Training to Teach
The MBSR Teacher Collaborative of Greater New York does not offer teacher training nor does it endorse anyone to be able to teach MBSR. We encourage aspiring teachers to research established training options where they live or on-line.
For graduates of Teacher Training programs in the Greater New York area, we provide on-going support and mutual aide.
Where to train
The Global Mindfulness Collaborative (GMC) [website pending] brings together most of the world’s leading and well-established Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher training organizations, historically associated with the Center For Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts (CFM) Medical School and the Mindfulness Center at Brown University (MC@B), to realize a shared vision dedicated to human flourishing through offering professional MBSR teacher training.
The GMC is aligned with the International Mindfulness Integrity Network and included the following members in the United States:
MBSR Teacher Training programs certified by the Mindfulness Center at Brown University are taught in New York City (and on-line) by Jon Aaron and Elaine Retholtz.
The Mindfulness Center at Brown School of Public Health in Providence, RI, and on-line.
The Mindfulness Teacher Training Alliance (MTTA) is a network of Teacher Trainers in the US that have been certified to teach from the Mindfulness Center at Brown University.
Furthermore, UC San Diego Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute in San Diego, CA is also aligned with the International Mindfulness Integrity Network and offered recognized and established MBSR Teacher Training.
The Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society, University of Massachusetts Medical School, in Shrewsbury, MA is not longer offering MBSR Teacher training. This where the seminal 8-week program began and where teacher training happened for a several decades.
How long does it take?
While training paths require a number of years to complete, the training process is understood to be a lifelong process for most teachers, regardless of credentials.
A quote from the the new defunct Oasis FAQ on the Center for Mindfulness website of the UMasss, the first institution to develop MBSR teacher training, said it well.
“It is vitally important to note that preparing to teach MBSR is not just about acquiring skills and following a prepared curriculum. In order to prepare oneself to meet the people who enroll and the extraordinary range of human suffering that are often presented in a class, an MBSR teacher needs to allow an adequate amount of time to explore the curriculum, to develop the appropriate teaching skills, and, especially, to develop a rich and deep mindfulness meditation practice. We do not offer, and we strongly caution against the use of, any quick paths to becoming an MBSR teacher.”
The Global Mindfulness Collaborative (GMC)
The Global Mindfulness Collaborative (GMC, website pending) was developed with participation from an international group of MBSR teacher trainers and colleagues, all of whom were committed to offering evidence-based MBSR teacher training in alignment with high quality standards. To promote consistency in those standards and to foster scalability across the United States and the world, GMC members agreed to use the teacher training curricula as developed by the Mindfulness Center at Brown University (MC@B), while allowing for recursive feedback from members to ensure quality while meeting specific cultural and language needs. (This organization is specific to MBSR. Other organizations such as IMIN cover a broader scope of Mindfulness-Based Interventions, MBSR being one of them).
Argentina - Sociedad Mindfulness y Salud
Canada - Mindfulness and Well Being Consultancy, Inc.
Canada - Center for Mindfulness Canada
China - ATINAT Institute of Mindfulness Training
Denmark - The Danish Center for Mindfulness
Finland - Center for Mindfulness, Finland
France, Belgium, Switzerland - Association pour le Developpement de la Mindfulness
Germany - Center for Mindfulness, Germany
Italy - Motus Mundi
Mexico - Instituto Mexicano de Mindfulness
South Korea - Korea Center for Mindfulness
Spain - Nirakara
United States of America - Mindfulness Training ~ US
United States of America - Mindfulness Center at Brown University