Advanced Classes
These classes meet once a week for eight weeks, and are meant to provide program graduates with a detailed and thorough understanding of the principles, practices and applications of mindfulness.
Participation in at least one Advanced Class is prerequisite in the ongoing Deepening Connections. Willingness to commit to a regular mindfulness practice is essential for participation in the Advanced Classes. Exceptions to these prerequisites must be discussed with one of the class teachers prior to entry into the program.
Three Advanced classes are currently open for enrollment:
- Graduate Class V: Speaking with Mindfulness
- Practicum in Teaching Mindfulness-Based Stress Management
- 3-day Retreat for Mindfulness Teachers and Clinicians
- Registration Form and Information
Graduate Class V: Speaking with Mindfulness
Applying Mindfulness to Communication
Although mindfulness is a central element in process of communication, it often goes unrecognized. Mindfulness teaches us to listen fully, to feel deeply, and to speak from the heart. Mindful communication can bring mindfulness into our relationships in a way that can completely transform them. If we are willing to let go of our own self-centered agenda and open ourselves to the truth of the other, we can join with them in a completely new way. Mindfulness has the potential to bring our most authentic self into contact with others.
| Date/Times: | September 28 – November 16, 2009 |
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| Location: | Ralston Center 3615 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 Driving Directions |
| Cost: | $495 APA-approved CE Credits available at additional charge. |
| Facilitators: | Taught by Michael Baime, MD |
| Prerequisites: | Completion of an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Management Program, and a regular, ongoing mindfulness practice |
Specific class content will help you to:
- Bring mindfulness into your life as it is happening.
- Practice being more present and authentic in relationships.
- Let go of your personal agenda during communication, and experience the other fully and deeply.
- Sustain mindfulness, even in the midst of uncomfortable interactions.
- Join with others in way that enhances depth and meaning in relationships.
Learning Objectives for CE credits include:
- Understand the role of mindfulness in undoing stressful communication.
- Practice mindfulness-based communication techniques.
- Discuss the obstacles to effective communication.
- Learn how mindfulness can be used to improve relationships.
Practicum in Teaching Mindfulness-Based Stress Management
This program* offers you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the process of learning and teaching mindfulness and mindfulness-based stress management. Taught by Dr. Michael Baime, the founder and Director of the Penn Program for Mindfulness and the Penn Program for Mindfulness, and Dr. Karen Bowles, it will provide you with a thorough grounding in the ways in which mindfulness is taught and learned. The program combines the experience of a foundation mindfulness-based stress reduction class with analysis and discussion of the class content and process. You and fellow Practicum participants will thoroughly explore your experience of mindfulness, and will practice guiding other seminar participants in a variety of mindfulness exercises. Training in the facilitation of individual dialogue and group discussion is also emphasized. Finally, and most importantly, Practicum participants will be encouraged to investigate the ways in which mindfulness training enhances health and facilitates personal growth. The Practicum is intended for individuals who wish to take the first step towards teaching mindfulness or to apply mindfulness-based practices in their professional life. Refining and deepening your personal mindfulness practice and gaining confidence in the application of mindfulness to your personal and professional life may be the most important benefit of the Practicum in Mindfulness.
| Date/Times: | 8 Tuesdays: September 29 – November 17, 9:30am - 4pm |
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| Location: | 3930 Chestnut Street 3rd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19104 Driving Directions |
| Cost: | $1,800, payable to the Penn Program for Minfulness. |
| Facilitators: | Dr. Michael Baime & Dr. Karen Bowles
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Requirements for the Practicum in Mindfulness include:
- A regular mindfulness practice, with previous participation in an eight-week foundation mindfulness-based stress management class preferred.
- Prior participation in a silent teacher-led mindfulness retreat, or equivalent contemplative training.
- A willingness to explore experience honestly and openly in a group setting.
- An ongoing commitment to learning about your own personality and interpersonal patterns. Ongoing personal exploration is an essential component of the training.
Learning Objectives for CE credits include:
- Explore the role of mindfulness in promoting personal and psychological growth.
- Increase your understanding of the role of mindfulness in managing stress and distress.
- Examine how mindfulness-based practices are learned and taught
- Enhance and deepen your personal meditation practice.
3-day Retreat for Mindfulness Teachers and Clinicians: the Practice of Contemplative Group Dynamics
Starting in 2003 a group of Philadelphia area mindfulness teachers representing diverse educational and clinical settings began to meet monthly. A common challenge was how to explore mindfulness in the class or in individual sessions once didactic information and discussion was complete. We approached this challenge by looking at our own experience as a group believing that doing so would inform our teaching. We began to bridge formal silent practice with contemplative description of immediate experience. Doing so clarified and stabilized the group’s attention making it easier to notice the difference between spontaneous and patterned exchanges. This work also fostered a strong base for a supportive community of teachers wherein the inspiration and diversity of our teaching is actively shared and refined. This model, “Contemplative Group Dynamics,” is the focus of the teacher retreat and was recently presented at the 7th Annual International Mindfulness Conference sponsored by the University of Massachusetts’s Medical School. Learn more about the 3-day Retreat for Mindfulness Teachers and Clinicians (PDF).
| Date/Times: | October 10-12, 2009 |
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| Location: | The Elkins Estate 1750 Ashbourne Road Elkins Park, PA 19027 Driving Directions |
| Cost: | $395: includes materials, meals (lunch, dinner), and CE credits (21) for psychologists and PA social workers (no partial credit for partial attendance). 21 APA-approved CE credits available, co-sponsored by The Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute |
| Facilitators: | Lawrence J. Ladden, PhD is a health psychologist and a senior instructor with the Penn Program for Mindfulness where he has designed and led numerous grant funded applications of mindfulness. A licensed Systems-Centered® practitioner he has led the five day Intermediate Skills Training for clinicians at the Systems-Centered® International Conference. “Contemplative Group Dynamics” integrates Systems-Centered® and mindfulness-awareness practices with contemporary insights into embodiment, empathy, and culture. |
Registration
To register for any of these series, please download the registration form (DOC). You may mail, fax or email your completed registration form along with your preferred payment method. Please call if you have any questions or would like to register by phone. We look forward to continuing our journey together.
For more information please call 215-615-2774 or email stress.management@uphs.upenn.edu.
