Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Orientation | Entertainment Community Fund
Past Event

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Orientation

The Actors Fund is offering a free 8-week Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) course for those in the performing arts and entertainment, ages 50+, living in New York State. This 8-week group offers participants an opportunity to develop skills for reducing the feeling of stress and anxiety in life, and to meet the challenges of these times (often filled with uncertainty) with greater calm, clarity and joy. This will include teaching participants mindfulness meditation techniques, as well as integrating cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) insights.

Group participants will develop skills in mindful awareness—calming the body, quieting the mind and bringing balance to difficult emotions. By first noticing distressing moods and negative thoughts, and then pausing, rather than reacting automatically, we can create moments of choice in our lives. Research indicates that the benefits of practicing mindfulness include a decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms, reduced rumination, less emotional reactivity, increased focus and more cognitive flexibility.

The MBCT group program involves weekly attendance for the 2-hour on-line session, as well as assigned daily mindfulness practices of up to an hour per day.

This Fall 2021 cohort will run 8 consecutive weeks from September 30–November 18 on Thursdays from 10 am–11:30 am ET via Zoom. There will also be the opportunity for participation in a full Day of Mindfulness on November 6, 2021.

Attending an MBCT Orientation session on September 16 from 10am–11:30 am ET or September 17 from 10 am–11:30 am ET, followed by a brief individual interview, are the only prerequisites for this course. As per state licensing requirements, participants in this group must also be residents of New York.

Prerequisite: 

Technology Requirements:

To participate in this course, you will need access to the following: 

•    A computer with speakers, microphone and video capabilities

•    A high-speed internet connection (tablets, phones and Chromebooks are not recommended due to a reduced participant and group experience)

•    Zoom (free video conference application). The Zoom online platform is a robust and dependable online meeting platform. Please also review http://support.zoom.us for more information.

Location: 

Please register via Zoom. Upon registration you will receive an email from Zoom with a link to access the Orientation. 

Contact Name: 

Lynnell Herzer

Contact Email: 

Recurrence: 

Friday, September 17, 2021, 10:00am - 11:30am ET