Full Course Description

Learning from Non-Ordinary States: Mindfulness, Compassion, and Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy

Ever since Freud, psychotherapists have worked with non-ordinary states — dreams, hypnosis, free association — to understand and heal the heart and mind. In the past decade, mindfulness and compassion practices have become mainstream tools, while research on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy has rapidly expanded.

Psychedelics, often combined with insights from mindfulness and compassion practices, now offer promising treatments for PTSD, depression, addiction, and end-of-life anxiety — while also providing new insight into the nature of psychological distress and the mechanisms of healing.

What can clinicians learn from these developments? What can they teach us about the neurobiology of human suffering and flourishing? How can they inform clinical practice?

Join Dr. Ron Siegel to explore how a variety of non-ordinary states can be introduced into psychotherapy to help clients:

Process and integrate split-off traumatic memories
Open their hearts and embrace vulnerability
Surrender to the flow of ever-changing experience
Move from isolation toward deep connection with people and nature
Appreciate the unreliable, fluid nature of thought
Find meaning in everyday moments

Program Information

Objectives

Identify common elements underlying psychological distress and recovery.
Examine the contributions of mindfulness and compassion practices to psychotherapeutic progress.
Evaluate the role of non-ordinary states in mindfulness-informed and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.

Outline

Non-Ordinary States in Psychotherapy

Historical perspectives on dreams, hypnosis, free association, mindfulness, compassion, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy
Common elements across psychological disorders and pathways toward healing
Research limitations and potential risks associated with non-ordinary states

Mindfulness, Compassion, and Therapeutic Change

Mindfulness mechanisms related to psychological distress and recovery
Compassion and self-compassion as foundations for therapeutic progress
Vulnerability, acceptance, connection, and meaningful everyday experience
Practices supporting clients’ awareness of thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations

Clinical Applications and Integration

Traumatic-memory processing and integration
Expanding connection with people and nature
Transpersonal and mystical experiences within therapeutic contexts
Ethical, clinical, and practical considerations for client care

Target Audience

Counselors
Social Workers
Psychologists
Psychotherapists
Therapists
Marriage & Family Therapists
Addiction Counselors
Case Managers
Other Mental Health Professionals

Copyright : 02/24/2027

Together We Heal: Creating Mindfulness Groups That Cultivate Safety, Connection, and Resilience

Mindfulness groups offer something uniquely healing: the opportunity to cultivate self-compassion, openness, and meaningful connection in community with others.

In an era of increasing loneliness, isolation, trauma, and chronic stress, these groups provide an evidence-based way to foster belonging, strengthen social connection, and expand access to care.

You’ll learn:

The latest evidence linking social disconnection, health outcomes, and mindfulness-based group interventions
Trauma-informed frameworks for creating psychological safety, trust, and inclusive group cultures
Group structure, eligibility, and adaptation considerations for diverse clinical populations
Practical approaches for mindfulness practice, inquiry, and connection-building that deepen participant engagement
Sustainable implementation strategies, including referrals, workflow design, staffing, telehealth, and program evaluation

Program Information

Objectives

Differentiate correlates and health consequences of social disconnection.
Utilize evidence-based techniques to deliver mindfulness practices in ways that support safety and connection in group settings.
Identify clinical and administrative considerations for developing and implementing mindfulness group programs in clinical settings.

Outline

Building the Case for Mindfulness Groups as a Pathway to Healing

Social disconnection, loneliness, and chronic stress as drivers of health challenges
Connections between belonging, relationships, and mental and physical well-being
Evidence for mindfulness groups as accessible, community-based interventions
Research limitations, clinical considerations, and potential risks

Creating Trauma-Informed Groups That Foster Safety and Trust

Psychological safety through clear expectations, boundaries, and group agreements
Trauma-sensitive approaches to mindfulness practice and participant choice
Inclusive group cultures that support diverse identities, needs, and experiences
Responses to distress, adverse reactions, and moments of vulnerability

Designing Meaningful Mindfulness Group Experiences

Group structure, participant eligibility, and population-specific adaptations
Meditation practices, guided inquiry, and connection-building activities
Engagement strategies that strengthen self-compassion, openness, and resilience
Considerations for established models such as Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

