Karen’s journey into Mindfulness began in her early twenties after having completed a nursing degree and working alongside psychologists she specialised in teaching Mindfulness and Compassion to patients suffering with chronic pain, trauma and distress. For several years Karen had witnessed the growing need for Mindfulness and Compassion in our society and in tandem with that the rise in people offering Mindfulness to vulnerable people. Karen sat with her concerns that many people delivering Mindfulness were untrained and did not have the skills or expertise to asses and teach Mindfulness competently, safely and appropriately and then decided she needed to do something to change this. So, she drew on her years of experience and sat down to write and develop a suitable and unique course that addressed this situation and thus “Integrating Mindfulness and Compassion in Professional Practise” was born. Read on to find out more.
Up until 2010 Mindfulness was still very much an unknown therapy, but a real shift in its awareness prompted Karen to take a huge leap of faith, drawing on all her Mindfulness experience and knowledge she took a deep breath, borrowed money from a friend and bought a property in the centre of Taunton and set up MindfulnessUK.
Regulations were being developed around the delivery of recognised courses such as the MBSR, MBCT and Breathworks, but no recognised regulations governing teaching Mindfulness one to one or in small specialised groups, in a variety of different settings, had been developed.
“Integrating Mindfulness and Compassion in Professional Practise” was finally written and ready to deliver but Karen wanted this highly unique course to be supported and recognised by a reputable awarding body, making sure it was an externally verified qualification. She approached the Counselling & Psychotherapy Awarding Body who were more than happy to support her and the course.
The course results in a Level 4 Foundation Degree and is significantly different from other teacher training courses taught to professionals. This course teaches professionals all the skills needed to develop their own programmes, whether teaching one to one or in group settings. Consequently it enables graduates who are already familiar with their clients/ students needs to support them in a flexible, bespoke manner in their current professional context.
The demand for this course is growing daily and realising that Karen is only one person and the growing need for more teachers to be able to deliver this course to professionals, Karen now trains other MindfulnessUK Associate Tutors (MUKAT’s) to deliver the IMCPP throughout the country to fulfil the growing need.
To date, MindfulnessUK have around 140 graduates working in a variety of fields including healthcare, schools, business organisations, charities and both private and public sectors.
Professionals attracted to this course come from a wide variety of professionalisms. Human Resource Managers, Doctors,Nurses, Teachers, Police, Complimentary Therapists, Lawyers, Team Leaders, Coaches, Yoga Teachers….the list is endless.
Mindfulness and Compassion skills are becoming more mainstream. Certainly with the dedication, experience and determination that Karen and her team have this amazing life changing therapy will be changing peoples lives and futures for many years to come.
Karen’s dream is that “Mindfulness & Compassion will be available in every school and workplace, allowing staff and pupils to all be supported and offered this life changing, enhancing and transformational practise”
Karen is warm, caring, dedicated, driven and passionate about the immense benefits of Mindfulness & Compassion. Having had to call upon all her strengths, beliefs and teachings in recent years when she herself was diagnosed with cancer. It was this life changing experience that inspired her to write and deliver this Integrating Mindfulness & Compassion in Professional Practice. The introduction of self-soothing and a compassionate approach to life changed her experience dramatically and supported her on the road to recovery. This unique course teaches professionals how to support their patients/ clients/ students at times of suffering, giving them new and transformational ways to nurture themselves, their lives and their futures.
Many people now and in the future will be benefiting from this life changing course. Making a difference, and changing lives for the many and not the few will always be Karen’s goal ,and we are all incredibly grateful to this amazing lady.