Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for Clinicians is no longer available due to low enrollment. If you would like to receive information on our 2024 MBCT classes please email us at connect@tend.health.
Mindfulness is the awareness that emerges through paying attention in a particular way – on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. By allowing us to be fully present, mindfulness helps us become aware of habitual and automatic emotional reactions and then be in choice about them.
In this course we will be systematically training in mindfulness to empower you to develop a radically different way of working with difficult emotions and negative thoughts. You will be in a safe and supportive environment for this work and learning through:
- 8 week course, live on-line
- Guided instruction in mindfulness meditation practices
- Gentle stretching and mindful yoga
- Group dialogue and discussions aimed at giving you the skills and understanding to be free from becoming entangled in painful emotions
- Individually tailored instruction
- Confidentiality will be observed by both participants and instructors
- MBCT is a class, not group therapy
- This course includes a 4 hour silent retreat, live-online on December 3
** This is a participant course … not a TRAINING for mental health practitioners to teach MBCT. **
“I am grateful that this course is offered via zoom because it would not have been possible for me otherwise. Tina’s ability to reflectively and actively listen and guide without advising is a treasure for me in the process. I have gained clarity on my own areas of resistance to support continued mindful practice. I have experienced feeling validated and understood in my sharings.”
– MBCT participant
Cost
Cost: $625
A 25% discount is offered to all participants who are eligible for Tend Health services through their organization or program. Please use member25 discount code when registering.
“Working with Tina during the MBCT course was transformative. It has become increasingly clear to me how thoughts, emotions, and sensations are inherently interconnected and need not be taken personally. I feel that I have developed a strong foundation for continued mindfulness practice, and am very excited to continue this journey.”
– MBCT participant
Meet the Instructor
Dr. Christine (Tina) Runyan, PhD, ABPP
Dr Runyan is a clinical health psychologist and co–founder of Tend Health. She is a mindfulness teacher at the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness and has been teaching MBCT to the public, including specifically to healthcare professionals, for 6 years. She is a highly sought after, compassionate, and talented instructor.
When Dr. Runyan is not teaching you can find her on her yoga mat, hiking in the woods, walking her dog around the neighborhood, and making amazing vegan food with her daughter.
Have questions about the class? Email Dr. Runyan at tina@tend.health
“I am very fortunate to have had the unique and powerful opportunity to connect with Tina and a group of likeminded health professionals, and often felt myself reflecting on how valuable it was over the course of the program. I can’t recommend it strongly enough. ” — MBCT Participant
FAQs
How do I join the sessions? Once you have registered for the course you will receive a calendar invite for the course containing a Zoom link. This link should only be used by the participant who registered for the course and should not be shared.
Who else will be there? This offering is specifically for healthcare professionals. People of all different specialties are invited to participate and we welcome participants from anywhere in the world!
How many CE credits are offered? CE credits will not be offered.
MBCT is not group therapy, but it is also not education. It is a therapeutic modality offered in a group structure. It is not eligible for continuing education credits.
Is there anything I should prepare or purchase in advance? There is nothing you need to do or purchase in advance. All materials will be provided to you, including handouts and meditation recordings. However, the course follows the content in this book if you want prefer to use it: https://www.guilford.com/books/The-Mindful-Way-Workbook/Teasdale-Williams-Segal/9781462508143
Will I need to be on camera? Yes. We ask that everyone joining this course commits to being on camera for the class sessions as much as possible. We want you to feel comfortable and dress casually to support meditation and mindful movement. We also ask that you can be in a private place to fully participate and to honor the sharing of others (or use headphones).
Is there a certificate offered / Does this course count if I want to pursue MBCT professional training? We are happy to issue you a certificate / documentation of completion if you are a mental health professional and interested in pursuing training for MBCT. You will be required to attend 7 of 8 sessions and the retreat to qualify for this certificate of completion.
What if I need to miss a session? If you need to miss a session, please let the facilitator know. Unfortunately, we do not record the sessions to maintain privacy and confidentiality for all participants.
The cost for this course is a total cost, not a per session course so there is no partial refund for a missed session.
Refund Options: If you registered and paid for the course but are unable to attend and notify us at least 2 weeks in advance, we will refund your payment in full minus a $25.00 processing fee.
If you need to cancel within 2 weeks of the program or if something unexpected arises during the program, please contact us directly. We can either offer a credit for a future session or refund you 50% of the tuition cost. No refunds are available after the second week of class.
What if I still have questions about the course not answered here? Please contact us.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
DEPRESSION and ANXIETY
Depression and anxiety are very common and no matter your specialty, you probably care for many people with anxiety and depression. As a healthcare professional, depression and anxiety are also common but rarely openly talked about.
MBCT is an evidenced-based therapy that is effective for:
- Reducing recurrent episodes of depression
- Improving depression
- Reducing anxiety
Whatever caused your depression in the first place, the experience of depression itself has a number of after effects. One of these is a likelihood that you will become depressed again. In the classes, you will learn skills to help you respond to your thoughts and feelings differently and therefore help prevent future episodes of depression.
WHY DO THIS WITH OTHER HEALTH PROFESSIONALS?
The MBCT group will include health professionals from a diversity of specialties and disciplines . Taking a class that is focused on improving depression and anxiety with other health professionals from all over the world can be very empowering and normalizing.
Mental health concerns do not discriminate based on gender, education, profession, or class. It can be very hard for anyone in a helping profession – anyone who is expected to be the “expert” – to carve out time to care for themselves and to seek help. Being in a class with your peers can be supportive and helpful.
Health Professionals include physicians, nurses, physician assistants, psychologists, clinical nutritionists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and any other independent clinical practitioner.
HOME PRACTICE
Together, we will be working to change patterns of the mind that often have been around for a long time. These patterns may have become a habit – home practice helps learn new habits.
While the group training is important, home practice between class meetings is also important. Home practice takes ~ 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week, for 8 weeks.
Just like in any class, not everyone does the home practice and that is okay. Some weeks will be easier than others to do the home practice. Having the intention to practice is as important as the goal.
FACING DIFFICULTIES
The classes and the home practice assignments can teach you how to be more fully aware and present in each moment of life. On one hand, this makes life more interesting, vivid, and fulfilling. On the other hand, this means facing what is present, even when it is unpleasant and difficult.
In practice, you will find that turning to face and acknowledging difficulties is the most effective way, in the long run, to reduce unhappiness. It is also central to preventing further depression.
Seeing unpleasant feelings, thoughts, or experiences clearly, as they arise, means that you will be in much better shape to “nip them in the bud,” before they progress to more intense or persistent depression. In the classes, you will learn gentle ways to face difficulties, with support from the instructor and other class members.
PATIENCE AND PERSISTENCE
Because we will be working to change well-established habits of mind, you will be putting in a lot of time and effort. The effects of this effort may only become apparent in time. It is much like gardening – we prepare the ground, plant the seeds, ensure that they are adequately watered and nourished, and then wait patiently for results.
Please consider waiting to attend this program if you are currently suffering severe symptoms of depression or experiencing symptoms that would prevent you from fully participating in the group and the daily practices.
Tina Runyan, PhD, ABPP
