Mindfulness is a skill you can practice, even if meditation never felt right for you. In one-on-one visits, our therapists teach adults and teens short exercises to notice thoughts and feelings sooner. Meet at our Scottsdale office or ask about secure video with select therapists in Arizona, New York, or Hawaii.
Between work, family, and everything else, it’s easy to go all day without checking in with yourself. Worry, stress, or a low mood can pile up before you notice it.
In mindfulness-based therapy, you learn to catch those thoughts and feelings as they come up. You work on this with a therapist in one-on-one visits at Pathways Counseling Services.
No meditation experience is needed. You also don’t need a diagnosis to give us a call.
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Or call (480) 639-5559
If you’re in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency.
Since 2012, our therapists have helped adults and teens in Scottsdale. Visits take place at our office on East Shea Boulevard. Select therapists also see clients by secure video in Arizona, New York, and Hawaii.
Try paying attention to your breath for one full minute. Your mind may wander to your to-do list or something someone said. Mindfulness means noticing when that happens and gently bringing your attention back to your breath.
The goal in therapy is to catch a thought or feeling a little earlier. That small gap gives you more say in what you do next. You don’t have to clear your mind or make yourself relax.
Your therapist may also bring mindfulness into other types of therapy.
Here are some of the reasons people reach out to us. If yours isn’t listed, you’re still welcome to call.
Maybe it’s late at night and you’re still going over tomorrow’s meeting, or a talk with a friend from last week.
Your therapist may teach you to notice the worry and give it a name. Then you shift your attention to what you can sense right now, such as your feet touching the floor. Over time, it gets easier to let a thought pass. There’s more about worry on our anxiety therapy page.
When your mood is low, a thought like “I always mess this up” can loop for days.
Your therapist may borrow ideas from mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). It was first built to help people whose depression kept coming back. One idea is to step back and look at a thought, rather than argue with it. If low mood is your main concern, visit our depression counseling page.
A lot of people carry stress in their body without knowing it. You might only notice your tight shoulders or clenched jaw when you lie down at night.
A body scan can help. You slowly move your attention from your toes up to your head and notice what’s there. You don’t have to fix anything.
Sometimes a feeling hits and you’ve reacted before you could think. Later, you may wish you’d handled it differently.
In DBT, mindfulness is one of the main skills. With your therapist, you might practice a short pause, just long enough to name the feeling, before you respond. To learn more, see our DBT page.
The first visit lasts 75 minutes. Your therapist will ask what’s been hard lately and what you hope will change. It’s also a good time to ask questions about mindfulness.
After that, visits are 45, 60, or 75 minutes. You’ll spend most of that time talking. The mindfulness part is often only a few minutes, and your therapist walks you through each exercise before you start.
At home, you might practice for a few minutes a day. Missing a day is common and okay. Here are some exercises you may try.
If a meditation app left you feeling like you were doing it wrong, you’re not alone. Minds drift, even for people who practice often. Each time you notice the drift and come back, you’re practicing the skill.
In therapy, exercises are usually shorter, and your therapist shapes them around you. If sitting still is hard for you, you can practice on a walk or while doing the dishes.
Turning your attention inward can sometimes stir up hard feelings or memories. You can stop any exercise that feels like too much. Your therapist can change it or try something else.
It’s your choice who you work with. Visit our team page to compare therapists’ licenses, training, and the people they usually see.
Only some of our therapists use mindfulness-based approaches. When you call, we’ll tell you who does and who has openings that work for your schedule.
If it doesn’t feel like a good fit, you can switch. Let us know and we’ll help.
For video, it matters where you are during each visit. Your therapist has to be allowed to provide care in that state, and we’ll check this before you book.
Your first visit is 75 minutes and costs $285 to $490, based on your therapist. Later visits cost:
Our office is open Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 7 PM, and Saturday, 9 AM to 4 PM. Ask us about your therapist’s hours.
You’ll find us at 8414 E. Shea Blvd., Suite 101, Scottsdale, AZ 85260. Select therapists also offer secure video visits for clients in Arizona, New York, or Hawaii.
To book, schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation or call (480) 639-5559. For more details, see our fees page and FAQ page.
Not quite. Meditation is one way to practice mindfulness, often by sitting still and following your breath. In therapy, you might also practice while you walk, eat, or talk through something hard.
No. The exercises are about where you put your attention. You don’t need to hold any belief to do them.
We don’t run mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) or MBCT as formal courses. Instead, mindfulness is part of your one-on-one visits. Our adult DBT skills group practices it too, so ask about the next start date on the free call.
It’s a quick way to ground yourself when anxiety spikes. Look around and name three things you see. Then name three sounds you hear, and move three parts of your body, like your fingers, shoulders, and feet. Your therapist can teach you other ways, too.
Someone working on stress at work might come for a few months. Others use mindfulness as one part of longer therapy. You and your therapist will talk about how often to meet and when you’re ready to stop.
Yes, with select therapists. You’ll need to be in Arizona, New York, or Hawaii during each visit. Your therapist can guide you through breathing and body scan exercises during a video visit. We’ll confirm who can see you before you book.
Your therapist will explain what stays private and when safety concerns or the law may require them to share information. For teens, your therapist will explain your child’s privacy and your role as a parent.
The first 75-minute visit ranges from $285 to $490, based on your therapist. Ongoing visits start at $185 and vary by therapist and visit length.
We do not accept insurance. You pay us directly for your care. We can give you a special receipt called a superbill. You can send it to your insurance plan to ask if it will pay back part of the cost. Check with your plan first. Not all plans cover mindfulness-based therapy.
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