Combining mindfulness and compassion in the treatment of complex trauma – a theoretical exploration

Abstract

Trauma exposure is widespread in the general population. Despite the proposal that mindfulness practice could be beneficial for treating persons exposed to traumatic events who go on to develop PTSD and/or correlates of past trauma, there are very few mindfulness-skills programs that directly target trauma survivors. This paper seeks to use existing empirical research and theory to explore the potential and challenges of using mindfulness-based interventions to treat trauma-related problems. Through the lens of the group program, Mindfulness and Compassion: the path to growth after trauma (TMC), we explore the potential of integrating trauma-sensitive mindfulness explicitly with compassion training for trauma survivors. This paper seeks to contribute to development of psychological treatment by the methods of mindfulness and compassion training and how they may be used as a complementary or a stand-alone treatment option in phase-based treatment for complex PTSD.