Stress Management

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an empirically validated program designed to prevent depressive relapse and reduce the impact of mood disorders. Developed by Zindel Segal, Mark Williams, and John Teasdale, MBCT integrates mindfulness meditation with cognitive therapy.

The core of MBCT involves helping participants recognize patterns of thinking associated with mood disorders while cultivating a new relationship to thoughts and emotions—viewing them as events in the mind rather than identifying with them.

The MBCT Teacher Training Intensive (TTI) is a highly interactive professional training that emphasizes the clinician’s own meditation practice and self-inquiry. Through role-play, simulated teaching environments, and patient-practitioner scenarios, participants explore how to apply mindfulness practices in clinical settings.

The curriculum integrates didactic, experiential, and small group learning, including daily meditation, mindful movement, and periods of silence. Participants examine the interaction between thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations and how these contribute to depressive relapse, while developing the skills to teach MBCT effectively.

Are you a mental health therapist seeking to take your expertise to another level? A transdiagnostic approach such as Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behavior Therapy (MiCBT) integrates mindfulness training in the Burmese Vipassana tradition with well-established cognitive and behavioural methods.

MiCBT has been shown through research to reduce symptoms across a wide range of psychological disorders, including complex comorbidities. This integration is considered a second-generation mindfulness-based intervention, incorporating transformational skills from Buddhist psychology.

Through the MiCBT Foundation course, participants deepen understanding of mindfulness insights and behavior reinforcement, explore neuroscience findings related to behavior maintenance and change, and learn to engage clients in treatment.

The course includes didactic, practical, and experiential learning, including daily meditation practice, training in mindfulness techniques, implementation of the four stages of MiCBT, and role-play of core skills in breakout sessions.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an empirically-supported 8-week psycho-educational group intervention that teaches mindfulness meditation as a health intervention. Created by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979, MBSR offers participants the possibility to develop a different relationship to stress resulting from chronic physical and psychological illnesses, and the daily indignities experienced as a result of racism and other forms of oppression. Research outcomes have demonstrated positive improvements in physical and psychological symptoms, as well as changes in health attitudes and behaviors.

This teacher training will provide trainees the opportunity to study and experience the foundational underpinnings, mindfulness meditations and specific exercises that are the framework of the MBSR program. The themes, rationales, intention and practice skills of each MBSR class session will be reviewed, discussed and practiced. Participant screening guidelines will be covered, and samples of client handouts will be provided. There will also be home practice for personal mindfulness practice.

This online teacher training is highly interactive. Trainees will move between experiencing MBSR sessions and practicing teaching components of the program in small groups under supervision. The training emphasizes the necessity of a personal mindfulness practice as the foundation for teaching, along with embodiment of non-judgmental present-moment awareness, kindness, compassion, and equanimity.

The training integrates didactic and experiential modules, including large and small group learning, role-play, and simulated patient-practitioner encounters. Ethical considerations in teaching MBSR are also addressed.

Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behavior Therapy (MiCBT) is a sophisticated integration of mindfulness training and cognitive-behavioral science. Grounded in evidence-based principles, MiCBT offers a four-stage, transdiagnostic treatment model that can be applied across a wide range of mental health conditions and client populations. Drawing from the Burmese Vipassana tradition of Ledi Sayadaw and U Ba Khin, MiCBT blends traditional mindfulness practices with the rigor of behavioral and cognitive methods.

This one-day workshop provides an engaging overview of the theoretical framework that underpins MiCBT. Participants will deepen their understanding of operant conditioning and explore the neuro-behavioral mechanisms that explain how mindfulness and CBT complement one another.

Join an international community of clinicians in this learning opportunity to discover how MiCBT can enrich both your clinical work and your personal mindfulness practice—and to consider whether further training in this empirically validated approach may be right for you.

The experiential workshop will involve learning material through various modalities, including guided mindfulness meditation practices as taught in MiCBT, live demonstration of delivery of Diary of Reactive Habits, guided mindfulness interoceptive exposure tasks and experiential ownership, video demonstrations of MiCBT skills with a client during real-life therapy sessions, and live question and answer through chat.

What’s included: access to online pre-workshop content, 14 days access to the recorded workshop, and membership to the North American Chapter of the MiCBT Institute.

For the introductory workshop, no prior knowledge of mindfulness is assumed, but basic skills in cognitive and behavioral techniques are helpful. The workshop is geared toward professionals with a foundational understanding of the concepts, as the workshop is delivered at a higher psychological level.

How do you typically react to difficulties in life—work stress, feeling rejected, physical problems, or financial hardship? Most of us instinctively fight negative experiences and find fault in ourselves when things go wrong. This tendency adds stress and self-criticism that can worsen anxiety, depression, and other challenges.

Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) teaches a different approach—learning to calm and support yourself when you’re struggling, much like you would for a close friend. Self-compassion is a skill that can be learned by anyone and is a courageous mental attitude that helps reduce self-judgment and emotional reactivity.

With mindful self-compassion, participants learn to recognize stress, respond with kindness, and build emotional resilience. Research shows that self-compassion can increase happiness, reduce anxiety and depression, and support healthy behavior change.

The 8-week MSC program consists of weekly sessions in a group format, along with guided practices and opportunities to integrate mindfulness and self-compassion into daily life.

This training brings together MBSR/MBCT teachers to contemplate and engage in practice around their wishes for wellbeing and healing for our planet Earth.

