Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Protocol, Practice, and Teaching Skills

by Susan L. Woods, Patricia Rockman, Diane Reibel (Foreword)

Learn the comprehensive skills and practices necessary to deliver the MBSR program confidently! Developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn and first introduced in a hospital setting, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is an evidence-based modality that has been shown to help alleviate a wide range of physical and mental health issues—such as anxiety, depression, trauma, chronic pain, stress, and more. This comprehensive learning manual for professionals provides everything you need to practice and teach MBSR. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is a timely book that focuses on structure and flexibility when delivering this seminal program. Whether you work in health care, the mental health field, social work, or education, this manual offers clear direction and a sound framework for practicing MBSR in any setting. You’ll gain an understanding of the underlying principles of mindfulness, learn to establish your own personal practice, and discover how you can embody that practice. You’ll also find tips to help you guide meditations, engage in inquiry, and to convey the content of the program to others. If you’re looking for a clear protocol and curriculum for delivering MBSR, this book has everything you need to get started today.

280 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2021

About the author

MSW LICSW

Reviews

[Florin Constantinescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable, very direct, almost endearing I might say.
Never strays into mysticism, Buddhism, or 'the unseen'.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This remarkable book on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a clear and trustworthy guide for teaching MBSR. It is an insightful offering of wisdom, science, skill, and practicality for any MBSR teacher, new and experienced alike. It is marked with an abundance of detail that includes scripts of mindfulness practices, visual aids, core teaching points, and offers numerous examples of mindful inquiry. The authors address the importance and challenges of reaching across cultures, holding diversity and racial equity in mind as an MBSR teacher. They also include ways to work with technology for the delivery of MBSR in a virtual environment which has been essential during the ongoing global health pandemic. Thank you Susan Woods and Patricia Rockman for creating such a comprehensive, thoughtful, and up-to-date guide for facilitating the heart and essence of the MBSR program.
~Holly Nelson-Johnson, MSN, APN, FNP-BC; Senior MBSR Teacher, Mentor

[Thanh-Lan Ngô · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book I recommend to trainee instructors hoping to run MBSR groups. It presents, in a concise and elegant manner, the curriculum (what to teach) and the spirit of the program (how to teach it). It makes the intention behind every practice and didactic piece very clear in order to help novice and experienced teachers stay true to the model and the rich learning it offers. There are pragmatic instructions on how to assess participants, detailed agendas for each session, meditation scripts and some verbatims to illustrate the inquiry that follows each practice. It also provides worksheets and handouts, a review of the relevant research, thoughts on how to welcome diverse populations, tips on how to run MBSR groups online and in the workplace.

[Andrew Benesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A detailed and thorough review of the MBSR curriculum, teacher training, research, and current issues in the field of mindfulness-based practices. Definitely worth reading if you want to expand your skills in this area!