Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an 8-week, evidence-based program that integrates mindfulness practice with cognitive therapy tools to help reduce stress, support emotional balance, and prevent relapse of depression and anxiety.
Through weekly experiential sessions—including guided meditation, mindful movement, and cognitive inquiry—participants learn to recognize unhelpful thinking patterns, relate differently to difficult emotions, and respond to challenges with greater clarity and self-compassion.
What You’ll Learn
- Recognize patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior that contribute to distress.
- Reduce identification with negative mood states and strengthen mindful awareness.
- Practice mindfulness skills to manage symptoms and support relapse prevention.
- Respond with greater choice (rather than reacting automatically) in difficult situations.
Who Should Participate
This course is designed for individuals who experience anxiety, low mood, or cycles of worry and rumination, including those with a history of depression and/or anxiety who want practical tools to support well-being.
- Participants are expected to attend at least 80% of sessions and engage in home practice.
- Participants are strongly encouraged to attend the daylong silent retreat.
- Participants will meet briefly with the instructor before the program begins; details will be provided closer to the start date.
Note: This course is for personal learning and practice and does not provide facilitator training.
Helpful Resources
- The Mindful Way Workbook: An 8-Week Program to Free Yourself from Depression and Emotional Distress — John Teasdale, Mark Williams, Zindel Segal (Foreword by Jon Kabat-Zinn)
- Video: Zindel Segal on MBCT
- Kuyken (2016): Individual patient data meta-analysis (MBCT and relapse prevention)
Cassandra Vieten Profile
Cassandra Vieten, PhD, is Clinical Professor and Director of the Center for Mindfulness at the Centers for Integrative Health in the Department of Family Medicine at UC San Diego. Her research focuses on mindfulness-based interventions, spirituality and health, and transformative experiences that support emotional well-being.
An additional $50 fee is required for CE credits. This must be paid before the program starts, and participants must attend all sessions to receive the CE Certificate.
Continuing education credits are awarded in the following categories: American Psychological Association and California Board of Registered Nursing.
Psychologists
UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 22.0 CE credits.
California licensed MFTs, LPCCs, LEPs, LCSWs
This activity is an approved continuing education program by the American Psychological Association. Credit hours may be applied to your license renewal through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. 22.0 CE credits.
Nurses
UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing to sponsor continuing education. Provider Number CEP16351. 26.0 contact hours.
A refund (minus your $50 non-refundable/non-transferable deposit) will be made for cancellations submitted in writing up to 7 days prior to the event start date by emailing mindfulness@.ucsd.edu. No refunds will be allowed within 6 days of the event start date.
Please be aware that the registration fee, deposits, and funds are non-transferable to other programs.
In the unlikely event that the course is cancelled, UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is responsible only for a full refund of the registration fee. In regards to in-person programs, the center is not responsible for any refunds to transportation, hotel accommodations, or any miscellaneous expenses.
Refunds are processed using the same method as the original payment (unless past 180 days).