Introspection and Psychotherapy

A clinical trial of the Examen and mindfulness within a secular substance use disorder treatment program

“…In substance use treatment populations, relaxation training in combination with brief alcohol interventions has been shown to contribute significantly to reductions in alcohol misuse (Murphy et al, 2019). This first step of the Examen sets the stage for selfreflection, a foundational aspect of successful therapy that affects both the process and outcome of psychotherapeutic endeavors (Anders, 2019;Levy & Farber, 1986). 2.…”

“…The practitioner then asks how that perceived connection or disconnection affected their emotions and interactions with others. The ability of the Examen exercise to promote self-reflection and emotion introspection in a brief, low-cost, low-training format may prove helpful in these clinical and everyday settings due to the necessity of ongoing introspection as the foundation for successful psychotherapy (Anders, 2019;Levy & Farber, 1986;Shamoon et al, 2017). 4.…”