Practicum: Groundwork for Teaching
a seven day investigation into the practice of teaching MBSR/MBCT

Sydney: see below for Application Procedure
Thursday 20 - 27th September, 2012

Singapore: Click here to register your interest
To be advised

With Dr Maura Kenny and Timothea Goddard

Our Intention

It has been said that MBSR and MBCT are like the Pole Star, the same star seen from different hemispheres and different views.

It is our intention to offer a combined training in these two modalities in a way that allows us to experience their similarities and differences (depending on our view point), learn more of their Buddhist and scientific origins, and cultivate a clearer awareness of what we can take away and usefully apply in our various professional contexts.
In this residential training, we will practice a number of meditations together, undertake didactic explorations, learn about group processes and have time to contemplate the deeper implications of this work personally and professionally.

In the first four days we will focus on practices that are common to both programs, leaving the remainder of our time to explore the differences in emphases when mindfulness is applied to different populations as MBSR or MBCT.

We hope that this particular training adds something of value to your ongoing mindfulness practice and is of use in your work setting. As this mindfulness endeavour is a lifelong path, it reminds us all to remain open, humble and questioning whilst we are engaged with it.

This program is for people who already have an ongoing meditation practice including retreat experience. The process will invite the integration of personal practice and professional application that is central to MBSR and MBCT teaching. Participation in the Practicum program is recognized as a valid and valuable MBSR/CT training experience within Australia, and when applying for more advanced courses around the world

Structure of the Intensive MBCT/MBSR Teacher Training

Intensive Seven Day Residential Training

In a rural retreat centre just outside Sydney in NSW, we will explore the MBSR/CT program using a range of didactic, experiential and small group work and provide opportunities for practice teaching/leading with supervision from the instructors (teacher/student ratio 1:8)
Specific areas of focus will include:

• Refining and deepening personal mindfulness practice (through formal and informal practices, in silence and in dialogue)
• An exploration of the development of MBSR/CT, the theory underpinning it and the research into its efficacy
• Exploration of key aspects of the program including group process, exercises, use of poetry/stories, leading and inquiring into practice
• Exploring the value of mindfulness in attending to physical and emotional difficulties including depression, anxiety, pain and stress within ourselves and our clients
• On-going self-inquiry

Learning objectives

Practicum participants...

• Explore in detail our approach to instructing people in MBSR/CT
• Develop an understanding of the theoretical, philosophical, pedagogical, and scientific underpinnings of MBSR/CT
• Practice teaching skills in the areas of communication, leading practices and mindful inquiry.
• Refine and deepen personal meditation practice.

Pre-requisites

Applicants are required to:

• engage regularly in a personal meditation practice and have retreat experience. This retreat experience needs to be a silent, 5 -10 residential, teacher-led retreat - preferably in the Theravadan tradition. (Please note that the 7 day training with Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli was not a silent meditation retreat, but a training retreat.)
• have a hatha yoga practice
• have a professional background which involves working with people (in a clinical, educational or communications area)
• have attended an eight week MBSR or MBCT program with an experienced teacher. (Please check with the Director of training about this basic aspect of the practicum.) If this is impossible for geographical reasons, then an online course will be available, involving listening to a weekly recording of the program and meeting with a teacher for up to an hour a week for eight weeks.
  Some people offer a three day introduction to MBCT as a training package and as equivalent to the eight week course. If you have done this kind of introduction, we will still ask you to complete the eight week course as the three day program does not offer an experiential immersion in the program - especially in terms a step by step development of practice, inquiry into an emerging practice, and also the experience of the group process unfolding over time. Do ring to discuss if this is not clear.

Pre-Reading
Books

These books are required pre-reading for the program:

McCown, D., Reibel D., Micozzi, M.S., Teaching Mindfulness: A Practical Guide for Clinicians and Educators, New York: Springer, 2010

Kabat-Zinn, J, Full Catastrophe Living, Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness, Delacorte Press, New York, NY, 1990.

Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M. G., Teasdale, J. D. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapse New York: Guilford Press, 2002,

Hanson, R., Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom, New Harbinger: 2009.

If you are not familiar with CBT, it would be beneficial to read:

Padesky , C., Greenberger, D., Mind Over Mood by Christine and Dennis Greenberger., Guilford Press, 1996

An understanding of Buddhist psychology is an important base from which to teach MBSR and MBCT effectively. Here are some starting places to explore if you haven't already:

Goldstein, J., Insight Meditation, Shambala, 2003

Thera, N., The Heart of Buddhist Meditation, Weiser, 1996.

Koster, F., Liberating Insight: Introduction to Buddhist Psychology and Insight Meditation, Silkworm Books, 2004.

Teachers:

		Dr Maura Kenny Based at the Centre for the Treatment of Anxiety & Depression (CTAD), CNAHS, Adelaide, South Australia, Maura specialises in CBT and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy in the area of Affective and Anxiety disorders. She has extensive experience of running CBT training programs for psychiatry trainees, GPs and Mental Health Teams, and supervises Psychiatry Trainees and Clinical Psychology Masters students in CBT. She also coordinates a number of research projects in the area of MBCT in treatment resistant depression and for workplace stress, and has recently published on MBCT’s efficacy in treatment resistant depression. She has led and/or organised a number of residential training intensives in Mindfulness-based approaches locally, interstate and overseas. She is an honorary Senior Lecturer at Monash University, and provides an annual 4 day training in MBCT with Prof Graham Meadows, leading to a School Certificate in MBCT from Monash. Maura has been commissioned by the Open University Press to write a book on Training in MBCT. She practices in the Insight tradition.
		Timothea Goddard Timothea has trained in MBSR with the Centre for Mindfulness (CFM) , UMass, USA and is accredited by the CFM, having taught MBSR since 2004. Timothea has worked in private practice for 20 years as a psychotherapist, educator and workplace trainer, having trained in humanistic, psychodynamic and body-based psychotherapy as well as MBCT and MiCBT. Since 2007, she has been offering MBSR training and supervision for health professionals, including psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, nurses, psychotherapists and counselors. She has worked as an assistant teacher with Dr Maura Kenny and Dr Mark Williams in the MBCT Teacher Development Retreat, 2009. Timothea also works with organizations to design and implement coaching and mindfulness based programs for stress development, leadership and facilitation. She is a long time student of yoga, Aikido and meditation and practices in the insight tradition. She is the Director of Openground – an Australia-wide network of clinicians and teachers offering MBSR and related programs. She is involved in ongoing research projects in co-operation Masters and PhD students in Australian universities on the impact on the MBSR program on anxiety, depression, empathy and self compassion.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
	To apply CLICK HERE to download application form. Please email this form to the co-ordinator, Astrid de Ruiter at: info@openground.com.au If you are accepted you will be asked to pay a deposit of $300 to hold your place.
TUITION AND ACCOMMODATION FEES
	Earlybird if fully paid by 7th August: $2550 inc GST Paid after 7th August: $2700 inc GST
PAYMENT
	By EFT via internet banking (Account details below) Please record your surname in the reference field. Account details: Account Name: Openground Bank: ANZ BSB: 012-241 Account No: 4990-00818
	By cheque or money order Please make cheques/money orders payable to "Openground". Post to: Openground 29 Hodgens St Caloundra QLD 4551
VENUE
	Hartzer Park, Bowral, NSW - South of Sydney
TRANSPORT
	Driving: See these directions By Air and then Bus: Openground is organizing a bus to pick up interstate/international people from Sydney airport
CANCELLATION POLICY
	A 100% refund will be issued if cancellation is received up to 1st August, 2012 A 50% refund will be issued up to 13th September, 2012 However, in either of those two circumstances, if a substitute person can be found there will be a full refund less a $100 administration fee. No refunds will be issued after 13th September, 2012 Notice of cancellation must be provided to Openground via email to info@openground.com.au and will be confirmed by reply email. Openground cannot accept responsibility for correspondence that is delayed or for failure of delivery.