MBCL Introduction and Teacher Training

Prerequisite for your journey with MBCL is a grounded familiarity with basic mindfulness practice – preferably through participationin an 8-week MBSR, MBCT or equivalent Mindfulness-Based Programme (MBP).

If you then wish to deepen the healing effects of mindfulness with compassionpractices, you are very welcome to participate in an experiential MBCL Introduction as a first step on your journey with MBCL.

Introductory offerings provide a thorough introduction to the practice of (self-)compassion and focus on letting you experience the themes and practices of MBCL directly. They also provide a basic understanding of the relevant theoretical and scientific background of the MBCL programme. Audio recordings of the exercises enable you tofurther cultivate and deepen compassion practice for personal (and professional) benefit after the course has ended.

Building your own experience with MBCL, you may then continue and follow an MBCL Teacher Training as a second step of your journey with MBCL.

To become a certified MBCL teacher and offer 8-week MBCL group courses under this name you have to be a certified mindfulness teacher (MBSR, MBCT or equivalent MBP). Once the certification has been completed, you can be listed as “Certified MBCL Teacher” in the international register of MBCL teachers and professionals working with MBCL on this website.

However, the MBCL Teacher Training can also be of great benefit to professionals trained in helping professions (health care, therapy, counselling, coaching, education) who wish to apply elements of the MBCL programme in their professional context and are not certified mindfulness teachers. They must have participated in an 8-week MBSR or MBCT course (or equivalent MBP) and have a regular mindfulness practice of at least one year. They should also have experience in mindfulness-based work (e.g. ACT, DBT, MBCT) and be interested in deepening their personal practice and skills in using mindfulness-based and compassion-focused interventions in their professional context.

Once the MBCL Teacher Training has been completed, you can be listed as “Professional working with MBCL” in the international register of MBCL teachers and professionals working with MBCL.

Step 1: MBCL introduction

You may choose from the following introductory experientieal offerings (either in-person or online) led by a certified MBCL teacher or MBCL tutor:

• MBCL 8 Week Course
• MBCL Foundation Course (3 days, 20 teaching hours)
• MBCL Retreat (6-7 days)

Prerequisites

A sound personal mindfulness practice is central to participation in an introductory MBCL offering. We also recommend that you read one of the >> books on MBCL.

Please note, that introductory MBCL offerings are not suitable for participants without experience in mindfulness meditation. They are also not recommended for people with acute medical or mental health problems.

The MBCL Teacher Training programme is offered internationally as postgraduate education for professionals already familiar with mindfulness practice. It enables you to teach Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL) independently and/or integrate practices and didactic elements into your professional work.

In the Training you will develop comprehensive understanding of compassionate practice, expand your teaching skills and deepen your understanding and perspective as a person and as a teacher.

MBCL Teacher Training: Deepening Practice – Developing Teaching Skills

• Deepening of your own practice: In the mornings we will deepen the key MBCL practices experientially as well as mindful exchange and inquiry. Your Process can then continue in small group work in the afternoons either guiging and receiving the practices.
• Becoming familiar with the MBCL teacher perspective: You will be introduced to the structure and content of the 8 sessions of the MBCL programme from the perspective of the cours leader. You will learn ho the key themes and practices can be integrated into the course programme and which didactic considerations play a role in this.
• Guiding MBCL practices: In small groups you will practice guiding the most important compassion exercises and the subsequent exchange of experiences (Inquiry). You will gain valuable experience in your role as an MBCL teacher and receive mindful feedback from the other training participants.
• Aquiring theoretical and scientific background knowledge: The MBCL Teacher Training provides you with background knowledge on the theoretical and scientific foundations of the MBCL programme, for example from psychology, neuroscience and relevant research. This knowledge will help you to better understand the rationale behind the themes and practicesand the programme in general. This will support you inteaching them in a practical and theoretically sound mannerand  competently facilitate your course participants in their process.
• Reflecting on your role as a teacher: In addition, we will help you to reflect on your role and develop as a teacher.

Formats of the MBCL Teacher Training

Depending on the country the MBCL Teacher Training programme is offered in different formats, either on location or online.

• Residential Teacher Training: 6 days on location without translation, 8 days with translation.
• Non-residential Teacher Training: 2 modules 2 x 3 days without translation and 2 x 4 days with translation.
• Online MBCL Teacher Training: 6 days (6 x 1 or 2 x 3) in total without translation, 8 days with full translation or 8 days (4 x 2 or 2 x 4) with translation.

Prerequisites

All applicants are required to have participated in at least one of the experiential offerings listed above.

MBCL Certification policy

To become registred as a “Certified MBCL Teacher” you

• have to give proof of being a certified mindfulness teacher in a recognized MBP (MBSR, MBCT or equivalent) and meet the quality checks for good practice for mindfulness teachers in the country of residence;
• have successfully completed the full MBCL Teacher Training;
• satisfactorily taught an MBCL certification course (with a minimum of 4 participants) under supervision of a registered MBCL supervisor. A mininimum of three one-hour-supervision-sessions (face-to-face or online video meeting) is required. The certification course can be taught on location or online.