The six sessions of the training cover all 10 MBSR/MBCT class sessions. The sessions are divided approximately in half: the first half is dedicated to Earth Awareness practice and time for sharing personal reflections and experiences; the second half allows time for considering and sharing ways of inviting Earth Awareness into the curriculum and MBSR/MBCT classroom. Teachers can share both their established ways and their discoveries around new possibilities for bringing Earth Awareness into their teaching. Together, we can engage in the challenge and the benefit of holding the Earth as a fully worthy recipient in the circle of MBSR/MBCT care, compassion and embodied action.

Teachers prepare for each meeting by engaging with practice and self-reflection prompts, reviewing selected materials, and reviewing the MBSR/MBCT curriculum for the sessions to be discussed. Teachers are encouraged to write and share between meetings and contribute to a collection of resources to support Earth Awareness. Each teacher will leave this training with a range of materials for continued inspiration.

Sessions include community building, Earth-based practice, reflection and sharing, curriculum review, and exploration of ways to bring Earth Awareness into MBSR/MBCT teaching.

This teacher development training is for MBSR and MBCT teachers. Some teaching experience is recommended.

If you are interested in this program, please fill out this form to be added to the interest list. We will contact you once this program is scheduled.

Embark on a transformative journey with our unique course, seamlessly blending mindfulness training and education on the science of psychedelics. Discover the power of mindfulness as a foundation for navigating professionally led psychedelic experiences--learning to approach your experience with clarity, presence, and intention. Explore the depths of consciousness, guided by ancient mindfulness practices and modern insights.

Mindful Preparation and Integration for Psychedelic Interventions course offers a comprehensive understanding of both mindfulness and psychedelic science, providing tools for stress reduction, inner exploration, and personal growth. Gain practical skills to prepare for and integrate profound psychedelic experiences, harnessing their potential for healing and self-discovery.

Join a supportive community and expert-led sessions, unlocking a holistic approach to well-being that combines mindfulness practices and the transformative potential of psychedelics. Begin your journey toward inner harmony and expanded consciousness.

Legal Statement: Please note that our course strictly adheres to all relevant local, national, and international laws regarding the use, possession, and distribution of controlled substances. We do not condone, facilitate, or engage in the use or procurement of illegal substances. The educational content provided about substances such as psilocybin is for informational and academic purposes only and does not constitute encouragement or promotion of their use in any form that would contravene existing laws.

Ethical Statement: We uphold a strong commitment to ethical practices and responsible education. Our curriculum aims to provide factual, evidence-based information regarding substances like psilocybin, focusing on their historical, cultural, psychological, and therapeutic aspects. We prioritize the safety, well-being, and legal compliance of our students and do not endorse or advocate the use of any illegal substances. Our intention is to foster informed discussions, critical thinking, and ethical decision-making in the realm of psychedelics and related topics.

Outcomes

Short-Term:

• Improved Integration: Participants will demonstrate an increased ability to integrate psychedelic experiences, making meaning from insights, and applying them to personal growth and positive life changes.
• Emotional Well-being: Participants will report improved emotional regulation, resilience, and the ability to navigate difficult emotions both during psychedelic experiences and in daily life.
• Ethical Engagement: Participants will show an increased understanding of ethical considerations, harm reduction practices, and responsible use of psychedelics, promoting safety and integrity in their engagement with plant medicine.

Long-Term:

• Personal Transformation: Participants experience profound personal growth, healing, and positive life changes resulting from the integration of contemplative practices and psychedelic experiences.
• Community Impact: Graduates of the course become advocates for the synergistic application of mindfulness-based interventions with the safe and intentional use of psychedelics, actively supporting others in their integration journeys and contributing to the destigmatization and responsible use of psychedelics.
• Cultural Shift: The course contributes to a broader cultural shift towards recognizing and valuing the transformative potential of classical psychedelics and contemplative practices, leading to increased acceptance, research, and accessibility to psychedelic therapies.

Target Audience

• People interested in mindfulness-based interventions and their synergistic relationship with classic psychedelic plant medicine.
• People contemplating psychedelic assisted therapy and looking for skills to manage perceptions and emotions associated with the process.
• People wanting to sustain the impact of psychedelic-assisted therapies—further integrating these transformational experiences into their daily lives.

Objectives

• Increased Knowledge: Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of classical psychedelics/plant medicines, contemplative practices, integration techniques, the benefits and risks of psychedelic use, as well as the legal and ethical guidelines associated with psychedelic use.
• Enhanced Skills: Participants will acquire practical skills for self-reflection, emotional regulation, mindfulness, and integration of their psychedelic experiences -- enabling them to safely and effectively navigate, integrate, and benefit from the transformational potential of these practices.
• Increased Self-Awareness: Participants will learn evidenced-based mindfulness practices for deepening self-awareness, gaining deeper insight into their conditioned emotions, beliefs, and behavior patterns, and develop a greater understanding of the impact their psychedelic experiences may have on their psychological, emotional, and behavioral health. Participants will also develop an understanding of their choice to take plant medicine and how it is determined by many factors: including, but not limited to, culture, society, gender, race, experiences of personal and generational trauma, spirituality, and many more.
• Supportive Community: Participants will be given the opportunity to develop and foster a sense of community and connection with others on a similar--a safe and non-judgmental space for sharing, learning and compassionate support.