Certificate in Mindfulness and Compassion in Psychotherapy
Come to a free introductory session and find out more!
These experiential information sessions are designed to give you a feel for the program and the opportunity to ask questions. We will discuss the program, topics, speakers, approach to learning, and also give you an experiential taste of some practical mindfulness and compassion approaches that can be immediately applied to your practice. Rob Fisher, MFT will be in attendance to answer your questions.
Thursday, January 31, 2013 - receive $100 off the deposit if you register by this date!
7:00PM--8:30PM
Namaste Hall (3rd floor)
Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - receive $50 off the deposit if you register by this date!
7:00PM--8:30PM
room 304
Location:
CIIS Main Building
1453 Mission Street
San Francisco CA 94103
Please arrive several minutes before the beginning of the session.
For more information contact CIIS Public Programs & Performances (415) 575-6175 or publicprograms@ciis.edu
About the Program
CIIS is proud to announce the formation of a Mindfulness and Compassion in Psychotherapy Certificate Program. This year-long program features leaders in the research, practice, and applications of mindfulness and compassion to the field of psychotherapy.
The program has a unique emphasis on development of the internal state of the psychotherapist. It extends beyond ideas and skills acquisition to address the deeper issue of how a psychotherapist can utilize her or his own compassion and mindfulness to inspire clients, and to create a healing relationship that encourages the unfolding of the psyche at its most essential levels.
Mindfulness and compassion have been practiced in a number of contemplative traditions for more than 2000 years. Psychotherapy has recently discovered the power of these practices, which have been scrutinized by neuroscientific researchers and applied in a variety of creative ways that enhance psychological healing and deep intrapsychic unfolding. Mindfulness invites us to observe and connect with our internal experience without judgment. It is used in sensory-motor processing for the treatment of trauma, DBT for work with borderline and self-regulation issues, Hakomi mindfulness-based psychotherapy for psychodynamic exploration, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and mindfulness-based stress reduction, to name just a few contemporary applications.
Research has demonstrated that mindfulness can modulate anxiety and depression, and regulate emotional activation by reducing activity in the amygdale and increasing it in the prefrontal cortex. It can lower blood pressure and enhance the immune system, increase attention and focus, and help people with ADHD. Mindfulness literally changes how the brain functions.
Mindfulness can increase the effectiveness of psychotherapy by applying it technically and by using it to create an internal therapeutic presence that evokes the best and deepest changes in clients. The Mindfulness and Compassion in Psychotherapy (MCP) certificate program addresses both of these aspects of practice.
Many training programs in psychotherapy teach concepts. This program is specifically designed to develop your inner presence as a psychotherapist and to teach specific skills and interventions to deepen and broaden the therapeutic encounter.
The program addresses not just an intellectual understanding of mindfulness, including standout research from the field of neuroscience, it also allows you to explore your soul. The program focuses on actual, immediately applicable skills, as well as your internal state as a therapist. Strengthening moment-to-moment awareness and compassion, developing therapeutic presence, empathy, deep listening, and compassion are central skills you build.
Students not only gain a solid academic foundation in the therapeutic applications of mindfulness and compassion, but experience the effects of these practices on their own lives and internal states. The program is unique in the way that it integrates theory and practice in a comprehensive curriculum built upon both scientific research and internal practices that have been refined over the last two thousand years and validated by numerous research studies.
This program has a threefold focus:
- Internal development as a therapist using mindfulness and compassion exercises and practices
- Knowledge of the most current applications of mindfulness to therapy practice
- Skills development using these applications
The CIIS Public Programs & Performances Certificate in Mindfulness and Compassion in Psychotherapy brings together local and national leaders in the field to provide 150 hours of in-depth study of the core skills and applications related to the field. The certificate is intended for mental health practitioners who are interested in developing a deeper understanding and application of mindfulness and compassion in their professional practices.
Applicants should have a minimum of two years of clinical experience in psychotherapy and an interest in engaging in an ongoing practice of mindfulness during the program.
Curriculum
The curriculum includes a variety of internal mindfulness and compassion practices; the application of mindfulness to psychodynamic psychotherapy, to emotional regulation, to specific populations such as clients with depression- or anxiety- or stress-related problems; the application of mindfulness to eating disorders; ecotherapy; working with families and couples; and trauma. The historical and neuroscientific aspects are explored as well. Representatives of the major theoretical orientations using mindfulness present their knowledge and skills. Specific topics and faculty are subject to change.
Faculty
Faculty include leaders and highly experienced teachers in the fields of both psychotherapy and mindfulness practices from a variety of orientations. See List of Faculty >>
Structure of the Program
The program includes thirty-one weekly meetings on Thursday evenings from 6:30PM to 9:30PM, and eight day-long Saturday workshops with prominent national experts and leaders in the field. The curriculum focuses on developing the internal state of the therapist using mindfulness and compassion practices. You explore the different uses of mindfulness in psychotherapy in didactic, experiential, and skills-building formats, so that you emerge from the class not just with knowledge, but with a set of skills that immediately enhance, enliven, and deepen your practice.
Weekly classes will include the following components
- Mindfulness or compassion practice
- Check-in time to discuss how you are applying these elements in your practice
- Didactic presentation on the application of mindfulness and compassion to psychotherapy to specific populations and from a variety of mindfulness orientations
- Skills development
In order to create and support a community of growth and learning, the program's curriculum is structured around a cohort model, where a small group of students attend the same classes together throughout the year. Several academic programs at CIIS follow this model, and it has proven to enrich students' learning experience, to create a vibrant learning community, and to inspire original ideas. Participants will have the opportunity to present cases and review current scientific research on the topic.
The Mindfulness and Compassion Certificate Program in Psychotherapy offers a combination of weekday evening and weekend intensives throughout the academic year, making it especially appealing to working professionals and adult learners. Students must be willing to commit to the program's time requirement, which includes 150 class hours and special projects over the course of ten months.
See Class Schedule >>
Program Benefits
By enrolling in the Certificate in Mindfulness and Compassion for Psychotherapists you have the rare opportunity to:
Receive ample individual attention as you study intensively in small groups led by experts and pioneers in the field of mindfulness and compassion in psychotherapy
Build professional collaborations and networks with those who share your passion for the subject
Receive Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Please check the class schedule carefully to see which courses are available for CEUs (MFT, LCSW, RN) and which courses are available for CEs (PSY) in addition to CEUs.
Receive ongoing discounts on select Public Programs & Performances events
Who Should Apply?
The certificate program is designed for psychotherapists, psychiatrists, marriage and family therapists, social workers, drug and alcohol counselors, coaches, interns, and trainees who have at least two years of clinical experience and a strong interest in learning about how to use mindfulness and compassion clinically, and a dedication to applying these skills internally as well as externally.
APPLY NOW >>