Practicum in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

The Practicum in MBSR is an in-depth training program offering you an opportunity to:

• Immerse yourself in the Center for Mindfulness approach to the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Program,
  
• Study the curriculum, program flow, and contextual and theoretical background of MBSR,
  
• Inquire and reflect on a range of issues arising out of the experience and principles of MBSR,
  
• Prepare and lead a seminar presentation that includes mindfulness practice, theory, and application, and
  
• Familiarize yourself with perspectives on learning, growing, human development, and healing inherent in the MBSR curriculum.

There are two versions of the Practicum in MBSR: an Eight-week Practicum and a Nine-day Practicum. See complete program descriptions below.

Practicum Learning Objectives

• Educate health care and other professionals in the principles of MBSR.
  
• Discuss and analyze the theoretical, philosophical, pedagogical, and scientific underpinnings of MBSR.
  
• Examine MBSR within the larger fields of mind-body and integrative medicine.
  
• Review and critique MBSR and other mindfulness-based research and scientific literature.
  
• Foster a coherent, active international network of MBSR professionals.

Practicum Prerequisites

• Completion of an eight-week MBSR course as a participant.
  
• Participation in one or more 5-10 day silent, teacher led mindfulness meditation retreats (preference will be given to those who have completed more than one retreat).
  
• Regular daily mindfulness meditation practice.

The Eight-week Practicum

The Eight-week Practicum is a unique forum for immersing yourself in the experience an MBSR course taught by a senior CFM teacher. Coupling the MBSR program with a weekly professional seminar offers you a direct experience of the impact of MBSR in your life, meditation practice, and profession. Since its inception in 1981, more than 2,000 professionals have completed this program. As a participant in the Eight-week Practicum you will be asked to:

• Participate in a pre-program Practicum orientation and post-program closure (each 4.5 hours long).
  
• Participate in the eight-week MBSR course. This includes weekly classes of approximately 2.5 to 3.5 hours and one full-day session on a weekend during the program.
  
• Engage in weekly 3-hour Practicum seminar class focused on integrating the experience of the MBSR course through dialogue with your teacher and other Practicum participants.  The Practicum seminar class meets on the same day as the MBSR class.
  
• Create brief presentations and reflect upon reading assignments.
  
• Guide other seminar participants in mindfulness practices incorporated in the MBSR curriculum.
  
• Discuss professional, institutional, and administrative aspects of the work relevant to your background and career path.

We offer day and afternoon/evening sessions of the Eight-Week Practicum, which usually occur on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays

If you have a scheduling preference, please let us know in your application letter. We will do our best to accommodate your request, but we cannot guarantee that you'll be placed in your first-choice session.

Note: Graduate credit is available for the Eight-Week Practicum through Lesley University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. If you are interested in this credit option, please indicate your interest in your application and the Oasis Coordinator will send you details regarding the registration process, upon your acceptance. 

The Nine-day Practicum

The Nine-day Practicum is designed for professional trainees who live at a significant distance from the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Practicum participants will be asked to:

• Participate in Mindfulness Tools for Living the Full Catastrophe, a five-day residential program offered by the CFM. This challenging residential workshop is based upon the 8-week MBSR curriculum.
  
• Participate in a four-day intensive professional seminar focused on integrating the experience of the Mindfulness Tools course through dialogue with your teachers and other Practicum participants.
  
• Complete reading assignments relevant to the course prior to attendance.
  
• Create brief presentations and reflect upon reading assignments.
  
• Guide other seminar participants in mindfulness practices incorporated in the MBSR curriculum.
  
• Discuss professional, institutional, and administrative aspects of the work relevant to your background and career path.

Program Dates

Continuing Education Credits (USA programs only) (click for details)

How to Apply

Please apply using our online application form. You will need to have your CV/Resume available on your computer before you begin filling out the application form because you will attach it to the application form and you cannot submit the form without the CV/Resume. The CV/Resume should be in MS Word or PDF format.

***  Please click here for the application form.

Application Fee

After you submit your application, you must pay a $50 application fee. The application fee is non-refundable, regardless of your final acceptance status.

You have three options for paying this application fee:

1. Click here to make an online payment using MasterCard or Visa; or
2. Call Jessica in our office at 508-856-1084 to make a credit card payment over the phone (we can accept payment with American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover cards over the phone); or
3. Mail a check payable to UMMS-CFM to:

   Center for Mindfulness
   UMass Medical School
   55 Lake Avenue North
   Worcester, MA 01655
   Attention: Oasis

Click HERE to access a program calendar and information about tuition and fees, continuing education credits, and registration.