The Mindful Skills Group at Aris Clinic represents a dedicated effort to cultivate mindfulness and enhance individuals’ ability to engage with the present moment in a non-reactive and flexible manner. This group is designed to develop and refine essential cognitive and emotional skills that contribute to overall well-being.

How the Mindful Skills Group Operates

• Core Processes of Mindful Skills Group: The group focuses on three fundamental core processes:
  • Non-Reactive Contact with the Present Moment: Participants learn to be fully present and engaged with their current experiences without reacting impulsively or getting entangled in automatic patterns of thought or behavior.
  • Non-Reactive Noticing and Labeling of Experiences: Individuals develop the skill of observing and labeling their thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without judgment or attachment. This helps create distance between the individual and their experiences, promoting a more objective and balanced perspective.
  • Flexible Perspective Taking: The group encourages participants to view their experiences from different angles and perspectives, fostering cognitive flexibility and adaptability in their thinking and problem-solving.

• Experiential Exercises and “Noticer” Skill Set: Group facilitators utilize experiential exercises to assist members in honing their ability to notice, label, and engage with the present moment. These exercises might include mindfulness meditation, guided imagery, body scans, and other techniques that promote self-awareness and non-reactive observation.The term “noticer” skill set refers to the capacity to step back from automatic thoughts and reactions, becoming an objective observer of one’s own experiences. Developing this skill set is integral to cultivating mindfulness and can significantly contribute to healthier and more adaptive functioning.
• Importance of Healthy Functioning: The Mindful Skills Group recognizes the importance of cultivating mindfulness and present-moment awareness to enhance overall functioning. By helping individuals engage with their experiences in a non-reactive and open manner, the group contributes to emotional regulation, stress reduction, improved decision-making, and effective coping with challenges.