Mindfulness-based approaches (MBA) such as MBCT and MBSR are increasingly applied internationally in both group and individual psychotherapy contexts for people with a variety of emotional and psychological disorders to promote wellness. When implemented for clinical conditions, the MBAs involve formal practice of mindfulness in a secular setting. This is guided by a teacher who has trained to teach in a way adherent with the evidence-base to date. To support competent implementation, contemporary instructors of mindfulness at all levels of development may benefit from foundational training in the ancient wisdom tradition from which the MBAs are derived.
In this workshop, the theoretical and experiential origins of the 4 Foundations of mindfulness, as originally articulated in the Satipatthana Sutta, a Buddhist Psychology / Philosophy perspective, are described. The four foundations include awareness of body sensations, feelings, mind and universal principles (i.e., Dhammas in Buddhist accounts). Specific ways these accounts of mind, and associated practices to apply them, map onto contemporary MBSR and MBCT programs and associated mindfulness meditation practices are described.
After the four foundations of mindfulness are delineated, select parallels to contemporary psychology will also be highlighted with reference to theory of emotion.
CE Learning Objective:
By the end of this program, participants will be able to:
Describe what each of these four foundations represents (theoretically)
Delineate steps for practicing mindfulness using the framework of the four foundations of mindfulness (both in terms of formal mindfulness meditation and day-to-day living)
Outline how these 4 foundations underpin contemporary approaches to alleviating suffering, such as MBSR and MBCT, and how they inform the sequence and structure of these approaches.
Summarize, with reference to both an MBCT sitting meditation practice and an everyday lived experience , how the 4 foundations dynamically interrelate to create moment to moment experience.
ABOUT PRESENTERS
Dh. Karunavira: Karunavira studied Mindfulness Based Approaches at the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice (CMRP), Bangor University gaining his M.Sc. in 2010. He currently is a senior trainer for CMRP. He is also a founding director of, ‘Mindfulhealth’, training mindfulness teachers in the UK
He has taught mindfulness-based approaches (MBCT and MBSR) and trained mindfulness teachers within the local and wider (international) community since 2005, specialising in working with Carers, Young People, NHS Staff and traditional Arab and Far Eastern communities. He leads mindfulness retreats in the UK and across Europe. He previously trained as a Psychotherapeutic Counsellor specialising in working within the NHS with parents/carers of children with complex needs, working with this population as a Mindfulness Therapist.
Karunavira left his initial career as Headteacher in Primary education in 1982 to pursue Buddhist studies. From 1990 he taught meditation and Buddhist studies in the UK and between 2000 and 2010 he was the spiritual director of the Brighton Buddhist Centre (UK)
Chris Molnar, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist and clinical scientist, founded Mindful Exposure Therapy for Anxiety and Psychological Wellness Center (META Center) in 2007. She completed post-doctoral fellowship training in traumatic stress, neuroscience, and psycho-physiology and is an expert in the assessment and treatment of anxiety, OCD, PTSD, emotional, and stress-related conditions using evidence-based practices. She teaches both Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and has also developed adaptations for highly distressed clients, using Relational Mindfulness Practices (RBPs), to meet the needs of people in both individual and group therapy settings. At META Center, she offers integrative interventions grounded in findings about the brain, emotion, and learning to facilitate mental and behavioral habit change, even in the face of severe distress. Before founding META Center, she served as a clinical investigator and therapist supported by grants from the National Institute of Health and other agencies. She is also on the editorial board of Behavior Therapy and serves the public in many ways, through professional presentations, workshops, publications, and affiliations.
Suggested Reading
Bradley, M. M., Sambuco, N., & Lang, P. J. (2023). Imagery, emotion, and bioinformational theory: From body to brain. Biological Psychology, 108669.
Crane, R. S. (2017). Implementing mindfulness in the mainstream: Making the path by walking it. Mindfulness, 8, 585-594.
Crane, R. S., Brewer, J., Feldman, C., Kabat-Zinn, J., Santorelli, S., Williams, J. M. G., & Kuyken, W. (2017). What defines mindfulness-based programs? The warp and the weft. Psychological medicine, 47(6), 990-999.
Crane, R. S., Karunavira, & Griffith, G. M. (Eds.). (2021). Essential resources for mindfulness teachers. Routledge.
Monteiro, L. M., Musten, R. F., & Compson, J. (2015). Traditional and contemporary mindfulness: Finding the middle path in the tangle of concerns. Mindfulness, 6, 1-13.
"Satipatthana Sutta: The Foundations of Mindfulness" (MN 10), translated from the Pali by Nyanasatta Thera. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 1 December 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.nysa.html .
Target Audience
This presentation is intended for licensed mental health professionals and advanced graduate student trainees seeking licensure and with some clinical experience. The instructional level of this presentation is INTERMEDIATE.
Continuing Education
- Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists*. Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
- This program provides TWO (2) hours of CE credits.
- PBTA is also an authorized provider of CE credits for Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Clinical Social Workers licensed in the state of Pennsylvania.
- Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association is also approved by the NY State Education Department to offer psychology continuing education
- ZOOM VIDEO LINK WILL BE SENT TO REGISTRANTS NO LATER THAN 2 DAYS BEFORE IT.
- Full attendance with video display and participation in break out rooms is required to obtain CE credit for this program. APA guidelines do not permit PBTA to issue partial CE credits. No refunds are provided for CE programs. No exceptions allowed. Registrants can log in to cancel up to 3 days before the event.
- Contact PBTAcontinuingeducation@philabta.org if you need any learning accommodations no later than one week before event.
- * PBTA offers CE to ALL licensed psychologists in the U.S.A., including those licensed in the state of New York. If you are not licensed as a psychologist & do not practice in PA -- essentially if you are not certain about whether or not CE credits from an APA-sponsored CE provider meets criteria for ongoing education for your specific board, please inquire with your respective licensing board to confirm.
- All events are Eastern Time Zone
