A Contemplative-Based Intervention for School Counselors Working with Adolescents

Abstract

Integrating contemplative practices into school counseling program delivery continues to grow in attention and scope. Loving-kindness meditation (LKM) is a contemplative practice that shows promise for fostering intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes. In this conceptual article, the author describes a loving-kindness meditation-based contemplative intervention titled Supporting Personal Awareness, Compassion, and Engagement (SPACE) Project for use in schools with adolescents. The SPACE Project focuses on helping adolescents utilize contemplative strategies to cope with stress and daily challenges. The article reviews the literature on contemplative practice, details the SPACE Project, describes its application as a school counseling approach, and provides future research directions.