A Place for Every Tool and Every Tool in Its Place: Cognitive Integrative Perspective for Coherence on the New Frontier of Mind and Body Practice

There is currently a growing research and clinical knowledge base regarding the application of Eastern traditions, especially mindfulness and other forms of meditation, to direct practice. As we incorporate new tools for intervention into our toolkit, it is important to expand our theoretical framework so that we can know when to utilize these tools, how their mechanism fits with the tools we already have, and what kinds of change or outcomes we should expect from utilizing them. These new tools are powerful across many experiences of distress, but clear guidelines are necessary to maximize their benefit. Berlin’s cognitive-integrative perspective provides a framework that allows for reflective understanding and application of mind/body/spirit that is consistent with social work values and what we currently know about the underlying science of mind. Using concrete examples from direct practice, this paper will lay out the framework that is consonant with Siegel’s interpersonal neurobiology, discussed in this volume, and also firmly rooted in the person-in-environment perspective that is characteristic of social work.