Christopher Willard, Psy.D., instructor

The words “meditation” and “medicine” derive from the same Sanskrit word for “inner measure.” It is not surprising that the interest in mindfulness continues to grow in all areas of psychotherapy, but particularly in health psychology where it has proven a powerful adjunct to traditional western medicine. The benefits can be measured not just in quality of life measures, but in pain management, sleep, and immune system functioning. In this workshop, we will examine the research and rationale behind integrating mindfulness practices into health psychology settings, discussing practical ways to do so, and learning practices that can benefit children, teens, families and caregivers alike.

Upon completion of the program the student will be able to:

• Describe some of the beneficial research and uses of mindfulness in a pediatric health psychology setting
• Be able to offer specific practices to children, families and caregivers facing chronic health issues and psychological issues related to health issues.

Program Code: HP43
2 CE Credits
Location: at MSPP, West Roxbury/Boston

Christopher Willard, Psy.D., is the author of the recent book Child’s Mind. It is a book for professionals and parents on teaching mindfulness to children and teens that won acclaim from Thich Nhat Hanh, Mary Pipher, Tal Ben-Shahar and others. In the past twelve years he has studied and taught meditation in both Asia and North America, and worked on integrating mindfulness into clinical work with a broad range of populations. Dr. Willard currently teaches with and serves on the board of directors at the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. He regularly consults and contributes to local and national media on psychological and mental health related issues. Currently maintains private practices in Cambridge and Wellesley and is a staff psychologist at Tufts University when he is not hard at work on his next book.