Implementing Sustainable Programs in Clinical Settings

Program scope, leadership support, funding, and staffing considerations
Referral pathways, screening processes, and continuity-of-care planning
Workflow design, billing considerations, telehealth delivery, and logistics
Quality improvement methods for evaluation and ongoing refinement

Target Audience

Counselors
Social Workers
Psychologists
Psychotherapists
Therapists
Marriage & Family Therapists
Addiction Counselors
Case Managers
Occupational Therapists
Other Mental Health Professionals

Copyright : 02/24/2027

Foundations of Emotion: Practical Tools for Living with and Managing Our Emotional World

Why do we find ourselves stuck in the same conflicts, reacting in ways we later regret, or struggling to understand our own emotional responses?

In this engaging and practical session, Dr. Mark Bertin offers a roadmap for understanding emotions from the inside out, helping clients navigate their inner world with greater awareness, clarity, and intention.

Powerful body-based signals that reveal emotions before they take over
The surprising complexity and nuance hidden beneath everyday feelings
The stories, assumptions, and emotional habits that shape our reactions
Practical pathways to greater steadiness, self-awareness, empathy, and connection

Program Information

Objectives

Differentiate bodily/interoceptive cues, emotional labeling, cognitive appraisal, and habitual response patterns to understand how emotions influence clinical situations.
Select mindfulness-informed, body-awareness, and cognitive emotion-regulation strategies to help clients recognize and interrupt automatic emotional reactions before they drive behavior.
Integrate emotion-awareness and regulation strategies into treatment planning while accounting for client context, comorbidities, developmental differences, research limitations, and potential risks.

Outline

Understanding Our Emotional World

Body-based signals that reveal emotions
Complexity and nuance the shape our experience of everyday emotion
Recognizing emotional responses and habits before they take over

What Shapes Our Reactions

Wide-ranging emotional awareness and ‘granularity’
Stories and assumptions that influence emotional experiences
Emotional habits that contribute to repeated reactions

Practical Tools for Managing Emotions

Expanding our awareness of the full range of emotions
Building greater awareness of emotional experiences in our mind and body
Practical pathways to greater steadiness and self-awareness
Limitations of the research and potential risks

Supporting Connection

Using emotional awareness to support empathy
Improving connection through greater understanding of our own emotional patterns
Applying emotional awareness in everyday interactions

Target Audience

Counselors
Social Workers
Psychologists
Psychotherapists
Therapists
Marriage & Family Therapists
Addiction Counselors
Case Managers
Occupational Therapists
Other Mental Health Professionals

Copyright : 02/24/2027

Holding Space Without Losing Yourself: Mindfulness for Therapists

As therapists, we spend our days helping others navigate stress, trauma, and emotional overwhelm, yet many of us struggle to extend that same care to ourselves. Between packed schedules, documentation, and the emotional demands of clinical work, it can be difficult to maintain the balance, boundaries, and resilience needed to sustain our well-being.

In this experiential session, you'll discover practical, realistic mindfulness strategies designed specifically for busy mental health professionals, helping you continue to do meaningful work without sacrificing yourself in the process. You'll walk away with:

Early warning signs of emotional activation, compassion fatigue, and boundary erosion
Brief mindfulness practices for grounding, regulation, and between-session recovery
Mindful transition strategies for separating work life from personal life
Simple, effective tools to help you stay present for your clients while protecting your own energy, resilience, and well-being

Program Information

Objectives

Identify personal and systemic barriers affecting clinicians’ consistent use of mindfulness practices.
Utilize micro-mindfulness practices within existing clinical workflows, including sessions, documentation, and daily transitions.
Develop sustainable, individualized mindfulness plans aligned with personal patterns, clinical demands, and realistic time constraints.

