When working one-on-one with clients, the first step in every session is to get them into the present moment so that they can truly focus on the work you’re doing together. This is never more challenging than when working with a client suffering from anxiety, PTSD, depression, or any other stress-related condition, where their mind is constantly stressed, making it difficult to penetrate.
Elisha Goldstein, coauthor of A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook, has a meditative technique to suggest that he calls a “mindful check-in.”
In this video clip, Elisha explains how the mindful check-in works to get stressed clients to bring their wandering minds back to the present. It’s a simple breathing exercise that only takes a couple of minutes and can be put into practice immediately.
Watch the video on YouTube.
Rich Simon
Richard Simon, PhD, founded Psychotherapy Networker and served as the editor for more than 40 years. He received every major magazine industry honor, including the National Magazine Award. Rich passed away November 2020, and we honor his memory and contributions to the field every day.
Elisha Goldstein
Elisha Goldstein, PhD, is founder of the Mindful Living Collective, the world’s go-to resource and community for learning how to apply mindfulness to consistently follow through on the things that matter most to you. He is also co-founder of The Center for Mindful Living in West Los Angeles and creator of the 6-month coaching program, A Course in Mindful Living (Next Course begins Jan. 2020). Dr. Goldstein is also a psychologist, speaker and author who has published numerous articles, chapters, and blogs, including Uncovering Happiness: Overcoming Depression with Mindfulness and Self-Compassion, The Now Effect: How This Moment Can Change the Rest of Your Life (10th Anniversary Edition), foreword by Jon Kabat-Zinn and MBSR Every Day. He travels globally training therapists, educators, leaders, military and others in the progressive integration of mindfulness to achieve mental and emotional healing. He has his private practice in West Los Angeles, California.
