Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Managing Fatigue: Supporting People with ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia and Long Covid

by Fiona McKechnie

Overview

Based on an 8-week Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy programme, this guide addresses the increasing need for adapted mindfulness in the management of ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, Long Covid, and other chronic fatigue conditions.

Using current understanding and theoretical approaches to Long Covid and ME/ CFS, this book allows practitioners to understand how they can adapt their teaching to accommodate patients with specific needs and challenges, including adaptations for brain fog, approaches to rest, movement, daily activity and accompanying difficult thoughts and emotions. Contributions from people who manage ME, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue through mindfulness are included alongside practical guidance and detailed week-by-week session plans whether that's in-person or online. Filled with helpful diagrams and illustrations, practitioners can use this guide to greatly widen the scope of who they can reach and gently empower clients living with often isolating conditions on how to apply this approach in the long-term to their everyday lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781839973451
Publisher:	Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Publication date:	09/21/2023
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	688,459
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.71(d)

About the Author

Fiona McKechnie is a senior Occupational Therapist in the Bristol ME/CFS service. She has worked in the field of ME since 1999 before moving to Bristol in 2007. She has particular interests in employment concerns and ME/CFS as well as Mindfulness-based approaches. Fiona has run workshops at national conferences about mindfulness and employment and trains other professionals in approaches to support people with ME/CFS and chronic pain. She has personally used Mindfulness since 1992 and has a Master's degree in Mindfulness Based Approaches and a Diploma in Teaching Mindfulness from the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University. She has also taught mindfulness for people with cancer at the National Centre for Integrative Medicine and is a qualified yoga teacher and coach. She published (as Fiona Wright) a chapter on Sleep and ME/CFS in Sleep: an Occupational Therapists Guide by Green and Brown 2015, Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Foreword Professor Rebecca Crane
Chapter 1 Introduction

Part 1: Fatigue and the principles of a mindfulness based approach to self-management
Chapter 2 Fatigue based health conditions: ME/CFS. Fibromyalgia and Long Covid
Chapter 3 Pragmatic transdiagnostic understanding of ME/CFS/FMS/LC
Chapter 4 Supported self-management
Chapter 5 What is a mindfulness-based approach?
Chapter 6 Mindfulness based approach to self -management
Chapter 7 Managing cognitive challenges : brain fog and mindfulness
Chapter 8 Underlying processes in mindfulness
Chapter 9 Resourcing and regulating: a trauma-informed approach

Part 2: Mindfulness practices and teaching considerations: adaptation and nuance
Chapter 10 The structure of mindfulness practices in the fatigue programme
Chapter 11 Developing awareness though enquiry.
Chapter 12 Mindful movement - how does it feel when I move? With Sarah Nearney
Chapter 13 Mindfulness of thoughts - particular features and specific contents of thoughts

Part 3: Applying a mindfulness-based approach to life
Chapter 14 Mindfulness-based activity management
Chapter 15 Rest - what is it and how do we do it?

Part 4: The mindfulness-based course
Chapter 16 Practical considerations: zoom or room and initial interviews and follow up
Chapter 17 Weekly session outlines with rationale
Chapter 18 Living with fatigue: From doing to Being by Rhonda Knight
Chapter 19 Training and Supervision
Chapter 20 Summary and Resources
References
Author and contributor information

Editorial Reviews

This book is a treasure trove of professional expert opinion coupled with examples from lived experience of those with these debilitating conditions. It offers practical and achievable strategies using mindfulness to adapt how to live with compassion and awareness amidst our symptoms of fatigue/pain These are framed in accessible theoretical and clinical perspectives with helpful diagrams and examples.

Katherine/Nirajadhi Sewell Ordained buddhist/ 20 years living with ME/CFS

Fiona McKechnie's book is a very welcome resource and inspiration for those of us that work with deep fatigue in our patients and in ourselves. Drawing upon the established models of MBSR and MBCT, that deeply cultivate the qualities of calm and insight, curiosity, acceptance and compassion, she demonstrates how hope and change may be found in the face of the seemingly intractable.

Nigel Wellings MA

This book is timely and well written ...The author has extensive knowledge of supporting people with fatiguing illnesses. The breakdown of the programme with session content is very comprehensive. There is a thorough resources and reference list for those wanting to explore the content and concepts further. I would highly recommend this book to those with fatiguing illness, practitioners, and healthcare professionals to understand and practice mindfulness-based therapy.

Professor Diane L Cox

What you hold in your hands is based on more than two decades of clinical experience combined with more than three decades of personal engagement in mindfulness practice and study. I am deeply confident that if the wisdom in this book is brought to life, it will transform the lives of people who participate.

Professor Rebecca Crane

This step-by-step description of a mindfulness-based approach to ME/CFS will enable more clinicians and teachers to offer these tools more confidently and effectively.

Dh Taravajra LLM