MBCT Extended Training

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Professional Training

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an innovative group program designed to prevent relapse in people who have recovered from unipolar depression. It has also been shown to have transdiagnostic application across a number of mental health conditions.

Based on the research of Drs. Zindel Segal, John Teasdale, and Mark Williams, and documented in their book “Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression,” this professional training combines the practice and clinical application of mindfulness meditation with the tools of cognitive therapy.

This workshop retreat is a foundational step in the MBCT Training Pathway and is equally applicable to therapists interested in incorporating elements of mindfulness practice into their clinical work. It is designed to cycle through the 8-week MBCT curriculum in two ways: First, participants are led through the program by the instructors and then, using “teach backs,” participants are supervised as they guide each other through the cardinal mindfulness practices and cognitive therapy exercises that comprise MBCT.

Throughout this training, didactics, experiential practice, and small group process—including daily meditations, yoga, and periods of silence—are relied upon to consolidate the participants’ learning. A continuous theme emphasized in this training is the importance of the clinician’s own meditation practice, especially how self-knowledge gained through practice can be used in helping clients in emotional distress.

What to Expect

This teacher-training intensive will combine elements of a clinical training workshop and a meditation retreat. You can expect to spend some periods in silence and others in active discussion and interaction. The course will follow a concentrated schedule, starting at 7 a.m. and ending at 8 p.m. each day. Participants will not be provided with a detailed agenda beforehand; instead the schedule and time breakdown will be addressed at the opening session of the retreat.

After attending this workshop, participants will be better able to:

• Teach the curriculum and core therapeutic tasks for each of the eight group sessions of MBCT
• Understand the central role of mindfulness meditation practice in facilitating self-regulation of emotions and mood
• Articulate the vital importance of the therapist’s ongoing mindfulness meditation practice and sustained mindful awareness within a psychotherapy framework
• Develop and/or deepen their own mindfulness meditation practice, emphasizing both formal meditative practices and mindfulness as a mode of being in daily life
• Demonstrate the clinical skills and perspectives necessary to facilitate MBCT groups

Who Should Attend?

This 5-day intensive workshop is intended for mental health professionals wishing to expand their practice to include MBCT and mindfulness-related practices. Those in attendance should be either licensed clinicians in a mental health field, clinicians-in-training, or interested professionals who do not intend to deliver the intervention directly but have other professional interests in the topic (such as researchers and administrators). All participants should have at least a modest regular meditation practice and an established practice is preferred.

Participant Guidelines

It is our experience that successful delivery of MBCT requires facilitators to have a commitment to an ongoing, daily mindfulness meditation practice. To this end, we have created recommendations for acceptance to this MBCT training:

• Advanced degree in mental health-related field (such as psychology, social work or counseling)
• An established daily meditation practice and mindful movement practice (such as yoga or tai chi)
• Familiarity with cognitive behavioral therapy techniques
• Experience with and an understanding of models of depression
• Experience facilitating group process

Application Process

Please submit the following via email to info@copperbeechinstitute.org:

• A brief CV
• A paragraph stating your reasons for wanting to attend this training in 200 words or less
• A paragraph describing your personal meditation and/or movement (yoga, tai chi, etc.) practice

A list of any attendance at teacher-led silent meditation retreats, including the teacher’s name, location, and year