Main description:

Mindfulness: A Kindly Approach to Being with Cancer offers people with cancer a means to bring mindfulness and kindliness into their lives, to help them cope with the challenge of a life-threatening illness. * Adapts Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), an approach with a strong evidence base for people with recurrent depression, for the needs and challenges of people with cancer * Presents the standard 8-week course of MBCT for cancer in a flexible format that is designed to suit each reader s own particular timescale, context and situation * Based on more than 15 years of program development and clinical application by the author, and the work and experience of mindfulness teachers in other cancer centres around the world * Provides specific practices and approaches tailored to support the different phases of a cancer experience from diagnosis and treatment to living with uncertainty and managing life with cancer * Features five extended stories from people personally affected by cancer who have used mindfulness-based practices to support them in their own experience of illness, life and treatment

Contents:

Acknowledgments ix About the Companion Website xi Some Opening Words 3 Starting Out 5 1 Intention 21 Intention Theme 22 The Practices 33 Experience of Cancer Diagnosis 45 Personal Story Sarah 55 2 Coming Back 60 Coming Back Theme 61 The Practices 72 Experience of Cancer Treatment 97 Personal Story Caroline 112 3 Turning Towards 117 Turning Towards Theme 118 The Practices 131 Experience of Cancer Remission / Living with Uncertainty 152 Personal Story Peter 160 4 Kindness 165 Kindness Theme 167 The Practices 176 Experience of Cancer Recurrence 201 Personal Story Jane 211 5 Completing And Continuing 217 Personal Story Helen 234 6 Connecting To Our Common Humanity 240 Some Parting Words 250 Appendices 254 1 Cancer And Mindfulness ]Based Approaches 254 2 Resources 256 3 The Map of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Cancer 259 4 Lee s Soups 261 Bibliography 265 Index 269 About the Author