Staff

Helen Hyun-Chung Kim is a Certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy teacher. In her previous life she was a board certified psychiatrist in Korea for 15 years, working for underserved communities. During this time she witnessed suffering in the lives of her patients and felt a strong pull towards the field of mindfulness and self-compassion as a way to heal and alleviate suffering. 

With the guidance of the founding director, Dr. Steve Hickman, Helen was able to join the UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness. At the center, Helen learned various Mindfulness-Based programs from many great teachers. In their teachings she discovered a rich, grounding foundation for her life, filled with awareness, acceptance, ease, and compassion. On her journey of self-discovery and healing, she is witnessing, over and over, her growth and transformation as a human being. Helen is committed to sharing what she has learned with others who may be on their own journey of self-discovery and healing. 

Dr. Jennifer Miller is a Senior Meditation Teacher at the Center, a licensed Clinical Psychologist—PSY17908, and a Public Education Specialist (PES) in the Department of Anesthesiology. She began her mindfulness training in 2010 with Dr. Steve Hickman, Founder of the Center for Mindfulness at UC San Diego. Dr. Miller is certified to teach Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and is trained to offer Mindful Self-Compassion and Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention courses. In early 2024, Dr. Miller began offering a ground-breaking 8-week Mindful Preparation and Integration of Psychedelic Interventions course at the UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness. As a PES, Dr. Miller is a Senior Meditation guide for various research projects studying the power of mindfulness to alleviate pain and suffering. When not serving at the Center, Dr. Miller is actively running Mindsmith, A Psychological Professional Corporation–a clinical practice specializing in mindful psychology; offering mindfulness-based interventions for depression, anxiety, and stress disorders. Dr. Miller is also the founder of Mindful Monday, a free, drop-in, weekly virtual meditation practice group. The joys of her life are her husband, to whom she’s been married for over 30 years, and her two young adult children. Practicing mindfulness has been and continues to be a daily blessing in this full life.​

Renée is the Acting Director of the Youth, Family & Education Programs at UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness. With education as her background, Renée is very interested in mindfulness for teens and adults alike.  In 2013, Renée was hired as the Administrative Coordinator for the Center for Mindfulness. During this time, Renée attended her first MBSR class. Since then she has been practicing daily and has developed a passion for teaching mindfulness. She attended the MBSR Teacher Training in 2015 and since has become a Certified MBSR teacher.

Noriko Morita Harth is a Certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Instructor, Certified Mindful Self-Compassion Instructor and served as the Managing Director of the UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness for many years. Noriko has been teaching MBSR and MSC since 2014. She also offers mentorships for MBSR and MSC teachers, MBSR Teacher Training programs, and practicum at the Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute at the UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness.

Born in Japan, she moved to the States in 1985. Noriko feels that her life transforming journey of discovering and exploring mindfulness practices has allowed a more balanced life and identity between these two cultures. Noriko strongly believes practicing mindfulness and compassion, and bringing its principles into her life has and continues to help her grow as a person. She feels passionate about bringing these practices to other people's lives. It is her mission to share what she has learned, what she continues to learn to our community. In addition, Noriko sees an opportunity, based on her own integration experiences, to introduce mindfulness & compassion programs to the Japanese community.

Lorraine M. Hobbs, M.A., is Founding Director of the Youth, Family & Education Programs at the UCSD San Diego Center for Mindfulness. She is a family therapist and former clinical director of adolescent treatment programs. Lorraine is certified to teach Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), and Compassion Cultivation, Altruism, Research & Education (CCT), a Stanford University accredited program created by contemplative scholars and endorsed by H.H. The Dalai Lama. She is a certified teacher of the Humanize Contemplative Dyad Foundational Program – based on the research of social neuroscientist Tania Singer, Ph.D.

Lorraine is co-author of two books: Teaching Self-Compassion to Teens (Guilford Press, 2022) and The Self-Compassion Workbook for Kids (New Harbinger, 2023). She is also a mentor for the MBSR certification pathway at the UCSD Mindfulness Based Professional Training Institute.

During her tenure at the Center for Mindfulness, she designed and implemented curricula in mindfulness-based interventions for multiple age groups, including a program in Mindful Compassionate Parenting for Parents of Kids with Autism and Other Neurodiverse Conditions. She is a pioneer in self-compassion training for parents, teens and kids and is co-author of the Mindful Self-Compassion Program for Teens & Young Adults, adapted from the adult program created by Kristin Neff, Ph.D. & Chris Germer, Ph.D. Lorraine is co-founder of the MSC-T teacher training program and provides teacher training in the MSC-T curriculum throughout the U.S. and internationally.

