Papers by Lynette Monteiro
Mindfulness, Nov 8, 2018
The inclusion of Buddhist mindfulness perspectives in second-generation mindfulness-based interve... more The inclusion of Buddhist mindfulness perspectives in second-generation mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) offers an opportunity to explore the cultivation of ethical action in MBIs and address concerns about the purported absence of ethics in MBIs. This pilot study examined the relationship between mindfulness and value incongruence following a second-generation MBI, mindfulness-based symptom management (MBSM) that incorporates the Five Skillful Habits (5SH), a value-congruence practice. Sixty-one participants (65.6% female, M age = 44.5; 34.4% male, M age = 54.3) attended an 8-week program whose curriculum included the commitment to and practices of ethical and compassionate behaviors that reflected participants' personal values. The impact of MBSM on mindfulness (Five-Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)), congruence between ideal values and their lived experience of those values (Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire (SWBQ)), and relationships between mindfulness and value incongruence were examined. Results indicated that increases in all of the FFMQ factors occurred: Observe (p < .001, d = .52), Describe (p < .01, d = .39), Act with Awareness (p < .001; d = .68), Non-judgment (p < 001, d = .67), and Non-reactivity (p <.001, d = .64). Value incongruence decreased on three of the four factors of the SWBQ: Personal (p < .001; d = − .64), Communal (p < .001; d = − .44), and Environmental (p < .01; d = − .40), with no significant changes occurring in Transcendental value incongruence (p > .10; d = − .21). Change scores for several factors of the FFMQ were significantly correlated with changes in the SWBQ measures. These preliminary results suggested that MBSM was related to shifts in value incongruence. Exploring the relationship between mindfulness and the practice of value-congruent behaviors may clarify the pathway between cultivating awareness and ethical/compassionate action.
Mindfulness, Apr 29, 2014
Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer Science +B... more Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer Science +Business Media New York. This e-offprint is for personal use only and shall not be selfarchived in electronic repositories. If you wish to self-archive your article, please use the accepted manuscript version for posting on your own website. You may further deposit the accepted manuscript version in any repository, provided it is only made publicly available 12 months after official publication or later and provided acknowledgement is given to the original source of publication and a link is inserted to the published article on Springer's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The final publication is available at link.springer.com".
Mindfulness in behavioral health, 2017
Mindfulness and ethics are inseparable. Much of the debate about the meaning and intention of eth... more Mindfulness and ethics are inseparable. Much of the debate about the meaning and intention of ethics in this context circles around the implications of taking a spiritual practice and secularizing it for various uses in the mental health and wellness fields. This chapter serves as a map of this section on second-generation mindfulness programs that have emerged since the original mindfulness programs. I discuss the complexities inherent in what it means to ask for ethics to be explicitly included in a mindfulness program and the subtle presence of ethics in the relational aspect of teaching secularized mindfulness. The overarching themes of cultivating virtues, values, and the guidance offered by concepts of moral development are explored as it relates to the content of mindfulness programs and the training of mindfulness teachers.
Mindfulness in behavioral health, 2015
Contemporary mindfulness has emerged as a secular and clinical application in the treatment of ps... more Contemporary mindfulness has emerged as a secular and clinical application in the treatment of psychological distress. The development of mindfulness-based interventions has been presented as grounded primarily in Western psychological concepts of personal distress, emotional dysregulation, and stress-related issues. The origins of mindfulness as a Buddhist practice, informed by Buddhist principles and psychology, while acknowledged as an historical source, have not been directly connected to mindfulness-based interventions. This chapter endeavors to connect relevant and important Buddhist teachings to elements of secular/clinical mindfulness programs with the intention of providing a deeper understanding of the principles that guide the cultivation of mindfulness so that the secular/clinical approach will be enriched. Key teachings such as the Anapanasati and Satipatthana Suttas are explored in detail; subtle teachings from the Theravada and Mahayana/Zen traditions are included to connect principles of Buddhist thought with a mindfulness-based program curriculum.
Mindfulness in behavioral health, 2017
Mindfulness-based symptom management (MBSM) was developed as a program integrating Buddhist conce... more Mindfulness-based symptom management (MBSM) was developed as a program integrating Buddhist concepts of cultivating virtues and Western psychological approaches to treating mental health issues. The core of the program is rooted in Buddhist principles and practices for developing awareness using a modification of the four ways to develop mindfulness. The Five Skillful Habits create an arc of values-clarification that is grounded in the life of the participants; they also offer an opportunity to discern what results in flourishing and is congruent with personal values. This chapter will provide an exploration of the Buddhist and psychological roots of MBSM, a rationale for embedding ethics in mindfulness through the Five Skillful Habits, and an exploration of the ethics of mindfulness when offering the program in cases that require ethical oversight.
