Continuing Education Programs

The clinical use of meditation practices has focused historically on calming the mind and body, regulating emotions, and gaining insights into the psychological and behavioral patterns that create distress. Increasingly, however, clinicians are also discovering the importance of cultivating love and compassion, learning how to work with the heart in addition to the mind.

Meditation and Psychotherapy: Returning to Love and Compassion

Accumulating research confirms the importance of safe social connection and self-compassion for psychological and physical well-being. Especially given the increase in social divisiveness and isolation brought about by the pandemic, and an epidemic of self-criticism and feelings of inadequacy fueled by social media, our clients are seeking ways to connect more deeply to others and cultivate compassion for themselves.

How might compassion practices help, including meditation? What factors need to be considered when cultivating compassion? Which practices are best suited to different individuals?

This course will deepen clinicians' understanding of the psychological, physiological, developmental, social, and neurological factors that foster compassion. Participants will become better equipped to help their clients cultivate these qualities, as well as learning how to develop them for themselves.

Who Should Attend

• Physician Assistants
• Nurses
• Nurse Practitioners
• Primary Care Physicians
• Psychologists
• Specialty Physicians
• Social Workers

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Describe psychological, physiological, developmental, social and neurological factors that facilitate the cultivation of compassion
• Apply the principles of compassion-based psychotherapy to enhance the therapeutic relationship
• Develop compassion-based exercises that clients can practice at home between sessions
• Apply the resource of compassion in their own lives, and during clinical practice, to reduce stress and enhance emotional connection with clients
• Apply self-compassion techniques as an antidote to compassion fatigue and burnout

ABMS/ACGME Competencies

This course is designed to meet the following American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) / Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Educational (ACGME) competencies:

• Patient Care and Procedural Skills
• Professionalism
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills
• Medical Knowledge

IOM Competencies

This course is designed to meet the following Institute of Medicine Core Competencies:

• Employ Evidence-Based Practice
• Provide Patient-Centered Care

Course Directors

Karen J. Kuc, MPH
Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD
Christopher K. Germer, PhD
Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD

Thursday, May 4, 2023

Friday, May 5, 2023

Michelle Becker, LMFT

Developer of the Compassion for Couples™ program
Co-developer of the Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher Training Senior teacher of the Compassion Cultivation Training program Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator

Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE

Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of the Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom

Rick Hanson, PhD

Psychologist
Senior Fellow, UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center
Founder, the Global Compassion Coalition and the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom

Thupten Jinpa, PhD

Founder and Chairman of Compassion Institute
Principal English translator for H.H. the Dalai Lama
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Religious Studies, McGill University, Montreal
Founder and President, Institute of Tibetan Classics
Chairman of the Board, Mind and Life Institute

Julia Kim, MD

Program Director, Gross National Happiness Centre, Bhutan

Joseph Loizzo, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry in Integrative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Columbia Center for Buddhist Studies

Susan Pollak, MTS, EdD

Teaching Associate in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Co-founder and senior faculty member, Center for Mindfulness and Compassion, Cambridge Health Alliance
President, Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy Psychologist in private practice

Sharon Salzberg

Co-founder, Insight Meditation Society
Co-founder, Barre Center for Buddhist Studies
Meditation pioneer, teacher, and author

Martha Sweezy, PhD

Assistant professor in psychiatry, part time, Harvard Medical School Program consultant and supervisor, Cambridge Health Alliance, and psychotherapist in private practice.

Fadel Zeidan, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego

Course Directors

Christopher K. Germer, PhD

Faculty and Co-Founder, Center for Mindfulness and Compassion and Supervisor
Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance
Lecturer on Psychiatry, part-time, Harvard Medical School
Faculty, Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy
Co-Developer, Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Training Program Private Practice and Supervision, Arlington, MA

Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD

Faculty, Center for Mindfulness and Compassion, Cambridge Health Alliance
Assistant Professor of Psychology (part-time), Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Faculty, Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy

Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Center Director, Center for Mindfulness and Compassion, Cambridge Health Alliance
Director, Mindful Mental Health Service, Cambridge Health Alliance
Director of Addiction Research, Cambridge Health Alliance
Faculty Affiliate, Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, Dartmouth

Karen Kuc, MPH

Director, Continuing Education in Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance​​​
Associate in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Accreditation

In support of improving patient care, Harvard Medical School is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Psychologists

The Cambridge Health Alliance, Psychiatry Continuing Education Division, is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Cambridge Health Alliance, Psychiatry Continuing Education Division, maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course offers 10.00 continuing education credits.

Social Workers

This program has been approved for 10.0 Social Work Continuing Education hours for relicensure, in accordance with 258 CMR. NASW-MA Chapter CE Approving Program, Authorization Number D91685. NY Social Workers: The Division of Continuing Education in Psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an Approved Provider #0038 of continuing education for licensed social workers. This course has been approved for 10.00 contact hours.

Counselors

The Cambridge Health Alliance, Psychiatry Continuing Education Division, has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5444. This program meets the requirements for 10.0 continuing education hours. CHA is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. This offering is also applicable for Commonwealth of Massachusetts Counseling/Allied Mental Health accreditation for 10.00 credits.

Nurse Practitioners and Registered Nurses

For the purpose of recertification, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board and American Nurses Credentialing Center accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ issued by organizations accredited by the ACCME (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education). We would also suggest that learners check with their state licensing board to ensure they accept reciprocity with AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for re-licensure.

Canadian Accreditation

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada recognizes conferences and workshops held outside of Canada that are developed by a university, academy, hospital, specialty society or college as accredited group learning activities.

European Accreditation

The American Medical Association (AMA) has an agreement of mutual recognition of continuing medical education (CME) credit with the European Union of Medical Specialties (UEMS). Additional information regarding this agreement may be found here.

Disclosure Policy

In accord with the disclosure policy of the Medical School as well as standards set forth by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), course planners, speakers, and content reviewers have been asked to disclose any relationships they have to companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. In addition, faculty have been asked to list any off-label uses of pharmaceuticals and/or devices for investigational or non-FDA approved purposes that they plan to discuss.

Disclaimer

CME activities accredited by Harvard Medical School are offered solely for educational purposes and do not constitute any form of certification of competency. Practitioners should always consult additional sources of information and exercise their best professional judgement before making clinical decisions of any kind.

Note: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ is calculated based on submission of a preliminary agenda and may be subject to change.

Tuition for Meditation and Psychotherapy: Learning from Non-Ordinary States is listed below. You may register through our secure online environment and will receive an email confirmation upon receipt of your payment. Prices include CME credit, electronic syllabus and access to recordings for 30 days after the course.

At the end of the registration process, a $10 non-refundable processing fee will be added to your registration. Refunds, less an administrative fee of $75, will be issued for all cancellations received at least two weeks prior to the start of the course. Refund requests must be made in our secure online system or by email. “No shows” are subject to the full course fee.

Course Tuition

Meditation and Psychotherapy: Returning to Love and Compassion

Physician (MD/DO)

$385.00 / ($355 if registered by April 5, 2023)

Nurse (RN/APRN)

$300.00 / ($275 if registered by April 5, 2023)

Resident/Fellow

$300.00 / ($275 if registered by April 5, 2023)

Allied Health Professional / Other

$300.00 / ($275 if registered by April 5, 2023)