Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Teacher Training

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Karen Atkinson

Co-Founder and Senior Partner

What is the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Teacher Training Course?

The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course is an internationally recognised mindfulness course that has been taught and researched since the 1970’s. Our comprehensive 12-month training pathway will equip you with all the knowledge, material and experience you need to deliver the MBSR to groups or individuals.

Before joining our next Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Teacher Training course, you need to have completed the 8-week MBSR course in a group setting, either in a virtual classroom or in a venue, and have your own regular mindfulness practice for at least 6 months or more. If you are yet to complete the MBSR then please click here to join our next course.

Reasons to Enrol

  • Follow our comprehensive 12-month training pathway and gain the knowledge and material to qualify to deliver the 8-week MBSR course.
  • Become a registered teacher with the British Association for Mindfulness-Based Approaches (BAMBA).
  • Learn from the comfort of your own home in our virtual classroom, wherever you are in the world.

This comprehensive 12-month mindfulness training includes:

  • A background to secular mindfulness.
  • Learn and experience all relevant mindfulness exercises, practises and techniques.
  • Understand the dynamics of ‘holding’ a group.
  • Learn how to encourage and help your future participants to sustain their own practice.
  • Referee to the regulated Register of Teachers with BAMBA.
  • Create your own your portfolio to be assessed.
  • Understand the assessment process and learn when to teach and when not to.
  • Develop an understanding of how to work with physical, psychological and emotional difficulties.
  • Explore the inquiry process.
  • Advice and support on how to set up your own 8-week MBSR course.
  • A detailed week-by-week teaching schedule and the material needed to deliver the MBSR course.

One payment of £1,465 or pay instalments

How the course is taught:

  • A blended learning approach of a virtual classroom within a group setting and self-directed study.  It is important that you attend all sessions (you can book a private catch up session if needed at a cost).
  • Downloads of 4-core guided practices.
  • Bonus free e-Course.
  • You will be sent a student folder with all relevant material to complete the course.
  • You will also be sent a student handbook via email.

As part of this teacher training pathway you will also need to complete the following:

Teach two supervised 8-week MBSR courses.
- Deliver two courses to a group - remotely supervised by one of the MindfulnessUK team.

Attend a Process of Inquiry Masterclass.
- Gain an understanding of the framework to guide inquiry and the Iceberg Model.

Attend Silent Meditation Retreats totalling 5 days throughout the year.
- Give yourself the time and space to explore, go deeper and rest.

Log your personal practice and self-inquiry of the core MBSR meditations.

Create a portfolio
- Evidence of completion of all required elements of the pathway.

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Meet your Tutors

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Karen Atkinson

Karen is the Co-founder and Senior Partner of MindfulnessUK, an author, a trustee of the British Association of Mindfulness-based Approaches (BAMBA), a teacher and trainer of mindfulness and compassion skills and practices, and a Bangor trained supervisor of mindfulness teachers. Karen has been teaching mindful movement and meditation for over 30 years, and recently published ‘Compassionate Mindful Inquiry in Therapeutic Practice’.  It is fair to say that she takes the greatest pride in having used her unique position to develop the Integrated Mindfulness and Compassion Qualification, a ground-breaking qualification and the first of its kind in the market. As a highly respected, extremely experienced, and well-trained mindfulness teacher with a warm, intuitive, friendly, and professional manner, Karen’s mission is to bring this enhanced enjoyment of life to as many people as possible.

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Stephanie Unthank

Stephanie is a qualified and registered mindfulness teacher, a director of MindfulnessUK At Work and a director of the British Association of Mindfulness-based Approaches (BAMBA). With an initial career in the corporate banking sector, in a variety of managerial roles, Stephanie has a deep understanding of the benefits of wellness in both body and mind.  Leading all training of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Stephanie also has leadership and change management expertise, and is an advocate of sustainable cultural change. Stephanie is a positive and enthusiastic teacher and has a very approachable and insightful manner, always creating a warm and welcome environment for all her students to learn and supports employee wellness.

Don't just take our word for it...

To help you decide whether this is the right course for you take a look at our frequently asked questions for more information.

I am interested in becoming a mindfulness teacher, which is the best pathway to follow?

The best way to decide on the pathway is to understand what it is that you want to do once you have completed the course. For example: do you want to teach the regulated 8-week MBSR course and become a BAMBA registered teacher or would you like to gain a mindfulness and compassion qualification to teach flexibly, either one to one and/or groups, and develop your own courses and client programme?

What are the prerequisites for the course?

You need to have attended the 8- week MBSR and have your own personal mindfulness practice of at least 6 months, to be able to apply for this course. We are happy to discuss whether there is a need for this 6-month post-MBSR course period if you already have a long-term mindfulness meditation practice.

How long is the course? Can I do the course quicker than within a year? Do I have to complete the course within a year?

This is a 12-month teacher training pathway which can take longer depending on your own personal pace.

What does the total cost (£1,465) cover?

This covers the face to face teaching within your cohort via Zoom. You will receive a student folder that is posted to you and a student handbook via email.  The notes give you all the session programmes, information, teaching tools, poems and exercises to deliver the course in its entirety. You will also be sent the core practice downloads for your own personal use and some pre-reading before the course begins.

What are the additional elements and what are the costs?

As part of this teacher training pathway you will also need to buy 2 course books (approximately £25), attend the Process of Inquiry masterclass (£85), attend 5 days in total at a silent retreat (dependant on whether you complete online or on location – see our retreats page for more information) and teach 2 MBSR courses under supervision (£200 each course).

I already have a supervisor that I work with, can I continue with them?

If they are a trained mindfulness supervisor who delivers the MBSR course at least once per year, then yes you can work with them as your supervisor.

How is the supervision done and can it be done online?

You will have 5 sessions in total per course, all online, and be asked to submit additional material and recordings from your teaching.

Can I charge for a session and if so, how much?

Yes, you may charge participants for a mindfulness session.  It is your decision on how much you want to charge.  We would recommend that you research mindfulness sessions in your area and decide on a good price to charge.

I regularly attend a retreat; can I continue with this retreat and will it count toward my overall contribution to this course?

It depends on the retreat you have already attended. BAMBA stipulates that it must be mainly silent, teacher-led, and mindfulness, compassion, and/or insight practices. We also recommend that the retreat is delivered by an organisation regulated by BAMBA.

Do we have to do the retreat all at once, in 5 days?

We offer both online and residential retreats.  To complete the MBSRTT pathway you need to have attended a total of 5 days on retreat.  You can do this online by attending our 1-day and/or 2-day silent meditation retreats or by attending our residential 5-day silent meditation retreat at the beautiful Sharpham House.

Choose your start date

 

Before joining our next Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Teacher Training course, you need to have completed the 8-week MBSR course in a group setting, either in a virtual classroom or in a venue, and have your own regular mindfulness practice for at least 6 months or more. If you are yet to complete the MBSR then please click here to join our next course.  Please do not proceed with enrolment unless you have completed this course.

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