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Training Mindfulness Teachers: Principles, Practices and Challenges

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Resources for Teaching Mindfulness

Abstract

Interest in the development and application of mindfulness-based interventions is expanding around the world; there is an associated increase in demand for good teachers. The result is a pressure to train more teachers quickly, with an associated risk of dilution in standards. Mindfulness-based teaching and learning needs to extend outwards beyond mere technique to enable deep experiential and scholarly learning. Good teacher training must not only be about developing skills and knowledge, but must also be concerned with possibilities of transformation. Simultaneously, it is important that teacher training is grounded in the research evidence base, that the processes of teaching, learning, and assessment are systematically examined and researched. The context for implementation also needs careful attention to ensure that a supportive and rigorous professional context is developed and maintained.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is responsible for UK government recommendations on what treatments to include within National Health Service treatment protocols.

  2. 2.

    Although the term ‘therapist’ is common in psychotherapy research and practice, we will refer here to ‘teacher’ as this better conveys the mindfulness learning process.

  3. 3.

    In the UK, Bangor, Exeter and Oxford Universities offer some of their teacher training in the context of master’s programmes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, School of Psychology, Bangor University, Brigantia Building, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2 AS, UK

    Rebecca S. Crane Ph.D. & Barbara Reid Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Rebecca S. Crane Ph.D.
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  2. Barbara Reid Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rebecca S. Crane Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Contemplative Studies, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA

    Donald McCown

  2. Mindfulness Institute, Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Diane Reibel

  3. Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA

    Marc S. Micozzi

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Crane, R.S., Reid, B. (2016). Training Mindfulness Teachers: Principles, Practices and Challenges. In: McCown, D., Reibel, D., Micozzi, M. (eds) Resources for Teaching Mindfulness. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30100-6_6

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