About this Event
CCFW does not provide mental health or substance use treatment or services, nor do our mindfulness and compassion-based courses substitute for diagnosis or treatment for mental health or substance use problems such as depression, anxiety, or addiction. Find a list of mental health resources on CCFW’s resource page.
The integrity of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) rests upon the learned content knowledge of the class, engagement with the guided meditations and application of mindfulness in everyday life, and the supportive interaction and dialogue of the group. MBSR was developed in 1979 by professor of medicine, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. For years, MBSR has been considered the gold-standard for research in mindfulness.
Participants will learn:
- embodied presence from the view of fundamental wholeness.
- how our perceptions impact our emotions, thoughts, and actions.
- why and how to recognize feelings at their earliest stage of manifestation.
- what stress is and how it arises on a physiological level.
- skillful ways to work with stress and chronic pain.
- mindful communication.
- distorted styles of thinking and how to meet them with compassion
- practical skills for applying mindfulness in daily life.
Mindfulness practices taught:
- Body scan meditation
- Mindful eating
- Mindfulness of breathing
- Mindful movement (e.g. gentle yoga)
- Open awareness / choice-less awareness
- Meditations on loving-kindness, compassion, and equanimity.
- Noting/labeling meditation
Resources for participants include: Digital audio recordings of guided meditations, a 45-page course manual with supplemental readings, online video links, “How-to” handouts, and more.
Disclaimer: MBSR is not for everyone. If you one or more of the following describe your current circumstance, a longer course such as MBSR may not be for you:
- Serious psychological challenges like schizophrenia or psychosis not responsive to medication
- Depression with thoughts of suicide
- Recently in recovery
- Recently lost a close loved one
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), or have recently experienced significant trauma.
If you’re unsure about registering for MBSR, please contact the instructor, and we can discuss whether or not the timing is right for you.
Class Schedule:
The MBSR class is an 8-week series and includes an all-day practice retreat day.
Monday evenings, November 3- December 22, 2025, from 5:30-8:00PM
Retreat: Saturday, December 13, 2025 from 9:00AM – 4:00PM
Getting to CCFW
By car: There are no parking lots directly adjacent to Kincaid Hall. If you are driving, please allow yourself an extra 15-20 minutes to locate parking and walk to Kincaid Hall. The University of Washington offers pay-lots and parking garages. Metered street parking is also available but very limited. Parking fees around campus range from $1.00 to $4.00 an hour. Learn more about parking options here.
By bus or light rail: More than 60 bus routes serve the University District and a Link Light Rail Station is located 1/2 mile away.
By bike: Kincaid Hall is located directly off the Burke Gilman Trail between 15th Ave NE and the NE Pacific Street overpass. Bike racks are conveniently located at Kincaid and throughout campus.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
Register for a Certificate of Completion and get CEUs. Credits are awarded based on the number of hours of in-class attendance. Our CEUs are available for licensed psychologists, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, and social workers in Washington State. We cannot guarantee that these CEUs will be accepted in other states.
Scholarships Available
CCFW aims to promote well-being by making evidence-based mindfulness practices available and accessible to community members, particularly professionals working with children and families. We believe that mindfulness has positive implications for professionals as well as the children and families they interact with. Therefore, we wish to encourage mindfulness training by removing possible financial barriers for professionals working with these specific populations. If these fees are cost-prohibitive for you, we invite you to apply for a scholarship.
About the Presenter
R.J. Rongcal
R.J. Rongcal believes deeply in the boundless potential of each and every human. He is passionate about teaching mindfulness in a clear and accessible way that guides people toward self discovery, compassion, common humanity, and reconnecting to their innate goodness. R.J. is on teaching staff at Mindfulness Northwest where he also received his Mindfulness Teacher Certification and MBSR Teacher Training. He has practiced and studied mindfulness in both spiritual and secular settings, including a 9-month residency at Gampo Abbey from 2019-2020 where he lived as a Buddhist monk. R.J. lives in Seattle with his wife, Jamie, and their dog, Bean. Learn more about his mindfulness offerings at Ever Mindful.
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