

What is even more complex is the fact that most individuals with bipolar manifest OCD
behaviours due to the state of mania or depression they experience.

Humans, in general, have the inclination towards solving or addressing a particular scenario.
If this inclination is suppressed, it could lead to a heightened level of anxiety, stress, or
even frustration and anger. Frustration is more evident when the situation is caused by the
person's state, in which case the individual may obsess himself into thinking about the
problem just to feel like he is doing something to solve it.

For instance, a person may be depressed because of an obsessive thought that they don’t
have enough clothes to get them to next month. This thinking will eventually lead to
frustration, further leading to a shopping spree as a response to the nagging frustrating
thought. This may be viewed as a misdirected effort to solve the situation, but it somehow
releases the emotional burden of the person suffering from it.

Application on Complex Mental Cases

In the cases presented above, mindfulness is even more beneficial as it encourages the
 person to pause for a while to evaluate the situation and be aware of their thoughts and
feelings. By simply acknowledging and evaluating your own thinking, you give yourself the
chance to weigh the points in and allow yourself to choose among several options on how
to respond. Of course, feelings and emotions are not ignored, as ignoring is not a part of
the mindfulness philosophy-- awareness is. Awareness is helpful in making sound decisions,
as it hinders the individual in making blind choices based on the effect of the situation alone.

When dealing with individuals with mental health conditions using mindfulness, the checklist
approach is usually applied. This approach is basically done using a checklist or a set of
questions that would eventually identify the source of the problem or the steps on how to
address the situation.

Application on Complex Mental Cases

If the person is anxious or panicking, the following questions need to be answered:

o
o
o Is a real trigger detectable? If yes, solve the triggering factor. If no, continue with the
checklist.
o Are there things running in your mind?
o Are the things you mentioned really the cause for your anxiety? Or are you in an obsessive
search for something? List down the things involved.
o If one of the things you listed is the real cause, develop a reasonable reaction or address it.
o If none of the listed things is the real problem, answer the following questions:
o Are you over-tired?
o Have you already eaten? If not, could it be that your blood sugar crashed?
o Are you done taking your medications?

If all questions above yielded to negative answers, a conclusion that can be made is that
the situation is a change in the person's state.

After the performance of the checklist approach using mindfulness, the person is expected
to have figured out the response or reaction they will make. The point of this approach is to
assist the person get past their crisis point by helping them develop a response plan that
would address the situation. This is helpful in making sure that the situation doesn’t escalate
to a more panic-based case.

Practical Application of Mindfulness

Although very helpful in cases involving mental health and situations dealing with phobias
and fears, mindfulness is also a philosophy that is very beneficial when applied in one's
everyday life and decision making.
An author of the book entitled The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle used his own mindfulness
variation to show the power of living in and reacting in response to the present situation.
This proves the point of mindfulness that responses must be based on the now situation
rather than on previous circumstances.

In situations where a certain factor triggers an angry thought or feeling, try to pause and
evaluate it and choose the best response you can have. In the end, it is your way of saying
that your thoughts or feelings are not allowed to have a control over you. In applying basic
awareness, it is important to consider both the external and internal dialogue we use on a
daily basis. The choice of words you utter can significantly impact the way your emotions
and thoughts are released.

Phrasing your statements is a way to show you have various options that could lead to
solutions. For instance, saying 'that just made me feel anger' is better than saying 'I am
angry', as the latter statement is viewed to be a dead end for you or worse, something that
could lead to a more stressful situation.
Practical Application of Mindfulness

As you go on your daily routines, take time to apply the mindfulness or awareness
philosophy even in your speeches and dialogues. The main tip that can be applied to exercise
is to simply avoid statements that start with 'I am feeling’. Awareness is a vital part of
mindfulness, and something that can be practiced all throughout.

However, remember to go easy on yourself once the old dialogues are out, as they can
easily go from being a positive factor to one that causes obsession and overthinking. Just
take it in as a positive sign that you are getting more and more aware of your thoughts,
feelings, and speeches each passing day.

Aside from everyday dialogues, another area where mindfulness can be applied is in the
impulse actions we make. Such actions may include alcohol and caffeine consumption,
smoking, and luxurious shopping, among many others. Mindfulness is not applied to judge
whether or not these actions are good or desirable, but to analyse one's reasons or drive
for doing so.
 Some of the most common reasons why people involve themselves in alcohol drinking are
presented below.

o Addiction
o Dependence
o Social activity
o Pure pleasure
o Expectation
o Habit
o Thirst
o Culture
o Rebellion
o Self-destruction
o Symbolic
o Self-medication

Furthermore, learning your reasons for doing such activities doesn’t necessarily mean they
are bad or you should feel bad about it; however, it does mean that you are aware of the
thing that drives you to make the action. This, eventually, would pose additional options on
how to address such drive in case the impulse activity you do to solve it is viewed as foolish
or is not that acceptable to you after being aware of your reasons.

Module 3 - Balancing The Subconscious Levels

 Learning Objectives

At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

o Identify the different o Determine the o Discuss the methods

subconscious levels imbalance that can to address the real
and the principle happen among the problem causing the
governing each; subconscious levels; imbalance.
and

The Subconscious Mind

Ego is a term coined in the time Sigmund Freud proposed his psychological model,
where three subconscious mind levels were stated to be working with the conscious
mind. The three subconscious levels are the id, ego, and superego.

