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Bringing mindfulness into the clinic

Over the past 10 to 15 years, Mare Chapman has seen mindfulness gain respect in the mental health field. Research has established its effectiveness, and professionals are learning to incorporate it into their practices.

Mare Chapman: 'Over time, with practice, mindfulness enables more wise and skillful reactions, gradually training our mind to be our friend rather than our tormentor.'
Mare Chapman: ‘Over time, with practice, mindfulness enables more wise and skillful reactions, gradually training our mind to be our friend rather than our tormentor.’

Chapman is a Madison psychotherapist who specializes in mindfulness. She has been studying, practicing, and teaching it for more than 25 years.

“I hold the view that we each are wise, intelligent beings, but that our minds become conditioned to react in ways that create suffering,” says Chapman. “Over time, with practice, mindfulness enables more wise and skillful reactions, gradually training our mind to be our friend rather than our tormentor.”

On Sept. 21-22 at the UW Pyle Center, Chapman will share her expertise with fellow clinicians in the workshop Integrating Mindfulness Meditation into the Clinical Setting. The program, offered by University of Wisconsin-Madison Continuing Studies, will explore the philosophy of mindfulness and techniques for using it with clients. Participants will learn a basic meditation practice and core concepts of Buddhist psychology.

“The class is for anyone working with people on the front lines who would like to establish an understanding of mindfulness, have a firsthand experience in practicing mindfulness, and learn core practices that can be directly applied in their own setting,” Chapman says. “I will also teach some core self-care tools to help clinicians maintain their own wellbeing while doing their work.”

Painful sensations, difficult emotions

Chapman believes that the effectiveness of mindfulness is directly related to a clinician’s experience with the approach. As a result, Integrating Mindfulness Meditation into the Clinical Setting will be primarily experiential.

“Participants will learn how to work mindfully with the body, with painful sensations, and with thoughts and difficult emotions,” she says.

For more information, contact Barbara Nehls-Lowe, barbara.nehlslowe@wisc.edu, 608-890-4653.