You've read the research supporting mindfulness, and you think that your patient or client could benefit. What do you do next? In this video, we'll discuss how to make an effective and safe referral to patients or clients. If you think that a patient or client could benefit from mindfulness, your first step is to assess if they are a good candidate, and that means a little bit of a risk assessment. In general, the daily life practices we discussed should be safe for anyone, which is not always the same as being comfortable. We'll talk more about that later. There are, however, some contraindications for meditation practice as we discussed in Week Two. If your patient or client is severely depressed, or is dealing with unresolved trauma, or active psychosis, or the other conditions we mentioned, they may need modifications or a teacher attuned to their needs. In these cases, look for a mindfulness program tailored to your client's condition or a therapist who incorporates mindfulness rather than recommending the general mindfulness resources we suggest in this lesson. In all cases, you should inform your patient or client that they need to do their own assessment as they practice for suitability and safety. The other important factor is the interest and willingness of your patient or client to try mindfulness. You might start by asking, have they heard of mindfulness? If so, what do they think? You might need to correct some misperceptions. But if there is an openness, you can explain what mindfulness is and the potential benefits that you see. So, reflect for a minute, how will you educate your patients or clients about mindfulness? You'll want to come up with your own explanation of what mindfulness is and how it can benefit your patients or clients. One key point to tell patients or clients is that mindfulness is not about changing their experience, i.e. getting calm, but about changing their attitude to experience, accepting what is happening just as it is with openness and kindness. Another point to include in your description is that mindfulness is not about trying to stop thinking. That simply won't work. Our minds think. You might mention that, if they find themselves thinking during meditation, it is important not to judge or create a problem, but just return the attention to the object, which might be their breath or moment-to-moment awareness in daily practice. If your client or patient is interested and could benefit, you can give them some specific resources to try. We provide handouts with descriptions of some daily practices that you can offer, as well as links to free guided medications. Be sure to emphasize that they can start small with just a short practice each day. Actually, It doesn't even have to be meditation practice, they can practice mindfulness in daily life. But do encourage them to practice every day if they can. It's very beneficial to set an intention to practice every day even if only for a short while. Acknowledge that it's not easy both to start a practice and to stick with it, but it is through practice that they will see benefits. Remind them that they need to be patient. The benefits of mindfulness come with practice over time as they train their brain to notice and change old patterns. So, consider, how might you encourage your patients or clients to practice? Here's some key points. If you believe mindfulness could benefit your patient or client, the first step is to assess for risk and fit. Then, you need to educate them about what mindfulness is and its benefits. Finally, you can advise patients or clients about how to practice. You can make recommendations and help them set expectations.
