Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is the “gold standard” course for learning mindfulness and how to apply it to your daily life. It was designed by Jon Kabat-Zinn and the Center for Mindfulness at the UMass Medical Center in the late 1970’s. Please see our MBSR page for full details about this well-researched class.

Decades of research show that MBSR reduces chronic pain and boosts the immune system; addresses painful mental states like depression and anxiety; minimizes emotional reactivity and promotes well-being; increases flexible attention and sharpens mental focus; and actually thickens grey matter in the areas of empathy and problem-solving. Happiness can be a delightful by-product.

We recommend watching this five-minute message from Executive Director Tim Burnett on what our classes look and feel like before enrolling in an 8-week or residential MBSR or MSC.

If you’re unsure about registering for a course, please contact the Mindfulness Northwest office. We want to be sure there is sufficient support for you and that the timing is right for taking our courses.

Continuing Education Credit is available for many professions. In our 8-week courses, APA CE's & BRN's are available for psychologists, nurses, MFTs, LPCCs, LEPs, and LCSWs; Clock Hours are available for Washington State educators; and in our 5-week Mindfulness for Healthcare Professionals course, CME credit is available for physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.

To receive Continuing Education Credits you must:

• Register for your credits during course registration (additional fee during registration). There will be an $30 late fee for all CE's requested after the initial course registration, and all registrations for CE's must occur before class 2.
• Attend sessions online or in person. Recorded sessions do not count for credit, and we do not provide them.
• Complete a post course evaluation.

---

5-week Mindfulness for Healthcare Providers (MHP) Course

Physicians, nurses, therapists, and social workers: PeaceHealth St. Joseph designates this live activity for a maximum of 16.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. It meets the criteria for Category I CME credit to satisfy the relicensure requirements of the Washington State Medical Quality Assurance Commission.

Learning Objectives for the 5-week Mindfulness for Healthcare Providers Course

After this education, learners should be able to:
• Choose appropriate mindfulness training techniques in preventive and responsive ways in high-stress situations.
• Utilize appropriate mindfulness practices to mitigate the risk factors for burnout.
• Discuss strategies with peers for a more positive, mindful engagement in work and home situations that have previously triggered stress response and unhelpful behaviors.
• Identify helpful vs. unhelpful thought patterns, problem solving, emotional regulation, and meaning-focused coping strategies.
• Demonstrate meaningful change in personal mindfulness, perceived stress, and burnout as shown in standardized measures administered pre- and post-activity.

---

8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Course

Psychologists: Up to 27.0 CE Continuing Education Credits for this program are provided by UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

California licensed MFTs, LPCCs, LEPs, LCSWs: Up to 27.0 Continuing Education Credits for this program are provided by UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. 27.0 CE credit may be applied to your license renewal through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.For those licensed outside California, please check with your local licensing board to determine if CE credit is accepted.

Nurses: UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP16351, for 32.0 contact hours.

Washington State Educators: Up to 26 Clock Hours are available for eligible Washington State (K-12) teachers, administrators, and educational staff associates. Mindfulness Northwest is an approved provider through Washington State OSPI.

UCSD CE Learning Objectives for the 8 week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course:

• Articulate the key aspects of mindfulness as it relates to stress reduction, coping with pain and illness and enhancing well-being
• Differentiate MBSR from relaxation and other distraction techniques that may seem similar but are fundamentally and theoretically quite different in contending with difficulty and enhancing quality of life
• Apply mindfulness techniques in both personal and professional settings as a means of contending more effectively with the demands of both settings
• Integrate mindfulness into social interaction with patients, colleagues, supervisors, family and friends to facilitate more effective and mindful communication
• Articulate the potential benefits of mindfulness-based stress reduction (and mindfulness in general) to educate patients and their families about the benefits of such programs in their own lives
• Implement brief mindfulness practices with patients and family members as a means of contending with acute pain, anxiety and distress.

Clock Hours Learning Objectives for the 8 week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course:

• Explore mindfulness practices including sitting and walking meditation, mindful movement, body awareness, and others.
• Learn mindful approaches to manage pain, stress, and difficulty in an effective way.
• Connect with the wisdom of your own body and learn to relax tension.
• Develop tools to work with and transform stressful situations and reactions.
• Discover how to address depression and anxiety more skillfully.
• Gain more control over your own health and well-being, feeling empowered to live with more joy and equanimity.

---

8-week Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Course

Psychologists: Up to 24.0 Continuing Education Credits for this program are provided by UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

California licensed MFTs, LPCCs, LEPs, LCSWs: Up to 24.0 Continuing Education Credits for this program are provided by UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness. The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Credits may be applied to your license renewal through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.For those licensed outside California, please check with your local licensing board to determine if CE credit is accepted.

Nurses: UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP16351, for 28.75 contact hours.

Washington State Educators: Up to 26 Clock Hours are available for eligible Washington State (K-12) teachers, administrators, and educational staff associates. Mindfulness Northwest is an approved provider through Washington State OSPI.

UCSD CE Learning Objectives for the 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) class:

• Describe the theory and research supporting mindful self-compassion
• Develop and apply self-compassion practices to motivate themselves with encouragement rather than self-criticism
• Assess and manage difficult situations and emotions with greater moment-to-moment acceptance
• Develop and apply self-compassion practices to respond to feelings of failure or inadequacy with self-kindness
• Transform difficult relationships, old and new, through self-validation
• Utilize the art of savoring and self-appreciation to overcome negative attention bias
• Apply core mindfulness and self-compassion practices into daily life
• Demonstrate simple self-compassion practices to patients, students, or clients

Clock Hours Learning Objectives for the 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) class:

• How to stop being so hard on yourself
• How to handle difficult emotions with greater ease
• How to motivate yourself with encouragement rather than criticism
• Mindfulness and self-compassion practices for home and everyday life
• The theory and research behind mindful self-compassion