What is Mindful Photography?
Mindful photography as a therapy tool in counselling, helps clients to develop greater self-awareness and to process their emotions in a mindful and compassionate way. As we pay attention to senses, the grounding process assists with emotional regulation. Combining the practice of mindfulness and photography, clients are encouraged to slow down and pay attention to their surroundings. They are encouraged to observe their environment with curiosity and without judgment. As they take pictures, they are asked to focus on their feelings, thoughts, and physical sensations. Noticing and allowing thoughts and sensations as clients photograph, a bodily awareness of the present moment and the physical representation of that, through a photo, can be appreciated and brought forward. INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP SESSIONS AVAILABLE
What is Mindful Photography
In psychotherapy, mindful photography can be used to help clients explore and process their emotions, particularly those that are difficult to articulate in words. The images they capture can provide a visual representation of their experiences, which can be used as a starting point for further discussion.
Combining Mindfulness and Photography
Combining the practice of mindfulness and photography, clients are encouraged to slow down and pay attention to their surroundings. They are encouraged to observe their environment with curiosity and without judgment. As they take pictures, they are asked to focus on their feelings, thoughts, and physical sensations.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness has become widely accepted as a therapeutic practice in many different psychotherapies, including mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), among others.
Can photography be helpful for mental health?
Mental health professionals say yes. They define something as “therapeutic if it enhances insight into yourself, promotes the awareness and expression of underlying feelings, and moves your identity into new, more helpful directions."