Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (Short Course)

• Reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression: Research shows that MBSR is an effective intervention for reducing the symptoms of anxiety and depression, helping individuals manage emotional distress and cultivate resilience (Hoge et al., 2013; Goyal et al., 2014).
• Improves stress management: MBSR helps participants recognize and manage their stress response, leading to improved emotional regulation and the ability to handle challenging situations with greater calm and clarity (Kabat-Zinn, 1990).
• Enhances overall well-being: Mindfulness practice through MBSR has been shown to promote a greater sense of physical and emotional well-being, including increased energy, focus, and a positive outlook (Creswell, 2017).
• Increases self-awareness: Through mindfulness meditation and reflection, participants gain insight into their habitual patterns of thought and behavior, leading to more conscious choices and greater alignment with personal values (Zeidan et al., 2010).
• Improves emotional regulation: By learning techniques to self-regulate the nervous system, participants can better manage intense emotions, reduce reactivity, and develop more balanced emotional responses (Hölzel et al., 2011).
• Fosters mindfulness in everyday life: MBSR emphasizes applying mindfulness to everyday activities such as communication, eating, and walking, helping individuals integrate mindfulness into their daily routines (Kabat-Zinn, 1990).
• Supports physical health: Studies have also shown that MBSR can reduce physical symptoms related to stress, such as chronic pain, high blood pressure, and insomnia (Cherkin et al., 2016).

References:

• Cherkin, D. C., et al. (2016). Effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction vs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Usual Care on Back Pain. JAMA.
• Creswell, J. D. (2017). Mindfulness Interventions. Annual Review of Psychology.
• Goyal, M., et al. (2014). Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine.
• Hölzel, B. K., et al. (2011). Mindfulness Practice Leads to Increases in Regional Brain Gray Matter Density. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging.
• Hoge, E. A., et al. (2013). Mindfulness Meditation and Social Stress in Healthy Immune-Resilient Adults. Psychosomatic Medicine.
• Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Delta.
• Zeidan, F., et al. (2010). Mindfulness Meditation Improves Cognition: Evidence of Brief Mental Training. Consciousness and cognition.

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 more 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.

References:

• Cherkin, D. C., et al. (2016). Effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction vs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Usual Care on Back Pain. JAMA.
• Creswell, J. D. (2017). Mindfulness Interventions. Annual Review of Psychology.
• Goyal, M., et al. (2014). Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine.
• Hölzel, B. K., et al. (2011). Mindfulness Practice Leads to Increases in Regional Brain Gray Matter Density. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging.
• Hoge, E. A., et al. (2013). Mindfulness Meditation and Social Stress in Healthy Immune-Resilient Adults. Psychosomatic Medicine.
• Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Delta.
• Zeidan, F., et al. (2010). Mindfulness Meditation Improves Cognition: Evidence of Brief Mental Training. Consciousness and cognition.

Continuing Education Credit is available for many professions:

• In most of our 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (Short Course) (MBSR-SC), and Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) courses, APA CE's & BRN's are available for psychologists, nurses, MFTs, LPCCs, LEPs, and LCSWs.  Note that requests for continuing ed after a course has begun incur a $50 late fee.

Regarding partial attendance:

• For APA CE's & BRN's (MBSR & MSC), complete attendance of the course is required. We can sometimes offer make-up classes in a parallel course, but this is not always available. If you know you will miss a session, we recommend that you wait to register for a series when you can plan to attend all sessions.

Scroll to CE details for MBSR | MBSR-SC | MSC

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.

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.

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

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.

CE Registrants are responsible for completing all requirements for attendance or making up missed classes, as well as completing the post class evaluation by no later than 3 days after the last class meeting. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of CE’s.

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

Psychologists: Up to 23.0 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.

Licensed MFTs, LPCCs, LEPs, LCSWs: Up to 23.0 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. 23.0 CE credit may be applied to your license renewal through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

Nurses: UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP16351, for 14.03 contact hours.

UCSD CE Learning Objectives for the 8 week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (Short Course) (MBSR-SC) 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.

CE Registrants are responsible for completing all requirements for attendance or making up missed classes, as well as completing the post class evaluation by no later than 3 days after the last class meeting. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of CE’s.

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.

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.

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

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

CE Registrants are responsible for completing all requirements for attendance or making up missed classes, as well as completing the post class evaluation by no later than 3 days after the last class meeting. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of CE’s.

We recommend you watch this five-minute message from Senior Teacher 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.