Mindfulness for Teen Depression: A Workbook for Improving Your Mood

by Mitch R. Abblett PhD, Christopher Willard PsyD

Overview

In Mindfulness for Teen Depression, two teen experts offer powerful tools based in mindfulness and positive psychology to help you ease symptoms, work through troubling thoughts and feelings, and thrive in all aspects of life.

If you’re a teen with depression, you may often feel sad, lonely, and unmotivated. And it can be especially difficult to do well in school, make friends, and take those important steps toward adulthood. But it’s important for you to know that your depression is not your fault, and that it doesn’t have to define you. Most importantly, there are steps you can take to feel better.

With this powerful workbook, you’ll learn effective skills based in mindfulness and positive psychology to help you manage difficult emotions, gain distance from negative thoughts, and enhance your awareness of the present moment. You’ll also discover tons of activities and exercises—such as mindful meditations, walking, yoga, healthy eating and sleeping tips, and more—to help you care for your body as well as your mind.

Depression can make it seem like you're viewing the world through dark or distorted glasses. When you're depressed, it’s even hard to see yourself clearly. This book will empower you to feel better, more energized, and start reaching for your goals—one step at a time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626253827
Publisher:	New Harbinger Publications
Publication date:	05/01/2016
Series:	Instant Help for Teens Series
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	7.80(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Mitch R. Abblett, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and former executive director of The Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, a nonprofit focusing on education and training at the intersection of mindfulness and treatment. For over a decade, he was clinical director of Manville School, a Harvard-affiliated therapeutic day school program in Boston, MA, serving children with emotional, behavioral, and learning difficulties. He maintains a private psychotherapy and consulting practice, and writes about mindfulness, professional development, and family mental health for Mindful magazine (Mindful.org). His books include The Heat of the Moment in Treatment for clinicians, The Challenging Child Toolbox, and The Five Hurdles to Happiness. He also coauthored Mindfulness for Teen Depression and the child/family-friendly practice aid Growing Mindful, as well as additional mindfulness-related card decks. He conducts national and international trainings regarding mindfulness and its applications. Learn more at www.drmitchabblett.com.

Christopher Willard, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist, author, and consultant based in Massachusetts. He has spoken in thirty countries, and has presented at two TEDx events. Willard is author and coauthor of twenty books, including Alphabreaths, Growing Up Mindful, and How We Grow Through What We Go Through. His thoughts on mental health have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, www.mindful.org, www.cnn.com, and elsewhere. He teaches at Harvard Medical School.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 A New View of Depression 5

Chapter 2 A Closer Look at Mindfulness and Positive Psychology 33

Chapter 3 Body-Based Approaches to Depression 49

Chapter 4 Psychological Approaches to Depression 73

Chapter 5 Social Approaches to Depression 103

Conclusion 127

Answers (to the activity Your Drop-in-the-Bucket list) 129

Acknowledgments 131

Interviews

Abblett resides in Newton, MA; Willard resides in Cambridge, MA.

Editorial Reviews

If you are a teen living with depression and ongoing negative internal chatter, this book is for you. It offers simple, straightforward, doable suggestions and practices for taming your internal critic, and moving from feeling down and out to being up and in—in touch with your best self, and engaged in a meaningful, satisfying life.”
—Amy Saltzman, MD, author of A Still Quiet Place for Teens



“This book provides a gentle introduction to mindfulness, weaving the practice through traditional approaches to the treatment of depression for teens.”
—Lisa M. Schab, LCSW, psychotherapist and author of The Self-Esteem Workbook for Teens, The Anxiety Workbook for Teens, and Beyond the Blues



“This wonderful book is the voice of a wise and caring friend. This friend believes in you, knows your strengths, and can support and guide you to free yourself from the weight of depression, and experience the joys of life again.”
—Dzung X. Vo, MD, FAAP, author of The Mindful Teen



“Using down-to-earth language and engaging, adolescent-friendly exercises, Mitch Abblett and Christopher Willard draw on their extensive clinical experience to present a comprehensive array of techniques that address the particular challenges of depression. One key feature that sets this book apart from other workbooks on depression is the authors’ infusion of mindfulness and positive psychology throughout. Threaded throughout the book is the image of ‘Sergeant Mind,’ the misguided but powerful inner critic whose influence maintains the depressive state. In its emphasis on the power of the mind, the authors’ demystify the characteristics of depression, and help youth move toward a more decentered perspective. This resource, which can be a particularly helpful adjunct to therapy, offers young people body-centered, mental, and interpersonal tools to help them move forward more confidently, capitalize on personal strengths, and act in ways that undercut the power of ‘Sgt. Mind.’”
—Trish Broderick, PhD, clinical psychologist and research associate at the Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center at The Pennsylvania State University, author of Learning to Breathe, and coauthor of The Life Span



“Want to take charge of your own life and improve your mood? Pick up Mindfulness for Teen Depression. It offers realistic, accessible ways to feel less overwhelmed and down on yourself and more confident and at ease. Mitch Abblett and Christopher Willard have once again created an easy-to-read book that sets things out in straight-forward fashion. I imagine anyone, not only teens, will find Mindfulness for Teen Depression both useful and inspiring.”
—Mark Bertin, MD, author of Mindful Parenting for ADHD

From the Publisher