Mindfulness programmes offered in South Africa

The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program was created by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. It is now offered at many centres world-wide. The course involves group sessions once a week, for 8 weeks, as well as instructions for practice at home.

• mbsr.co.za, City Bowl, Cape Town: Dr Simon Whitesman, general practitioner and medical psychotherapist, and Linda Kantor, counselling psychologist, hypnotherapist and yoga teacher. Simon and Linda are both certified MBSR instructors.
• Beingmindful, Vredehoek, Cape Town: Denise Washkansky, clinical psychologist and life coach, and Debbie Grusd, physiotherapist and TRE practitioner. Monthly meditation meetings are also offered.
• Vijo Wellness Clinic, Durbanville, Cape Town: Dr Annelie van Breda, psychologist. In addition to MBSR, Annelie also offers mindful eating workshops.
• Mindfulness in East-London: Barbara Gerber, counselling psychologist, and Janine Kirby, family practitioner and homeopath.
• Mindfulness Port Elizabeth: Dr Margo de Kooker and Dr Greg Smith.
• MBSR George: Dr Lydia Altini, integrative medical practitioner.
• MBSR Knysna and Plettenberg Bay: Anneke Barnard, counselling psychologist. Anneke received professional training in body-mind medicine and MBSR under the leadership of Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli.
• Mindfulness Training Pretoria: Lyn Lupke, counselling psychologist, and Hettie Mathie, trauma counsellor.
• Mindful Living, Fourways, Johannesburg: Nico Brink, clinical psychologist. One-day workshops on mindfulness are also offered.

MBCT is an approach that grew out of MBSR and combines the practice and clinical application of mindfulness meditation with the tools of cognitive therapy. It is used for working with the faulty thinking involved in depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and other mood disorders.

• Mindfulness-Based Interventions, Cape Town: Matthew Watkin, clinical psychologist.
• Constantia: Libby Collins, clinical psychologist, and Claire Breen, educational psychologist.
• Stellenbosch: Sindi Wahl, educational psychologist.

MBRP brings together principles of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and mindfulness meditation practice. During the eight-week course, participants learn meditation practices and skills for working with craving, difficult emotions, and situations that may put them at high risk for relapse.

• Life Matters Outpatient Addiction Care, Cape Town: Mandy Johnson, SACAP coach and facilitator.
• Mindfulness-Based Interventions, Cape Town: Matthew Watkin, clinical psychologist.

• Mindful Leadership, Cape Town and Nationally: Dina Oelofsen, clinical psychologist, and Casper Oelofsen, coach. Mindful leaders have an increased ability to respond rather than react to the discomfort of complexity. It is in the act of stepping back/pausing/reflecting that leaders respond in wiser ways to the ever-increasing demands of the world of work. Tailor-made mindfulness-based interventions, including coaching, are offered.
• Be-awake, Cape Town: Linda Kantor, yoga teacher and psychologist. Programmes can be formatted according to organisational needs, including two-day workshops, eight-week programmes meeting weekly for 2 hours, individual/team-based coaching and half-day sessions, and leadership, teambuilding and restoration retreats.

• Cape Town and at Retreat Centres Nationally: Sue Cooper, clinical psychologist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist, integrates Buddhist meditation and psychotherapy in 8-week courses and weekly groups, as well as afternoon, day and weekend retreats.

• Stillness-Dancing and Stillpoint of the Dance Retreats, Cape Town and Nationally: Lisa Firer.
• Be-awake, Cape Town: Linda Kantor, yoga teacher and psychologist.

• Mindful Eating for Overeaters, Durbanville, Cape Town: Annelie van Breda, PhD psychologist, presents a full-day workshop and individual sessions for people who struggle with overeating. She also offers MBSR courses.

• Observatory, Cape Town: Natalie Buley, art psychotherapist.

• Gardens, Cape Town:Dr Kate Leinberger presents this eight-week course.

MSC is based on the ground breaking research of Professor Kristin Neff, PhD and designed by Chris Germer, Clinical Psychologist, PhD, through the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion, University of California San Diego. It is an experiential 8-week journey with a half-day retreat, an adventure in self-discovery and self-kindness, offering periods of instruction and periods of practice.

• Cape Town: Claire Breen, Educational Psychologist.