Bringing Meditation Into the Doctor's Office

Modern psychiatry is such a strong part of our culture, that even people who’ve never set foot in a therapist's office can imagine this scene: Doctor sits impassively, waiting for the client to open up. There’s a box of tissues on an end table, and maybe a white noise machine humming as the patient talks and the doctor nods. Together they unearth difficulties, the doctor might diagnose disorders, prescribe medication, and help alter behaviors. That’s the traditional Western model, but some practitioners of talk therapy are upending that scenario and bringing meditation into their practice. Jon Kabat-Zinn is one of those who believes in bringing what is called "mindfulness" into the doctor's office. Dr. Kabat-Zinn is founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic and Center for Mindfulness in Medecine, Healthcare and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and he joins us on Word of Mouth.

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