“You Just Have to Stick With the Practice”: A Long-Term Weekly Mindfulness Group at the VA

Abstract

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) proliferate in today’s health care landscape. Most prominent MBIs teach mindfulness technique through protocols structured in time-limited treatment packages, though the arc of mindfulness practice as “a lifetime’s engagement” is much longer than the typical MBI length of eight weeks. Although studies have shown that MBIs can be efficacious in addressing a wide range of health concerns, sustaining routine meditation practice long-term can be difficult, and treatment gains can fade if routine practice is not maintained. This article discusses long-term weekly mindfulness groups, a unique mindfulness treatment modality that emphasizes ongoing training and support for developing and sustaining routine mindfulness practice, that have been in continuous operation for more than 10 years at a large Veterans Affairs hospital. The protocol utilized for these mindfulness groups is described in this article. Fundamentals of mindfulness and common challenges, such as issues of avoidance, grasping, and dissociation, are articulated as guidelines for the therapist’s facilitation of the group process and individual members’ practice routines.