I have been a mindfulness teacher since the 1990s and have trained others to teach mindfulness for around 18 years. I was previously a member of Bangor University Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice (CMRP) teaching/training team.
Qualifications
- I trained with Mark Williams to teach mindfulness in the early days of MBCT in the 1990s.
- I attended the intern programme at the Center for Mindfulness in Massachussetts for nine weeks (1999) experiencing MBSR with the team at UMASS.
- Counselling training up to M.Ed. (awarded in 1999)
- I trained as an Occupational Therapist (1983-86, Combined Training Institute, Cardiff) and worked in both Mental Health services and Social Services before specialising in mindfulness teaching and training in 2008.
Teaching-Training Specialisms
- Training others to teach MBSR and MBCT
- Enquiry
- Mindful Movement
- Group processes
- Mindfulness in schools (co-author of Paws b curriculum for Key Stage Two (7-11 years old)
- .b Foundations (mindfulness introduction to adults in the schools context).
Supervision Experience
I have been supervising others to teach a range of mindfulness curricula for approximately 10 years. I took the supervision training through Bangor in approximately 2012.
I feel strongly that we all continue to learn how to teach mindfulness as an on-going process, so support in reflecting, exploring and celebrating skills and processes in teaching is both crucial and nourishing.
Supervision Specialisms
- MBCT in the NHS
- MBCT/MBSR for general public
- Mindfulness in Schools
- For supervisors
- People who are new to teaching mindfulness and those with much more experience
Supervision Rate
1 hour individual session – £50-£60
½ hour individual session – £25-£35
Please see our Supervision FAQs for more details on the cost of supervision.
Personal Practice
I came to mindfulness when I had been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and my practice has supported me to manage the demands (internal and external) of a busy life. I particularly find mindful movement supportive of an aging body (!), and it has been invaluable in helping me be awake to what my body tells me with attitudes that allow me to take better care of myself. I have been recently exploring mindfulness self-compassion and discovering the times and ways that this thread of practice can be developed. Cindy Cooper, Melissa Blacker and David Rynick have been some of my most influential teachers.
Research Activities and Interests
Mindfulness in schools work with Dusana Dorjee at Bangor University (in both secondary and primary school mindfulness delivery). .b Foundations and MBSR teacher.
I am currently involved in research with Dusana Dorjee and Tabitha Sawyer to develop a programme to support teachers to bring their mindfulness practice into their work with small children (3-7 years old).
Staying Well after Depression (2008 – 12) – MBCT teacher.
Publications
- Mindfulness and the Transformation of Despair, Williams, Fennel, Barnhofer, Crane and Silverton, (2015, Guilford).
- The Mindfulness Breakthrough, (2012, Watkins) reprinted as The Mindfulness Key, (2016).
