Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

Carol Jakus Featured

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a scientifically supported program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. to reduce stress and increase well-being. It is thriving worldwide. Attitudes of kindness, acceptance, and patience provide a foundation for the practices of sustained focus, self-regulation, and self-exploration. A greater sense of balance, choice, and freedom is cultivated.

Drop-in Session: Take a Self-Compassion Break

Joel Featured

Join us to learn about Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), an empirically-supported course that enhances our capacity for emotional well-being. MSC practices strengthen our ability to meet life’s difficulties with wisdom, kindness, and spaciousness, allowing us to relate wholeheartedly to others and be more authentically ourselves. This drop-in class will provide a quick overview of the MSC program, answer the question “What is MSC?”, and allow a chance to practice the “Self-Compassion Break”, a core practice from MSC. No experience necessary!

Mindfulness for Teens

Kim Armstrong

Based on the evidenced-based curriculum of Mindful Self Compassion, the Mindful Schools curriculum, and principles of positive psychology; this 8-week experiential program for teens provides practices and tools to manage stress, increase feelings of happiness and well-being, and promote emotional resilience. In each weekly session, we will discuss concepts related to well-being and do a variety of practices, including mindfulness practices, intentional movement, and creative projects. 

The Promise of the Healing-Centered Paradigm in Education

Acosta Headshot Featured

Drawing on extensive doctoral research and professional practice, this lecture with Dr. Angel Acosta invites participants into an exploration of how practitioners and scholars have deliberately integrated the notion of healing into K-12 curricula and professional education. 

Utilizing Family Skills as a Protective Shield for Families Living Through War, Displacement and Other Challenging Contexts

Aala El Khani Featured

Parenting can be challenging at the best of times, let alone parenting children through war or refugee contexts. Global conflicts entail many changes for children and their families, with the potential for acute and longer-term impact on well-being and mental health. What can we do to help? Effective parenting can act as a protective shield against the difficulties that children face in challenging times. Providing interventions that focus on building strengths in parenting practices can be protective and predict more positive outcomes for children. In this talk, a wide range of open access family skills resources will be shared. As all families can experience highly stressful times, whether it is illness, relationship breakdown or living through a global pandemic, these resources have universal importance and applicability. This talk will reflect on the diverse public health implications of availing family skills resources for the prevention of drug use, mental health, violence and several adverse health and social consequences.

Drop-in Session: Mindful Resilience to Enhance Our Connections With Others

Photo of facilitator Diane Hetrick

How might we bring the qualities of mindfulness and resilience to our day-to-day relationships with family, friends and coworkers, even strangers? During this one-hour drop-in, we’ll consider how mindfulness and resilience can help us support others and ourselves, enhancing our relationships and bringing us deeper connections and presence. We’ll get an opportunity to explore this topic together, with guided practice and time for discussion.