This book focuses on the role of ethics in the application of mindfulness-based interventions (MB... more This book focuses on the role of ethics in the application of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) in clinical practice. The book offers an overview of the role of ethics in the cultivation of mindfulness and explores the way in which ethics have been embedded in the curriculum of MBIs and MBPs. Chapters review current training processes and examines the issues around incorporating ethics into MBIs and MBPs detailed for non-secular audiences, including training clinicians, developing program curriculum, and dealing with specific client populations. Chapters also examine new, second-generation MBIs and MBPs, the result of the call for more advanced mindfulness-based practices . The book addresses the increasing popularity of mindfulness in therapeutic interventions, but stresses that it remains a new treatment methodology and in order to achieve best practice status, mindfulness interventions must offer a clear understanding of their potential ...
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 2012
There have been few qualitative investigations evaluating Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBS... more There have been few qualitative investigations evaluating Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in breast cancer populations. The nested qualitative analysis reported here explores the acceptability and the perceived effect of MBSR. As part of a larger randomised controlled evaluative trial, 92 participants with stages 0 to III breast cancer completed a short proforma following week 8 of a MBSR programme conducted at The Haven, an integrated cancer support centre in London, UK in 2005-2006. Following thematic analysis, the most positive experiences from participants (n = 92) were reported to be; 1) being calmer, centred, at peace, connected and more confident; 2) the value of mindfulness practice; 3) being more aware; 4) coping with stress, anxiety and panic; 5) accepting things as they are, being less judgemental of myself and others; 6) improved communication and personal relationships and 7) making time and creating space for myself. All participants asked (n = 39) said that following MBSR training they had become more mindful. These understandings will be able to help shape the future teaching of MBSR in breast cancer.
Mindfulness in Behavioral Health
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Mindfulness, 2019
The inclusion of Buddhist mindfulness perspectives in second-generation mindfulness-based interve... more The inclusion of Buddhist mindfulness perspectives in second-generation mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) offers an opportunity to explore the cultivation of ethical action in MBIs and address concerns about the purported absence of ethics in MBIs. This pilot study examined the relationship between mindfulness and value incongruence following a second-generation MBI, mindfulness-based symptom management (MBSM) that incorporates the Five Skillful Habits (5SH), a value-congruence practice. Sixty-one participants (65.6% female, Mage = 44.5; 34.4% male, Mage = 54.3) attended an 8-week program whose curriculum included the commitment to and practices of ethical and compassionate behaviors that reflected participants’ personal values. The impact of MBSM on mindfulness (Five-Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)), congruence between ideal values and their lived experience of those values (Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire (SWBQ)), and relationships between mindfulness and value incongruence were examined. Results indicated that increases in all of the FFMQ factors occurred: Observe (p < .001, d = .52), Describe (p < .01, d = .39), Act with Awareness (p < .001; d = .68), Non-judgment (p < 001, d = .67), and Non-reactivity (p <.001, d = .64). Value incongruence decreased on three of the four factors of the SWBQ: Personal (p < .001; d = − .64), Communal (p < .001; d = − .44), and Environmental (p < .01; d = − .40), with no significant changes occurring in Transcendental value incongruence (p > .10; d = − .21). Change scores for several factors of the FFMQ were significantly correlated with changes in the SWBQ measures. These preliminary results suggested that MBSM was related to shifts in value incongruence. Exploring the relationship between mindfulness and the practice of value-congruent behaviors may clarify the pathway between cultivating awareness and ethical/compassionate action.
Mindfulness, 2014
Contemporary mindfulness has grown through innumerable secular and clinical programs. This rapid ... more Contemporary mindfulness has grown through innumerable secular and clinical programs. This rapid growth has raised two main concerns from the Buddhist community: the accuracy of the teachings and the impact of not explicitly including ethics as part of the teachings. Specific concerns include a potential weakening of the concept of Right Mindfulness and, as a corollary, misunderstanding the intent mindfulness as being a technique for symptomatic relief. With respect to the absence of explicit ethics in the teachings, concerns are expressed that this omission risks misappropriating mindfulness practices so that they do more harm than good. This article explores the main criticisms expressed by Traditional Mindfulness community and assesses the validity of these criticisms. The dialogue between traditional and contemporary mindfulness practitioners is an opportunity to examine the conceptual integrity of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) with respect to what comprises Right Mindfulness, assess whether MBIs include the factors that can extend them beyond symptomatic relief, and reflect on the issues related to teaching ethics as part of an MBI program. Because ethics is viewed in Traditional Mindfulness as a foundation for a meditative practice, it is explored in detail for its potential contribution to MBIs.