Her new curriculum for kids, A Friend in Me: An AI supported emotional strength training program for kids has been adapted into a classroom model, using an avatar to help kids cultivate skills in self-compassion.

Lorraine trains NGO staff through UNHCR in Ecuador. She has trained psychologists and mental health workers in Nicaragua and Mexico through a USAID program, Mentte Cedat and serves on the Mentte Cedat Advisory Board.

Philayne Pribnow, originally from Wisconsin, moved to California back in 1999. Her most recent job was at UC San Diego Rady School of Management where she was an Event Manager for 6 years. Philayne began working as the Administrative Coordinator for the UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness in March of 2022. She looks forward to continuing to build on her mindfulness training and offering administrative support to the center. In her free time, Philayne enjoys golfing, pet sitting, and hanging out with family and friends.

Lisette Atala-Doocy is a Certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Instructor who also holds a Certification from The Mindfulness in Schools Education Project, a program originally from the UK. Furthermore, she received a Certificate of Attendance from the Omega Institute on Radical Acceptance: Pathway of Emotional Healing & Spiritual Freedom led by Tara Brach. She is Co-Founder of the Bilingual Center for Mindfulness, which promotes mindfulness courses in Spanish and English.

Lisette’s strong conviction about the benefits and power of mindfulness practice has inspired her to passionately promote these techniques within our community. She has been teaching MBSR, Mindful Yoga and Mindful Living in Spanish and English for several years in the San Diego – Baja California regions. The mindfulness programs she has led in various institutions include the School of Medicine, Baja California State University and a Scripps Clinic women’s group. She has been spearheading a Mindful-Living group for more than six years. In addition to having practiced meditation for over 23 years, Lisette has also studied classical music and linguistics while making significant contributions to the San Diego art world over the course of many years.

Megan Prager, MA, serves as the Compassion Programs Director at the UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness and is the co-founder of Mindful Labs. She is a certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher, a certified Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) teacher, and a certified Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) instructor. Megan is also an adjunct faculty member at San Diego State University and a lecturer at the UC San Diego Rady School of Management.

In addition to teaching mindfulness-based programs, Megan specializes in designing and delivering mindfulness and compassion trainings for Fortune 500 companies as well as for educational, healthcare, and academic settings. She currently collaborates with universities to develop and teach mindfulness and compassion courses at the collegiate level. Across all of her work, Megan is driven by a clear mission: to empower individuals to cultivate compassionate awareness and recognize their capacity to shape their own well-being.

Helen Hyun-Chung Kim is a Certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy teacher. In her previous life she was a board-certified psychiatrist in Korea for 15 years, serving underserved communities. During that time she witnessed profound suffering in her patients and felt drawn toward mindfulness and self-compassion as paths toward healing.

With guidance from founding director Dr. Steve Hickman, Helen joined UC San Diego’s Center for Mindfulness, where she studied a range of mindfulness-based programs with many respected teachers. Through this journey she developed a grounded foundation rooted in awareness, acceptance, ease, and compassion.

Helen is committed to sharing what she has learned with others on their own paths of healing and self-discovery, offering a warm, steady presence shaped by both clinical experience and contemplative practice.

Cheryl has over 20 years of finance and corporate experience in leadership roles, working in a high-demanding career while raising two daughters. The daily stress she faced led her to conclude there must be a better way to live and work. She witnessed firsthand the negative impacts of long work hours, stress, and pressure on individuals and the emotional and mental pain suffered in the workplace.

Her extensive professional background informs her teaching, making her an accessible and compassionate guide who translates mindfulness and compassion into language that feels relevant and practical.

Cheryl first discovered meditation in college when her wandering mind created difficulties in her studies. She later learned about mindfulness through Mindful Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in 2005 and pursued Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) in 2010. She attended a 10-day silent Vipassana retreat in Joshua Tree in 2013 and continues retreat practice annually.

She embodies mindfulness and self-compassion through daily practice, emphasizing the power of pausing to respond with intention. Cheryl ultimately left her finance career to launch Simply Pause, supporting others in changing their relationship with stress and cultivating wiser, more compassionate lives.