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Befriending death: A mindfulness-based approach to cultivating self-awareness in counselling students

ABSTRACT The importance of self-awareness in counselling education is widely recognized; however, strengthening this vital aspect is often left to educators’ discretion. The author addresses this deficiency by first exploring four theoretical constructs: mindfulness, emotional regulation, death anxiety, and relationship dynamics. Then, she outlines a practical learning activity on the topic of death. The main exercise involves a guided meditation in which students imagine both a worst-case and best-case scenario of their own death, while practicing mindfulness, followed by a debriefing period and a written self-reflection. This activity can be used by educators to promote greater self-awareness in master’s level counselling students.