The Subconscious Mind

According to Freud, these subconscious forces live under the conscious surface.

a. Id
The most primitive personality of a person, id is where the instinct and drives are. Such
drives include drives for aggression and sex, and are controlled by the pleasure principle,
which means that drives are driven for pleasure and gratification.

b. Ego
Tagged as the id manager, the ego operates on the reality principle, in that id desires are
being managed in attainable and realistic ways. The ego balances the attainment of id
desires and the appropriateness of the action.

c. Superego
Governed by the principle of morality, the superego is basically the one in touch with what
is right or wrong. It springs up from morals, rules, principles, and ethics, and usually
 develops as early as three years old.

In the premises of the mindfulness philosophy, the ego’s importance is centered on getting
what it desires and wants. This can lead to the creation of automatic and habitual strategies
to attain such wants, clouding the subconscious superego. The ego will then be left
developing inappropriate ways to seek such desires without the control or limitation of the
superego or conscious mind. Meanwhile, mindfulness encourages us to make use of our
conscious mind rather than rely on the subconscious level. Being mindful of our thoughts
gives us a more rational way of thinking, allowing us to detect any false patterns and
learning present.

Imbalance Among the Subconscious Levels

The ego seeks these id desires primarily because of these two things: (a) as a way to validate
the status and worth of the person, or (b) low self-image and self-confidence. The latter reason
is most often the cause why the ego wants to seek and gain attention. The person wants to
display behaviours thinking that doing so will replace the void they feel, suppressing the
painful feeling in their unconscious mind.

Of course, this case is different from mental health conditions and disorders where an ego-
superego imbalance present is extreme. Here, the person suffers from inner pain or very low
self-confidence and just wants to validate their worth by the display of attention-seeking
behaviours.

Most often, however, when applying mindfulness, the person has the tendency to look at the
responses as the ego's, not considering the fact that the desires of the id produced such
responses. Once the person becomes aware of this, it will lead to knowing the ego's responses
but not the desires of the id. When the person attempts to resolve the desires, he or she
eventually can except for the deeper problems of the id.

Imbalance Among the Subconscious Levels

For instance, the person seeking for self-validation may display a certain set of behaviours,
such as excessive dressing up and putting on makeup, excessive collection of awards and
certificates, buying the latest designer item, and having a 'trophy' partner, among many
others. These strategies are developed and manifested by the ego to cover up or resolve
the wants of the id, without exploring these wants as the real problems causing the
behaviours.

Most often, the real problem lays in the id: having low self-confidence or poor self-esteem
or the desire to be accepted, loved, or validated. Some drives that are negative in nature
include fear and the feeling of being threatened.

This imbalance can be solved by proper application of the mindfulness philosophy, in that
the person should be aware of both the responses of the ego and the inner drive which
 cause the ego to develop such responses. This makes mindfulness a concept that not only
emphasises the what, but also the why. This is crucial as once egotistical needs aren’t met
and are rejected, the person must go back to the inner drive of the id and address them
using other strategies, otherwise unsatisfied needs would worsen.

Dealing with the Imbalance

The first step towards addressing the inner drives in a more positive way, therefore, is
awareness. Once the person is aware of the ego responses and id drives, he/she can address
them through other means, maybe a more positive one.

Some humanistic therapy styles involve the use of what they call a stroke. This stroke is
similar to the action of striking you give a cat, where the animal constantly seeks the stroke
as it produces a good feeling. Humans can also seek out the kind of stroke they need to feel
good; some of these strokes, however, may be negative and self-destructing in nature,
while others bring out positive results.

When choosing the best stroke that can address your drives, two things must be considered.

o Pick the stroke most appropriate to your situation that can give you relief

o Acknowledge and accept deeper patterns and develop ways to address them in a longer
term
 Just as what was discussed in the previous modules, the concept of awareness does not
deny the need to be addressed, rather gives OPTIONS from where the person can choose
from. Awareness is a process meant to give the person a list of options, eventually choosing
the most appropriate one. The person is also expected to develop an attitude of being
proactive to prevent future problems.

Dealing with the Imbalance

Basically, the process of awareness can be applied when dealing with any emotion. It will be
beneficial for the person to integrate these five steps to knowing the real problem and
choosing the most appropriate way to address it.

Being aware of your feeling or emotion

Being aware of the impulse or the thing that you want to do

Identifying a way that can get you out of the behaviour

Analysing the way- will it give you what you want?

Being aware of the real need

There may be an extreme situation where a person has a very poor self-esteem that he or she
is not motivated to seek out strokes or behaviours that would address it, simply because they
believe they aren’t worth it. When presented with pleasurable events, the person reacts with
either fear or pain.

Mindfulness helps the person deal with the inner problem of low self-esteem by exercising
awareness and applying the steps discussed earlier. It is also beneficial to believe in the core
value of a person. The definition of a person's core value is often derived from religion or great
philosophers. Every person has an intrinsic value--this is one of the basic elements of any
therapy. It is now your task to determine the core value you believe every individual has.
Module 4 - Introduction To Healing

Learning Objectives

At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

Define healing and discuss its scope and objectives;

Discuss the stages of healing according to NOS; and

Explain the activities and importance of each healing stage.

Introduction

The philosophy of mindfulness takes a holistic approach in providing therapy, which makes it
very practical for numerous types of healing methods, such as meditation, counselling, and
lifestyle training, among others. This is the reason why the healing NOS has a framework of
practice and standards dedicated to assist you in organising your therapies and sessions. For
this unit, you will be introduced to the various styles, methods, and techniques, along with the
standards set by the Healing NOS.