Mindfulness is an ancient form of awareness. It has been used, typically in the Buddhist lifestyle, to clear the conscious, relieve stress, improve thought process, and stimulate productivity. Today, it has been integrated into the addiction treatment field as a tool for recovery: a practice known as Mindfulness Meditation. It has proved to be extremely helpful as patients battle emotional responses and physiological cravings.
New Directions for Women recently hosted a Mindfulness Meditation workshop. We were fortunate enough to be taught on this subject by Fran DiDomenicis, Ph.D. Dr DiDomenicis is a psychologist in private practice in the San Francisco East Bay area. He has spent more than 35 years pursuing progress for those who suffer from addiction. He founded the Delaware Association for Children of Alcoholics and completed his dissertation on the personality traits of adult children of alcoholics and the prevalence of a variety of emotional stressors in alcoholic families. Dr. Fran has integrated his years of experience with his learning from the Buddhist field to improve the addiction treatment field.
Dr DiDomenicis led a seminar during our Annual Professionals Weekend, introducing more than 35 individuals to the advantages of Mindfulness Meditation in the treatment field. Many were familiar with this topic, and all attendees were glad to learn more about how this ancient practice could be easily integrated into treatment. They were particularly surprised at how mindfulness meditation can offer alternatives to medication while contributing to the types of therapy already offered.
New Directions for Women is committed to offering the highest level of care for women, children and their families. What better way than to integrate a practice that teaches self control, emotional stability, and combats addictive habits through the process of being aware and present!
If you wish to learn more about Mindfulness Meditation or New Directions for Women contact us at Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or simply by phone at 800-939-6636.