Global Advances in Health and Medicine (Global Advances) , 2020
Mindfulness outcome research has been criticized for issues in research design, precision of outc... more Mindfulness outcome research has been criticized for issues in research design, precision of outcome measures, and reporting overoptimistically their power to effect change. Although mindfulness programs are a complex interaction of teachers, teachings, and participants, it is of some concern that current assessments of program fidelity focus primarily on teacher skills and program content delivery. Although ensuring that teachers are trained to criteria and adhere to program elements, the participants' engagement, a critical parameter contributing to outcomes of mindfulness programs, has been neglected. Furthermore, the assessment measures are primarily actuarial even when assessing experiential or difficult-to-define aspects of teacher-participant interactions. The inclusion of the participants' experience of the program as a component of fidelity assessments creates several opportunities to deepen our understanding of how mindfulness impacts the lives of practitioners. By investigating the teacher-participant relationship, determining how participants process the core elements, and exploring the implementation of the practices in their lives, a more nuanced understanding of the capacity of mindfulness-based programs to effect positive change may be possible. Recent discussions about mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) have addressed the implications of its widespread use for psychological treatment and cautioned against an overly optimistic presentation of outcomes. 1 Furthermore, the emerging research on harmful effects of mindfulness practices suggests diligence in ensuring MBPs are reliable and safe. 2 However, because MBPs have been conceived and designed as a synergistic relationship among teacher, curriculum, and participants, assessing program efficacy and reliability is complex. One approach to determining reliability and safety is the assessment of treatment integrity or fidelity, markers of consistent and accurate curriculum delivery and of research rigor and outcome reliability. 3 Specifically, the teacher-participant relationship and the participants' experiences (PEs) are aspects related to the outcomes of MBPs that would benefit from further examination. The relationality of these 2 aspects of MBPs to fidelity will be explored through 2 available treatment fidelity checklists. Although several measures are available, Kechter et al. 4 noted that treatment fidelity is not routinely reported in investigations, with only 25 studies (12%) of MBP-controlled trails reporting treatment fidelity. This scarcity of fidelity information impacts assessing the contribution of program-unique components to outcomes. More importantly, the complex interactions among teacher, curriculum, and participants have not been fully explored which can impede program development and competency training. It may also be a missed opportunity to examine the relational aspects of program efficacy and appropriate use for marginalized and vulnerable populations. Fidelity assessments,
— The study aimed to explore how, if at all, therapists' experiences of their work changed in the... more — The study aimed to explore how, if at all, therapists' experiences of their work changed in the wake of engaging in an intensive eight-week mindfulness training program. We used a hermeneutic phenom-enological approach to interview and develop in-depth descriptions of four therapists' experiences in relation to mindfulness and their therapeutic practices. Therapist-participants completed semi-structured interviews before and after the mindfulness program. The results pointed to several common themes indicating changes therapists described after participating in the mindfulness program. Themes on the reported changes were organized into three categories: (1) personal relationship with mindfulness; (2) relationship
There is fast growing interest in and demands for mindfulness-based interventions and trained pro... more There is fast growing interest in and demands for mindfulness-based interventions and trained professionals. The process of training competent mindfulness therapists is known to be a lengthy and extensive one. The combination of high demands with the need for thorough training raises many questions about the training process itself; should it be revised or changed in ways that would allow for greater number of trained therapists?
Buddhist teachings place ethics at the core of mindfulness: the intent is the cultivation of the ... more Buddhist teachings place ethics at the core of mindfulness: the intent is the cultivation of the Noble Person who transcends self-interest and lives for the wellbeing of others. Clinical, contemporary mindfulness-based interventions follow the root injunction that the ethics taught are implicitly imparted. The rationale is to avoid imposing external values and action-guides upon participants and to hold the individual's values foremost. However, this stance makes several assumptions about the unavoidable ethics brought into contact by the teacher, program content, and participants. The assumption that implicit ethics shields the participant from external influence subtly upholds the long-discarded concept that interventions can be values-neutral. This paper explores this fallacy of values-neutrality and re-affirms that explicitly explored ethics in mindfulness-based interventions are crucial to the cultivation of the Noble Person.
Paper presented on panel theme: Toward an Ethics-Based Mindfulness: Rationales and Resistances
Am... more Paper presented on panel theme: Toward an Ethics-Based Mindfulness: Rationales and Resistances
American Academy of Religion, Atlanta GA
November 21, 2015
This commentary addresses responses to our previous article (Monteiro, Musten and Compson, Mindfu... more This commentary addresses responses to our previous article (Monteiro, Musten and Compson, Mindfulness 6: 1-13, 2015) about the relationship between traditional and contemporary mindfulness. After surveying the responses we take issue with some criticisms, particularly those from Purser (Mindfulness 6: 23-45, 2015). We argue that stealth Buddhism critiques (which maintain that mindfulness in secular contexts amounts to attempts to stealthily infiltrate secular contexts with Buddhist values) and McMindfulness critiques (that mindfulness has been co-opted by corporate agendas which are antithetical to its ethical roots) make some unjustified assumptions. They assume essentialist views of religion and secularism, and a dichotomous understanding of mindfulness as either Buddhist or universal. We challenge these assumptions as both philosophically dubious and pragmatically unhelpful and call for continued mutually enriching dialog between traditional and contemporary mindfulness communities. With reference to the Pali canon, we make the case that at least according to Theravada Buddhist self-understanding, there is a normative reality that the Buddha described and the truth of this reality is not contingent on whether or not it is described, or by whom. We introduce an analogy of fitness or physical training to explain this model and then apply it to the current debate about the relationship between traditional and contemporary mindfulness.
Keywords
Mindfulness Buddhism Secular Ethics Religion
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Papers by Lynette Monteiro
American Academy of Religion, Atlanta GA
November 21, 2015
Keywords
Mindfulness Buddhism Secular Ethics Religion
American Academy of Religion, Atlanta GA
November 21, 2015
Keywords
Mindfulness Buddhism Secular Ethics Religion