Outline

Why Therapists Struggle to Practice What They Teach

Common barriers to personal mindfulness practice
Recognizing patterns of emotional avoidance and autopilot
The cost of carrying clinical work home
Current evidence and research limitations

Practical Mindfulness for Busy Clinicians

Recognizing early signs of stress and emotional activation
Micro-practices between sessions
Mindful transitions between work and home
Brief grounding strategies for emotionally intense moments

Experiential Practice and Personal Application

Guided mindful breathing and anchoring exercise
Brief self-compassion practice
Developing an individualized, realistic mindfulness plan

Target Audience

Counselors
Social Workers
Psychologists
Psychotherapists
Therapists
Marriage & Family Therapists
Addiction Counselors
Case Managers
Occupational Therapists
Other Mental Health Professionals

Copyright : 02/24/2027

The Yoga of Mindfulness: Finding the Right Doorway to Regulation through Somatic Interventions & Nervous System States

Mindfulness is not simply a technique. It's a quality of attention we bring to what is already happening. Eating, walking, listening, breathing, and sensing the world around us can all become doorways to mindful awareness.

The question is not whether a client can be mindful. It's which doorway their nervous system can access right now. This session introduces a yoga-informed framework for matching mindfulness and somatic interventions to a client's current state, creating more effective and individualized pathways to regulation and healing.

You'll walk away with:

A practical understanding of the five Koshas as a map for assessment and intervention
Nervous system-informed approaches for hyperarousal, hypoarousal, and regulated states
Mindfulness and somatic practices matched to the body, breath, mind, intuition, and connection/spirit
A trauma-sensitive, neurodivergent-affirming framework for selecting and adapting interventions
You'll leave with a flexible, culturally rooted approach that helps clients access mindfulness through the doorway that fits them best.

Program Information

Objectives

Analyze the neurophysiological limitations of purely cognitive mindfulness approaches for clients with chronic autonomic dysregulation through a polyvagal theory framework.
Differentiate the five Koshas and their relevance to targeted somatic interventions based on a client’s current nervous system state.
Evaluate ethical considerations in using culturally humble, trauma-sensitive language when integrating ancestral spiritual practices into Western clinical settings.

Outline

Opening: Mindfulness Is Already Happening

Mindfulness as a quality of attention, not an added technique
Experiential sensory practice and nervous-system check-in
Limitations of the research and potential risks
Nervous-system state matching and the Kosha framework

Nervous System States and the Kosha Model

Autonomic states and their influence on mindfulness
Hyperarousal, hypoarousal, and the window of tolerance
Five Koshas as interconnected dimensions of experience
Framework as a flexible guide rather than a hierarchy

Somatic Mindfulness Practice Menu

Body-based grounding through sensory awareness and movement
Breath practices for calming, balancing, or energizing
Mind and feeling practices for attention, gratitude, and self-awareness
Intuitive and connection-based practices for reflection, compassion, and meaning

Assessment, Ethics, and Integration

Collaborative stress assessment and post-practice reflection
State-matched practice selection
Trauma-sensitive language, choice, and invitational cues
Cultural humility, scope of practice, and framework limitations

Target Audience

Counselors
Social Workers
Psychologists
Psychotherapists
Therapists
Marriage & Family Therapists
Addiction Counselors
Case Managers
Occupational Therapists
Other Mental Health Professionals

Copyright : 02/24/2027

Embodied Mindfulness: The Clinical Power of Presence

Details coming soon!

Copyright : 02/25/2027

Mindfulness and Soulfulness: Pathways to Healing, Belonging, and Resilience

Details coming soon!

Copyright : 02/25/2027

Mindfulness for Collective Healing: The Power of Loving Awareness

Details coming soon!

Stillness Is Not the Goal: Mindful and Play-Based Resilience, Regulation, and Relationships

For many children, especially those who are anxious, energetic, neurodivergent, overwhelmed, or impacted by stress and trauma, stillness is not the starting point for growth and regulation.

This engaging session explores how mindfulness, movement, play, and connection help children build resilience, navigate big emotions, and develop healthier relationships. Grounded in neuroscience, child development, and positive psychology, you'll discover practical mindfulness strategies that can be immediately applied in therapy, schools, families, and community settings.

This session with teach you how to:

The critical role of co-regulation, nervous system safety, and supportive relationships in children’s emotional development
Playful mindfulness practices that foster emotional awareness, attention, coping skills, and resilience
Trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming, and developmentally responsive approaches to supporting children

Program Information

Objectives

Examine the roles of co-regulation, nervous system safety, and supportive relationships in children's emotional development and self-regulation.
Integrate playful mindfulness practices that promote emotional awareness, attention, coping skills, and resilience in children.
Differentiate trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming, and developmentally responsive approaches to mindfulness-based interventions for children.

