Meditation in der Psychotherapie

Meditation and psychotherapy were discussed early on as possible complementary interventions. Over the past 2–3 decades there has been an increasing adoption of approaches from meditative traditions, particularly in cognitive behavioral approaches. This article presents the principles of the integration of meditative approaches into psychotherapy. The two currently most frequently integrated approaches of mindfulness and compassion are presented. Complementary forms of meditation from Buddhist traditions are presented, which have so far only been considered sporadically. These are the four brahmavihāra (sublime attitudes) mettā, karuṇā, muditā and upekkhā as well as concepts that take the emotional tones of human experience into account (vedanā). The article concludes with a section on the responsible integration of meditative elements into psychotherapeutic treatment and a discussion of risks and side effects.