Quick Overview: Yes. The National Institute of Mental Health states that psychotherapy may apply mindfulness and relaxation techniques, including meditation and breathing exercises. This means these practices can be part of psychotherapy, but the available information does not establish what a particular therapist will include, how a practice would be used, or whether it fits a particular person. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describes meditation as a variety of practices that can involve focusing on breathing, a sound, a visual image, or a repeated word or phrase.
What Psychotherapy May Include
The National Institute of Mental Health describes psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, as a variety of treatments that aim to help a person identify and change troubling emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. The organization lists several possible elements of psychotherapy. These include identifying ways to cope with stress, developing problem-solving strategies, examining interactions with others, teaching social and communication skills, and applying mindfulness and relaxation techniques.
Meditation and breathing exercises appear in that list as examples of mindfulness and relaxation techniques that psychotherapy may apply. The word may sets an important boundary. It does not mean that every psychotherapy approach includes meditation or breathing exercises. It also does not say that these practices are included in every meeting or in a particular person’s care.
NIMH states that therapists may use one primary approach or incorporate elements from multiple approaches. According to NIMH, this can depend on the therapist’s training, the disorder being treated, and the needs of the person receiving treatment. A preliminary conversation can help someone understand how treatment would proceed and whether they feel comfortable with a therapist.
Meditation Can Take Different Forms
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describes meditation as a variety of practices focused on mind and body integration and used to calm the mind and enhance overall well-being. Some types of meditation involve maintaining mental focus on a particular sensation. NCCIH gives breathing, a sound, a visual image, and a mantra as examples of possible points of focus. It defines a mantra as a repeated word or phrase.
This description does not mean that all meditation involves breathing. Breathing is one possible focus among several named by NCCIH. The description also does not identify one meditation practice that applies across all psychotherapy approaches.
NCCIH describes mindfulness as maintaining attention or awareness on the present moment without making judgments. It also notes that programs teaching meditation or mindfulness may combine these practices with other activities. For example, NCCIH describes mindfulness-based stress reduction as a program that teaches mindful meditation and also includes discussion sessions and other strategies for applying learning to stressful experiences.
Breathing Exercises May Be Part of Psychotherapy
NIMH specifically names breathing exercises among the mindfulness and relaxation techniques that psychotherapy may apply. The supplied source material does not provide a further definition of breathing exercises or explain how a therapist would use them in a particular approach.
That limit matters when considering a general description. The available information supports saying that breathing exercises can be included in psychotherapy. It does not support assumptions about the instructions involved, when they might be introduced, how often they might be used, or what they would be intended to accomplish for an individual.
A direct question can help clarify what a therapist means by “breathing exercises” in their own approach. It can also help distinguish a general term from the specific methods a therapist may or may not use.
Related Terms Need Not Mean the Same Thing
The available sources discuss mindfulness, meditation, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques in related ways, but they do not state that these terms are interchangeable. NIMH lists mindfulness and relaxation techniques as possible elements of psychotherapy and identifies meditation and breathing exercises as examples. NCCIH separately describes meditation and mindfulness.
When these words arise in a therapy conversation, a useful question may be: “What do you mean by this term in your approach?” General education can explain the source material, but it cannot define a particular therapist’s methods in advance.
What the Available Information Can and Cannot Answer
The available information supports a clear but limited answer: psychotherapy can include meditation and breathing exercises. It does not determine whether either practice will be part of a particular person’s therapy. It also does not determine personal fit or outcomes for an individual reader.
NCCIH states that meditation and mindfulness practices are usually considered to have few risks. It also notes that few studies have examined potentially harmful effects, so definite statements about safety are not possible. This information concerns meditation and mindfulness practices generally; it does not establish what any particular person will experience.
NIMH suggests asking a prospective therapist about the approach they use, whether they practice a particular type of therapy, and the rationale and evidence base for the approach. Those questions can keep the conversation grounded in what a therapist actually offers rather than in assumptions about a term.
Practice Note: Rooted Integrative Therapy lists Alina Hovsoyan, LCSW. The practice offers individual therapy, couples therapy, group therapy, and therapy intensives. Its FAQs describe scheduling a consultation call as a first step, with an opportunity to ask questions and consider fit.
Reflection Questions
| Reflection question | Question to explore further |
|---|---|
| What do I mean when I use the word “meditation”? | Am I thinking about breathing, a sound, a visual image, a repeated word or phrase, or another practice? |
| What would I like clarified about breathing exercises? | What does that term mean in the approach I am considering? |
| Which related terms am I asking about? | Am I asking about mindfulness, meditation, relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, or more than one of these? |
| What would I like to know about treatment? | What would help me understand how treatment would proceed? |
| What would I like to ask about the approach? | What questions do I have about its rationale and evidence base? |
Questions to Bring to a Consultation
- When you use the term meditation, what does it mean in your approach?
- When you mention breathing exercises, what does that term mean in your approach?
- What approach do you use?
- How would treatment proceed?
- What is the rationale and evidence base for the approach?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can psychotherapy include meditation and breathing exercises?
Yes. NIMH states that psychotherapy may apply mindfulness and relaxation techniques, including meditation and breathing exercises. This does not establish what will be included in a particular person’s therapy.
Does meditation always involve focusing on breathing?
No. NCCIH states that some meditation practices involve focusing on breathing. It also identifies a sound, a visual image, and a repeated word or phrase as possible points of focus.
What are breathing exercises in psychotherapy?
NIMH names breathing exercises as a mindfulness and relaxation technique that psychotherapy may apply. The available source material does not further define the term or specify how a particular therapist would use it.
Are mindfulness and meditation the same thing?
NCCIH describes meditation as a variety of practices and mindfulness as maintaining present-moment attention or awareness without making judgments. The available sources do not state that the terms are interchangeable.
How can I ask Rooted Integrative Therapy about these topics?
Rooted Integrative Therapy’s FAQs describe a consultation call as an opportunity to ask questions and consider fit. Its Connect page invites inquiries and appointment requests through its contact details or form.
This article is for general education only. It is not a diagnosis, treatment plan, or substitute for individualized mental-health care. A qualified mental-health professional can help you consider what fits your circumstances.
Sources and Further Reading
Sources used for this article:
- National Institute of Mental Health: Psychotherapies
- nccih.nih.gov: Meditation And Mindfulness Effectiveness And Safety
A Grounded Next Step
If you would like to ask Rooted Integrative Therapy about its services or approach, visit the Connect page. Rooted Integrative Therapy offers in-person therapy near Orem and Provo, with virtual therapy across Utah. Its FAQs describe a consultation call as a first step for asking questions and considering fit.
Please do not include urgent or highly sensitive clinical information in a general inquiry.