Mindfulness

How does mindfulness impact our mental health?

Do you remember what you had for breakfast this morning? What was your first thought when you woke up this morning?

Even though we all have the ability to be aware, it becomes more accessible to us if we exercise it every day.

Being attentive means paying attention to your thoughts and feelings as well as the sensations you're having in the present moment. When you train your brain to be attentive, you're altering its physical structure.

Awareness and acceptance are two of the most important aspects of mindfulness. When we say we are aware, we mean that we are able to pay attention to and be aware of our own inner processes and experiences, such as the one we are currently having. As a result, acceptance is the ability to see and accept, rather than judge or reject, those streams of thought.

The purpose of mindfulness is to build a perspective on one's consciousness and identity that can lead to increased mental and interpersonal well-being. Mindfulness can be used to deal with stress, anxiety, and pain, but it can also be used to relax on its own.

How do I cultivate a state of mindfulness?

Think about the thoughts and feelings that come up in your mind as a way of cultivating awareness. Avoid judging or pushing away unpleasant ideas if you want to create an attitude of acceptance and tolerance. Acknowledging that emotions are normal and that everyone experiences them can help you gain a better understanding of yourself and help you move forward.

Mindfulness's many advantages:

Stress is reduced, detrimental ruminating is reduced, and sadness and anxiety are protected as a result of its use. Even in the face of rejection and social exclusion, research reveals that mindfulness might help people cope better.

Research:

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/harvard-researchers-study-how-mindfulness-may-change-the-brain-in-depressed-patients/

https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/research

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3679190/

Dr. Sonya Boone, DBH, LCSW, MSW, MHSA

Dr. Sonya K. Boone, DBH, MHSA, MSW, MSL, LCSW, is a Doctor of Behavioral Health and multi-state Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 15 years of experience spanning integrated healthcare, academic instruction, military behavioral health, inpatient and outpatient clinical care, clinical supervision, and telehealth service delivery. Her work centers on integrating behavioral health into medical, organizational, and community systems, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration, trauma-informed practice, and sustainable workforce development.

Dr. Boone currently serves as an adjunct professor at the doctoral level, teaching courses in behavioral health integration, primary care behavioral health models, healthcare operations, health equity, and healthcare entrepreneurship. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes applied systems thinking, ethical leadership, and translating clinical expertise into scalable, real-world healthcare solutions. She is deeply engaged in mentoring doctoral students and advanced clinicians in bridging clinical care, administration, policy, and innovation.

Clinically, Dr. Boone has delivered thousands of psychotherapy sessions across outpatient, inpatient, and virtual settings. She utilizes evidence-based modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, and solution-focused approaches. Her clinical expertise includes work with anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, trauma and stress-related conditions, ADHD, adjustment disorders, chronic medical conditions, and complex psychosocial presentations within integrated care environments. She has extensive experience conducting biopsychosocial assessments and collaborating closely with interdisciplinary medical teams to support whole-person care.

In addition to direct clinical work, Dr. Boone is an experienced clinical supervisor and consultant. She provides supervision and professional development support to licensed and provisionally licensed clinicians across multiple states, focusing on ethical practice, diagnostic formulation, documentation quality, clinical reasoning, and professional identity development. Her supervisory approach integrates clinical depth with systems-level awareness, supporting clinicians working in high-acuity, integrated, and resource-constrained settings.

Dr. Boone is also a coauthor and lead chapter editor on an upcoming Biodyne Integrated Care textbook developed in collaboration with the Cummings Graduate Institute. In this role, she contributes scholarly and applied content addressing integrated care frameworks, interdisciplinary practice models, and the operationalization of behavioral health within complex healthcare systems. Her editorial leadership reflects her commitment to advancing evidence-based, systems-informed approaches to integrated behavioral health education and practice.

She additionally serves as a U.S. Army Reserve Medical Service Corps Officer and has held leadership roles including Hospital Adjutant, Victim Advocate, and Suicide Prevention Leader. Her military service has strengthened her expertise in military cultural competence, crisis intervention, leadership under pressure, and behavioral health support for service members and their families. She has received multiple military honors, including the Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medals, in recognition of her leadership and service.

Dr. Boone holds a Doctor of Behavioral Health from Arizona State University, a Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Master of Health Services Administration from Strayer University, and a Master of Studies in Law from the University of Southern California. This interdisciplinary academic foundation enables her to approach behavioral health through clinical, administrative, legal, and systems-level lenses. She is also a contributing author to scholarly and applied works focused on integrated care delivery and behavioral health innovation.

Her academic and professional interests include integrated behavioral health delivery, clinician burnout prevention, health equity, trauma-informed systems, military and veteran mental health, and the development of scalable behavioral health interventions within medical, academic, and organizational settings. Dr. Boone maintains active clinical licensure in multiple U.S. states and continues to engage in clinical practice, teaching, supervision, consultation, and scholarly writing.

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