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Ethically and Culturally Appropriate Applications of Buddhist Based Therapeutic Mindfulness in Professional Social Work Setting
Canda, Edward R.
Canda, Edward R.
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Abstract
Therapeutic mindfulness practices have become very widespread in social work, mental health, education, and other human service settings (Canda & Warren, 2013; Dylan & Coates, 2016）. They are commonly employed in conjunction with evidence-based cognitive and stress management therapies, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy （DBT）（Bein, 2014; Haynes, Follete, & Linehan, 2004; McKay, Wood, & Brantley, 2007) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction （MBSR）（Kabat-Zinn, 1990; Wisner, Jones, & Gwin, 2010). Although
the mindfulness practices are rooted in Buddhist meditation traditions, they are typically removed from that context and applied by social work professionals to support therapeutic goals such as reduction of symptoms related to distress, pain, depression, anxiety, poor impulse control, and suicidal ideation （e.g., Baer, 2010; Coholic, 2011; Dylan & Coates, 2016; McBee, 2008; Siegel, 2010). Therapeutic mindfulness practices are also applied to social workers themselves to promote personal and professional development and to relieve stress and compassion fatigue (Lucas, 2017; Neff & Germer, 2018; Pyles, 2018). Therapeutic mindfulness is applied in many service contexts, including children and youth, schools, family therapy, immigration and refugee services, community and environmental activism, strengthening therapeutic relationship qualities, elder care, death and dying/hospice services, mental health recovery, and
medical social work （Canda & Warren, 2013; Hick, 2009; McBee, 2008). It can support clients to achieve their goals, reduce debilitating symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress, and promote their well-being as well as broader social and ecological justice. These goals can be congruent with the Buddhist tradition’s goal of relieving suffering and promoting insights and enlightenment; however, there can also be losses of deeper spiritual/existential benefits and distortions of values associated with original Buddhist purposes and contexts for meditation. There is also the possibility of violating social work values related to social justice, culturally appropriate and humble practice, and cross-cultural misappropriation of helping practices (Canda, Furman, & Canda, 2020; Canda & Yellow Bird,
1996). Therefore, this chapter presents a concise reflection about these concerns and guidelines for social workers and other professional helpers to consider when engaging in therapeutic mindfulness practices.
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2025-11-01
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Shukutoku University
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Canda, E. R. (2025). Ethically and culturally appropriate applications of Buddhist based therapeutic mindfulness in professional social work settings. In Akimoto, Canda, Gohori, Hatta, McNabb, Rasool, and Matsuo (Eds). Social Work Academics Resisting the Globalization of Western-rooted Social Work: Decolonization, Indigenization, Spirituality, and Buddhist Social Work (pp. 131-140). Chiba: ARIISW-Shukutoku University. ISBN: 978-4-908912-19-1.