Psychology Assignment: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Trauma

This discussion post examines Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) as an intervention for trauma. The author highlights the effectiveness of MBCT, particularly in addressing the cognitive and emotional aspects of trauma. The post references key research that supports the use of MBCT in treating anxiety, depression, and addiction. The author emphasizes the role of the "being" mode in the MBCT, which helps in averting the relapse of response to trauma. The discussion also addresses the brain areas involved in trauma and how MBCT can disrupt the neural pathways associated with rumination. The post concludes that MBCT can provide respite from trauma responses and prevent relapse, making it an effective intervention program for people suffering from trauma. References to key studies are provided to support the claims.

Running head: TRAUMA
Intervention for trauma
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1TRAUMA
Brain areas that are implicated in trauma and associated stress response are the
hippocampus, amygdala, and the prefrontal cortex. This discussion post will elaborate on the
effectiveness the intervention, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for treatment
of trauma.
MBCT refers to a modified form of cognitive behavioral therapy, particularly
characterized by the incorporation of mindfulness based practices such as, breathing exercise
and meditation. It has been proven effective in people suffering from anxiety, major
depressive disorder, or addiction (Williams et al., 2014). According to Barnard and Teasdale
(2014) the Interacting Cognitive Subsystems (ICS) model the "being" mode has been found
imperative in the generation of lasting emotional changes. Thus, implementation of MBCT
will help in averting the relapse of response to trauma. Neural activations related with
thoughts and feelings move across the neural networks.
Additionally, each processing pathway tare responsible for the activation of
experience-dependent plasticity contrivances that biologically strengthen and reinforce the
neural plasticity. Rumination also plays a role in activation and expansion of neural networks
that process global, stable and internal attributions, thus fostering trauma response (McEwen,
2016). In other words, the MBCT will prove as an effective intervention for trauma treatment
owing to its role in diverting the cognitive processing back to the contemporary experiences,
thus not allowing the affected person to participate in rumination. Hence, MBCT will be able
to deliver a respite from trauma responses and will help the patient to understand that holding
onto feelings is mentally destructive.
Hence, MBCT will prove an effective intervention program for specifically targeting
people suffering from trauma and will help in preventing relapse of the symptoms.

2TRAUMA
References
Barnard, P., & Teasdale, J. (2014). Affect, cognition and change: Re-modelling depressive
thought. Psychology Press.
McEwen, B. S. (2016). In pursuit of resilience: stress, epigenetics, and brain
plasticity. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1373(1), 56-64.
Williams, J. M. G., Crane, C., Barnhofer, T., Brennan, K., Duggan, D. S., Fennell, M. J., ... &
Shah, D. (2014). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for preventing relapse in
recurrent depression: a randomized dismantling trial. Journal of consulting and
clinical psychology, 82(2), 275.