Depression has been traditionally treated with medication in an effort to alleviate the debilitating symptoms and to ease the burden of the sufferer, but there are costly side affects to this way of treating the disorder. This thesis explores a broader therapeutic concept for the treatment of depression incorporating mindfulness techniques and yoga practices into the depth psychology model for the treatment of symptoms. This integrative approach mobilizes and enhances the client’s innate ability to heal, generating hope and life-affirming connection to others. Marrying mindfulness practices with depth psychology breaks through the limitations of current Western thought and practices to liberate the therapist and client to explore the transformative potential of the symptoms of depression.

Employing a heuristic approach to exploring this alternative to treatment of depression, the author presents examples and a particular case study from her practice with patients with mental disorders who suffer from stress and depression, among other symptoms. The results reported from incorporating mindfulness, breathing techniques, and yogic practice in group and individual sessions are testimony to the proposal of the thesis. The electronic copy of this thesis is on a disc containing a single PDF file that can be opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader.