Who needs Psychotherapy in the Era of Mindfulness?

In our inbox at On Caring | The Project we get daily email about mindfulness training, mindfulness workshops, mindfulness centers and institutes. This week we heard from the University of California-Berkeley, Greater Good Science Center. They offer a mindfulness teacher certification and a host of direct services for those seeking relief from our chaotic and disordered worlds. In two years, the time it takes to complete the MSW and many LPC degrees, and for less than 10,000, you can become a certified mindfulness teacher. No states regulate or license the certified mindfulness teachers. They are free to offer their services without regulation. And you need not be burdened by the cost and time it takes to renew the license and continuing education. Get your certificate and you’re off and running. Soon, licensed psychotherapists, social workers & psychologists, will face a tsunami of alternative mindfulness practitioners. Why would you pay 20-40,000 to get a two year degree in clinical social work when you can become a certified mindfulness teacher? See our recent post, Has Mindfulness Gone too Far? And as psychologists and social workers embrace the mindfulness revolution, what are the implications for licensure and regulation?

CEOs can learn to meditate. One wonders: is this a useful defense against unbearable feelings and unconscious motivations for the ugliness actions?