Outline

The Stress and Resilience Crisis, How We Got Here
Defining Mindfulness (with three exercises)
The Physiology of Stress
Body and Breath Regulation Techniques
Adaptations and integrations for arts, athletics and academics
Integrating techniques
Generating buy in
Risks, Limitations and Conclusions

Target Audience

Counselors
Social Workers
Psychologists
Psychotherapists
Therapists
Marriage & Family Therapists
Addiction Counselors
Case Managers
Occupational Therapists
Other Mental Health Professionals

Many Minds, One Practice: Adapting Mindfulness Skills Across Diverse Nervous Systems

This session guides you experientially through the core skills of practice, showing you how to customize mindfulness for different people — including neurodivergent nervous systems — rather than teaching a one-size-fits-all approach.

Practice concentration, clarity, care, and equanimity — the four primary skills of meditation, guided experientially rather than lectured on
Learn to modify each skill to fit a client's unique context, temperament, or nervous system
Experience a lighter, humor-forward teaching style you can bring into your own group or individual sessions

Program Information

Objectives

Identify concentration, clarity, care, and equanimity as foundational skills that support contemplative practice.
Examine how neurodiversity, temperament, personal history, and context influence engagement with mindfulness and contemplative practices.
Determine appropriate adaptations to contemplative practices that support diverse nervous systems and learning styles while maintaining essential practice elements.

Outline

What Really Matters in Mindfulness

The core qualities that give contemplative practices their power
Separating essential ingredients from specific techniques
Why different traditions often lead to similar outcomes

When Traditional Mindfulness Doesn't Fit

The influence of neurodiversity, temperament, and life experience
Understanding why some practices resonate and others fall flat
Meeting different nervous systems with curiosity rather than judgment

Expanding Access, Preserving Integrity

Adapting practices without losing their therapeutic value
Creating meaningful entry points for a wider range of clients
Supporting regulation, insight, and growth through a personalized approach

Limitations and Risks

Practices are not universally beneficial and may need modification for some individuals
Adaptations require thoughtful clinical judgment to ensure psychological safety

Compassionate Self-Study

Ethnic and race-based traumatic stress is a worldwide phenomenon. Regardless of race and ethnicity, from those who are harmed to those who intentionally or unwittingly do harm, we are all impacted by its damaging effects. No one is immune. To remain relevant the therapeutic community needs to be prepared to address this form of stress and trauma. Therapists who lack critical awareness of race and racism, who have not lived the experience of being directly impacted, have not adequately dealt with their own racial hang-ups, and who are uncomfortable dealing with issues of race and ethnicity, become part of the problem. Unexamined racialized attitudes, and adherence to racial stereotypes within the clinical setting have the potential to negatively impact the quality of the experience of those seeking help. Compassionate self-study, a mindfulness based practice, is a necessary first step in preparing to deal effectively with clients experiencing ethnic and race-based stress and trauma. This session invites clinicians interested in doing this work to begin preparing themselves emotionally by exploring their relationship to their own racial and ethnic orientation.

Program Information

Objectives

Practice mindfulness while exploring and acknowledging your personal, professional, societal, and cultural beliefs regarding race and ethnicity.
Integrate ethnic and racial inquiry into the therapeutic encounter.
Develop clarity, empathy and compassion for racial stress and trauma.
Invite client engagement in your therapeutic approach to racial stress and trauma.

Outline

Mindfulness

Compassionate self-study – First, look within
Unconscious bias
Cultural blind spots
Othering
Attunement

Race-Based Traumatic Stress

Definition
High effort coping an adaptive response - video
Body awareness
External threats/Internal trigger

The mindful therapist

Therapeutic relationship
Mindfulness practices
Presence
Emotional safety
Inviting client engagement

Target Audience

Counselors
Educators
Marriage and Family Therapists
Nurses
Psychologists
Social Workers
Other Mental Health Professions