Introducing mindfulness and compassion-based interventions to improve verbal creativity in students of clinical and health psychology.

OBJECTIVES: In the field of psychotherapy, verbal creativity has been suggested as an important aspect in psychotherapists' training. In the present study, the effects of a mindfulness and compassion-based intervention (MCBI) on verbal creativity are analysed in students of clinical and health psychology (N = 90). DESIGN: Students were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 37), in which an MCBI was applied, and a waiting list group (n = 26) with no intervention. We also assessed a non-randomized active control group (n = 27), in which students received training in basic psychotherapy skills. METHODS: Verbal creativity (fluency, flexibility, and originality) was evaluated in a pre-, post-, and follow-up assessment. RESULTS: Results indicated a significant increase in fluency (p = .001, d = .64), flexibility (p = .017, d = .67), and originality (p = .004, d = .72) in the experimental group, relative to the waiting list group, in the post-assessment. Fluency (p = .010, d = .64) and flexibility (p = .033, d = .62) were also found to be higher in the follow-up assessment. In addition, results indicated a significant increase in flexibility (p = .034, d = .74) in the experimental group, relative to the active control group, in the follow-up assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Introducing MCBI in the university education of psychotherapists seems to be a useful strategy to improve their verbal creativity, which could positively influence their ability to explore and appropriately respond to their patients' needs. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Mindfulness and compassion-based interventions (MCBIs) could be a useful strategy to improve verbal creativity in the university education of psychotherapists. After the MCBI, students of clinical and health psychology increased the number of ideas they produced when facing a specific situation, as well as their variety and originality.