Teaching the formal meditation practices of Mindfulness-Based- Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) & Stress Reduction (MBSR) to individual psychotherapy clients is a pragmatic way for practitioners to integrate MBCT into psychotherapy while also developing competence in guiding a formal MBCT practice and the inquiry that follows. In this one-hour training, clinicians will be introduced to a brief version of the body scan practice followed by a demonstration of the inquiry process that supports emotional information processing aligned with the intentions of the MBCT curriculum. Transdiagnostic processes that maintain maladaptive cognitive, physiological, and behavioral reactivity are highlighted. Specific adaptive processes developed with practice in MBCT, including meta-cognition, meta-awareness, interoception, and compassion are demonstrated in role play. All will receive resources for practicing the body scan personally to support implementation with clients in the month following this training. Participants are asked to identify challenges and questions through reflective practice that will be addressed in follow-up CE events designed to support competence teaching MBCT practices in individual psychotherapy sessions.
Suggested reading
The Mindful Way Workbook: An 8-Week Program to Free Yourself from Depression and Emotional Distress.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, Second Edition 2nd Edition
Mindfulness-Based Interventions - Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBI-TAC)
Bernstein, A., Hadash, Y., & Fresco, D. M. (2019). Metacognitive processes model of decentering: Emerging methods and insights. Current opinion in psychology, 28, 245-251.
Corbett, C., Egan, J., & Pilch, M. (2019). A randomised comparison of two ‘stress control’programmes: progressive muscle relaxation versus mindfulness body scan. Mental Health & Prevention, 15, 200163.
Michalak, J., Crane, C., Germer, C. K., Gold, E., Heidenreich, T., Mander, J., ... & Segal, Z. V. (2019). Principles for a responsible integration of mindfulness in individual therapy. Mindfulness, 10(5), 799-811.
Molnar, C. (2025). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT): Curriculum, Training, and Clinician Guide. In The Palgrave Handbook of Third-Wave Psychotherapies (pp. 489-512). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
CE Learning Objectives
Following this presentation, participants will be able to:
1. Describe 3 elements of the body scan practice as taught in the MBCT curriculum.
2. Describe 2 specific processes and skills practiced, during the body scan and subsequent inquiry process, to facilitate emotional information processing.
3. Observe an MBCT teacher trainer who meets criteria for inclusion on the international registry [www.accessmbct.com], as both therapist and trainer, implementing an adapted and brief body scan.
4. Describe a practice plan and 2 resources for developing competence implementing the body scan in individual psychotherapy sessions.
About Presenter
Chris Molnar, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist and clinical investigator, founded Mindful Exposure Therapy for Anxiety and Psychological Wellness Center (META Center) in 2007. She completed doctoral training at the Pennsylvania State University and post-doctoral fellowship training in traumatic stress, neuroscience, and psycho-physiology at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). She is an expert in the assessment and treatment of anxiety, OCD, PTSD, emotional, and stress-related conditions using evidence-based practices. Through a co-sponsorship between META Center & PBTA she leads one of the handful of professional MBCT Teacher Training Organizations in the USA and virtually offering Continuing Professional Development. This includes the week-long professional CE retreat workshop for professionals seeking foundational training to develop competence teaching MBCT. She also teaches both Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in individual and group psychotherapy formats. She has developed adaptations for highly distressed clients, using Relational Mindfulness Practices (RBPs), to meet the needs of clients who have difficulty initially with the traditional 8-week MBSR & MBCT programs and elements. At META Center, she offers integrative interventions grounded in findings about the brain, emotion, and learning to facilitate mental and behavioral habit change, even in the face of severe distress. Before founding META Center, she served as a clinical investigator and therapist supported by grants from the National Institute of Health and other agencies. She is also on the editorial board of Behavior Therapy and serves the public in many ways, through professional presentations, workshops, publications, and affiliations.
Target Audience
This presentation is intended for licensed mental health professionals and advanced graduate student trainees seeking licensure. The instructional level of this presentation is BEGINNER.
Note: This workshop does not require attendees to have a formal mindfulness practice.
Continuing Education
- Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
- Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association is also approved by the NY State Education Department to offer psychology continuing education
- This program provides one & a half (1.5) CE credits
- PBTA is also an authorized provider of CE credits for Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Clinical Social Workers licensed in the state of Pennsylvania. Non-Psychologist Licensees outside of PA & practitioners outside of the USA please confirm eligibility with your specific licensing board.
- Full attendance with video display is required to obtain CE credit for this program. APA guidelines do not permit PBTA to issue partial CE credits. No refunds are provided for CE programs. No exceptions allowed.
- All events are Eastern Time Zone
- Contact Claire, PBTA's CE assistant if you need any learning accommodations no later than one week before event. Email Claire at pbtacontinuingedassistant@gmail.com
