Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (8 Week Course)

Next course starting 16th October 2024 (Wednesday evenings)

This course will be delivered “in-person” at the Mindfulness & Compassion Therapy Centre in Dublin 2. The number of participants is limited to ensure an intimate and highly interactive experience.

MBSR is an eight-week program which was developed by Jon Kabat Zinn in the University of Massachusetts Medical School. It is has a very extensive evidence base.

Learning mindfulness is really about learning to be fully awake in our lives. The 8 week MBSR programme is a practical and experiential introduction to a variety of mindfulness practices. We will look at various ways in which mindfulness can be incorporated into daily life: how it can help us to appreciate what is already here; how it can help us to respond wisely when we are faced with difficult experiences; how it can help us to navigate our emotions; how it can help us to communicate more effectively and ultimately how it can help us to take better care of ourselves. We can learn how to live mindfully.

The MBSR programme was a developed by John Kabat Zinn over 40 years ago and has a very extensive evidence base. It has been shown to be particularly helpful for people dealing with stress and anxiety.

Dates: 16th October - 4th December (18.30 pm - 21.00 pm)

Cost: €350 (booking directly through the Mindfulness Centre).

After you sign up, there will be a pre-course orientation phone call with Barry. If, after the pre-course orientation, you decide for whatever reason that you do not wish to participate in the course or if we decide that it is not the right time for you to do the course, you will receive a full refund.

“I was not quite sure what to expect when embarking on this eight week programme. Working in healthcare as a GP I am so highly aware of the physical, emotional and psychological effects of stress – and this is applicable not only to my patients, but of course to me also. From the first hour in this informal, welcoming space and open, responsive group I knew that this course was going to be practical, easily applicable, and would likely leave me with some incredibly useful life skills. I was not wrong. Having purchased many a mindfulness book coupled with great intentions in the past I had never actually gotten around to the practical application of the theory. This is where Barry’s skill as a super teacher and guide on this path came to the fore. His gentle, open, welcoming personality fostered honest, progressive group discussion and debate. I found the home exercises enjoyable throughout and was amazed at how my own intuition regarding my personal stress response mechanisms and ability to identify and halt these emotions developed throughout the eight weeks. I am happy to wholeheartedly and without hesitation recommend this programme and will certainly encourage my own patients trying to deal with stress to apply for a place on this extremely worthwhile course. Don’t debate it; if you have been considering a mindfulness based stress reduction course, book on to Barry’s. You won’t regret it.” - Dr Clodagh Keegan - General Practitioner