Mindfulness is one of the core skills in DBT, and it has also become a cornerstone in CBT, ACT, and trauma-informed care. For therapists, integrating simple mindfulness exercises into sessions can help clients slow down, ground themselves, and build greater self-awareness.
Below you’ll find practical mindfulness exercises for therapists, plus downloadable worksheets you can use directly in session with teens, adults, or groups.
Why Use Mindfulness Exercises in Therapy Sessions?
-Immediate grounding → Reduces overwhelm and brings clients back to the present.
-Builds self-awareness → Clients notice thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without judgment.
-Improves emotion regulation → Core to DBT, mindfulness helps reduce reactivity.
-Flexible and adaptable → Works across modalities (CBT, DBT, ACT, trauma therapy).
1. Breathing Awareness (The Anchor Exercise)
- Invite the client to close their eyes or soften their gaze.
- Guide them to notice the natural rhythm of their breath.
- Ask: “What do you feel in your body as you inhale? Exhale?”
- Encourage them to return to the breath whenever the mind wanders.
2. Five Senses Grounding Exercise
This exercise is especially useful for anxiety, panic, or trauma triggers.
- Ask clients to notice:
- 5 things they see
- 4 things they touch
- 3 things they hear
- 2 things they smell
- 1 thing they taste
- Helps anchor them back into the here and now.
📄 Download our 5 Senses Grounding Worksheet for in-session use. 👉 Shop now
3. Thought Noticing (What Skills)
Borrowed from DBT, this exercise teaches clients to observe and describe thoughts without judgment.
- Invite clients to imagine thoughts as leaves floating down a stream.
- Encourage them to notice each thought, label it (“planning,” “worrying,” “judging”), and let it pass.
- Reinforce the difference between observing thoughts vs. getting pulled into them.
📄 Try our What Skills that guides clients step-by-step. 👉 Shop now
4. Body Scan for Tension Release
- Guide clients through a slow scan from head to toe.
- Ask them to notice areas of tension, heaviness, or warmth.
- Optional: encourage releasing tension with each exhale.
Helpful for clients who struggle with somatic awareness or carry stress physically.
📄 Use with our Body Scan Worksheet to help clients map physical sensations. 👉 Shop now
5. Mindful Journaling Prompt (How Skills)
- Give the client a simple prompt: “Right now, I notice…”
- Ask them to write for 2–3 minutes without censoring.
- Afterwards, review the journal entry together, noting judgments vs. neutral observations.
📄 Our Mindful Journaling Worksheet provides guided prompts and reflection space. 👉 Shop now
How to Introduce Mindfulness in Session
- Start small → 2–3 minutes is enough for beginners.
- Normalize distraction → Wandering minds are expected, not a failure.
- Debrief → Always allow time for clients to reflect on what they noticed.
- Encourage at-home practice → Assign the worksheet to build habit outside the therapy room.
Download Printable Mindfulness Worksheets for Therapy Sessions
Includes:
- DBT mindfulness exercises (58 pages)
- DBT mindfulness prompts (10 pages)