Does anyone on the list know of a resource for finding MBSR teachers in the U.S.?
Hi Eliza, I have been adding MBSR teachers’ names to a directory on Mindfuluniverse.com, which is a free community site for people interested in mindfulness.
What are you looking for?
Hi, Eliza. My hope is that CFM makes a listing available of people who have been through the training, validated by their own data. Hopefully an upcoming development!
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There used to be such a directory by CFM. I hope it will be re-activated.
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This would be a wonderful resource. I am interested in the MBSR teacher training process which I understand begins with the 8-week MBSR course as prerequisite. But not just any course. My understanding is that it needs to conform to certain criteria. A vetted list of teachers would be a wonderful resource. But in the meantime, could you provide a clear list of the criteria that would qualify a given MBSR course?
I would also like to know whether certification is required to teach MBSR in the community.
Thanks for clarification on these questions.
Hello, Cathy,
The requirements for the MBSR course, simply put, are that the class is taught using the 8-week MBSR course curriculum that was developed here at the Center for Mindfulness. One can determine whether this is the case by asking the instructor whether that is their intention, and whether they are using the 8-week curriculum. It can be helpful to also ask how they came by that curriculum and whether they have completed any teacher training. Most frequently, people have taken teacher training, either here or at a small number of other centers worldwide who have committed to developing MBSR teachers along the original curriculum. People will have been given the curriculum at the time of their training.
The curriculum is specific and well-detailed across the 8-week span, and so too long to post the details here. There is a document on our main website, available to all, that outlines the key program criteria for MBSR. That can be found here:
http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/stress-reduction/mbsr-standards-of-practice/
All the best,
Margaret
Hi, Cathy,
When I was in training (MBSR in Mind-Body Medicine) with Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli, Jon specifically said that, while someone can teach mindfulness, no one can teach “MBSR” or “mindfulness-based stress reduction” without having completed the training and certification.
I took my live MBSR class in a group; it was in the local paper, and another local hospital also offered the class.
Good luck!
Melinda