I understand why I had trouble understanding phenomenology as it is almost identical to mindfulness as it is likely heavily inspired by Buddhism. I had studied Buddhism longer than many of the other world belief systems because it interested me because it was hard for me to understand. Then when I realized Zen is like Taoism that helped but in many ways Taoism is opposite to Buddhism.
There is a classical word picture of the Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist all looking at a pot of honey. The Taoist eats it immediately, the Confucian debates whether he should eat it or not and the Buddhist abstains.
The way the phenomenologist investigates truth is objective based on a subjective experience. That was hard for me to put together how that could work. It is like studying art by the scientific method. But I see the connection to psychology is obvious.
I also understand why they are using mindfulness in treating mental illness. They need to do a better job of teaching it which would work better if they the instructor understood it better. They are over complicating it.
This suspension of your beliefs and willingness to see things from an entirely different point of view is probably very disorienting for religious people who are suspicious of competing ideas being imposed on them deceptively.
There is no trust because there is nothing in common to base a relationship on for the counseling
When people are unwilling to learn about something because they believe it is wrong logically or immoral they are going to have a hard time making the person with said beliefs change their mind and perspective
The psychologist likes mindfulness because it is like you doing counseling to yourself.
I notice I have a lot of similar ideas as the philosopher Heidegger but he was a literal NAZI party member although did not support Hitler. It is like quoting the unibomber who had great ideas but he also was a terrorist who killed many people.