Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

Teacher Training Intensive

Update: Offered Late 2024 | Live Online

Previous Program Was Offered by:

Description of MBCT-TTI

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an 8-week, empirically-validated and insurance-reimbursable therapeutic mindfulness intervention shown to be effective for prevention of depression relapse with increasing evidence for treating symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress. Based on the research of Drs. Zindel Segal, John Teasdale, and Mark Williams, and documented in their book "Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression”, this professional training combines the practice and clinical application of mindfulness meditation with the tools of cognitive therapy.

The MBCT Teacher Training Intensive (TTI) is a foundational step in the MBCT Teacher Training Pathway and is equally applicable to therapists interested in incorporating elements of mindfulness practice into their clinical work. It is designed to cycle through the 8-week MBCT curriculum in two ways: First, participants are led through key components of the program by the instructors and then, using “teachbacks”, participants are supervised as they guide each other through the cardinal mindfulness practices and cognitive therapy exercises that comprise MBCT.

Throughout this training, didactics, experiential practice, and small group process — including daily meditations, mindful movement, and periods of silence — are relied upon to consolidate the participants’ learning of basic mindfulness group facilitation skills for clinical settings. A continuous theme emphasized in this training is the importance of the clinician’s own mindfulness practice, especially how self-knowledge gained through practice can be used in helping clients in emotional distress. These rigorous trainings are appropriate for professionals in the health care, community health, education, mindfulness research, mindfulness intervention, and leadership fields.

Please note: This 6-day training is part of the MBCT professional certificate training at the Centre for Mindfulness Studies (CMS). This course is the equivalent of the 5-Day MBCT Teacher Training at CMS. This training is offered through Harvard Medical School’s (HMS) Department of Postgraduate Medical Education in collaboration with the CHA Center for Mindfulness and Compassion and the Centre for Mindfulness Studies in Toronto. Scroll down for additional information.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Identify the core teaching elements of the MBCT program

• Define the role of sustained meditative practice in facilitating emotion regulation and defusing negative thought patterns

• Summarize the theme, rationale, intentions and practice skills for each of the eight MBCT sessions

• Discuss the relevance and importance of meditation practice and self-inquiry for the facilitator of MBCT and how this informs the integration of awareness practices within a psychotherapy frame

• Describe the origins and rationale behind MBCT

• Deliver MBCT practices and inquiry at an introductory level

Target Audience

This course is targeted to primary care physicians, psychologists, nurse practitioners, specialty physicians and physician assistants. This course may also be of interest to physicians who practice in family medicine, geriatrics, healthcare education and leadership, hospital medicine, internal medicine, lifestyle and mind-body medicine, nutrition, obstetrics and gynecology, oncology and hematology, pain medicine, palliative medicine, preventative medicine, psychology and mental health and psychiatry.

Previous Course Directors

Carl Fulwiler, MD, PhD & Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD

Previous Instructors

Participants Guidelines

Is this for me?

• Do you want to learn how to deliver a well-established mindfulness-based program that has been proven to be effective for people living with depression and anxiety?

• Are you interested in increasing your skills and confidence in guiding meditation practices and cognitive exercises are facilitated?

• Would you like to understand the key underpinnings of each session and component of the 8-week MBCT program?

• Have you wondered about how the MBCT program is designed to prevent depressive relapse and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety?

• Do you have a clinical background?

• Have you participated in an 8-week mindfulness-based program? Alternatively, are you able to take the 8-week MBCT program, which is offered by the Center for Mindfulness & Compassion and the Centre for Mindfulness Studies, prior the start of this course?

• Do you have a personal mindfulness practice?

• Have you completed some training in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)?

If any or all of the above resonate with you, we recommend that you as soon as applications open. Your application will allow us to understand your background and what you are looking for from this training. We can then advise you on next steps and how best to prepare for the MBCT TTI.

Participating in an 8-week MBCT program, which can be met through participation in a course with the Center for Mindfulness & Compassion or with the Centre for Mindfulness Studies or an approved equivalent, is required preparation for the training intensive.

If you are interested in obtaining widespread recognition as a Trained or Certified MBCT Facilitator, you may want to consider the Centre for Mindfulness Studies’ MBCT Facilitation Training Pathway.

What to expect

The MBCT Teacher Training Intensive is highly interactive and experiential. Registrants will follow the progression of the 8-week MBCT program – first experiencing the key components of each session and then practicing their delivery in small group teachbacks.

You can expect to spend some periods in silent practice and others in active discussion and interaction. Each day of training is scheduled from 10am – 5pm ET with a lunch break from 1pm – 2pm ET. You will have preparation and assignments to complete after each day of training so it is highly recommended that you keep the days of training as free of other commitments as possible.

Due to the experiential nature of this training, registrants must have a private, quiet space in which to participate. A high-speed, reliable internet connection is also required.

Training Details

Scholarships - Limited Spots Will Be Available

Please complete the general application form in addition to the relevant scholarship application.

A limited number of Student/Resident Discount Scholarships are available.

• Previous Student/Resident scholarship rate, subject to change: $698.00

We will review the scholarship applications as they are received. Decisions about the number of spots available will be made roughly 2 months prior to the start of the training. This means you will be contacted about the results roughly 2 months prior to the start of the training.

Previous Accreditation - we will apply for the same below, not a guarantee of our approval from these organizations

Physicians

The Harvard Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Harvard Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 35.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Psychologists

The Cambridge Health Alliance, Psychiatry Continuing Education Division, is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Cambridge Health Alliance, Psychiatry Continuing Education Division, maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course offers 34 continuing education credits.

Marriage and Family Therapists

This activity has been certified by NEAFAST on behalf of the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health & Human Services Professions, for LMFT professional continuing education. Certification # PC- 041475 for 34.0 contact hours.

Counselors

The Cambridge Health Alliance, Psychiatry Continuing Education Division, has been approved by NBCC as an approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5444. This program meets the requirements for 34 continuing education hours. CHA is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. This offering is also applicable for Commonwealth of Massachusetts Counseling/Allied Mental Health accreditation for 34 credits.

Social Workers

This program has been approved for 34 Social Work Continuing Education hours for relicensure, in accordance with 258 CMR. NASW-MA Chapter CE Approving Program, Authorization Number D 91163-1.

Reading

Required Reading: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Second Edition by Zindel Segal, J. Mark Williams and John Teasdale, 2012.

Recommended Reading: MBCT: Embodied Presence & Inquiry in Practice by Susan Woods, Patricia Rockman, and Evan Collins, 2019.