Cultivating Mindfulness through Mind-Body Medicine Skills for Healthcare Professionals

When: Thursday's: September 29- December 1, 2016, from 6:30-8:30PM

* Please note, there will be no class the week of October 10th.

· Instructor: Vera Lucia Moura, MD, MS-MBM

· Location: UNC Cancer Hospital, Conference Room 4

· Cost: $396

Sessions are 2 hours, held once a week for eight weeks, focused on experiential practice and self-reflection.

Healthcare professionals face a variety of stressful experiences on a daily basis as a result of the emotionally challenging nature of their work in conjunction with scarce time, and/or social support at work. This can lead to severe distress, burnout or physical illness, and finally to a decrease in quality of life and service provision. Empirical evidence shows that mind-body medicine intervention and others can be effective in reducing burnout symptoms, anxiety, stress and general symptoms in this population when compared to no intervention.

The Mind-Body Skills Group (MBSG) encompasses a meditative group process, and is one among a variety of programs worldwide involving Mind Body Medicine theory based scientific evidence, and practice. MBSG is grounded on principles identified in Dr. Jim Gordon’s book, Manifesto for a New Medicine. According to Dr. Gordon, a psychiatrist and founder of the Center for Mind- Body Medicine in Washington DC, “self care is the true primary care” and “health promotion is a way of life”. Dr. Gordon advises health care professionals and patients to embrace a holistic, individualized approach to health and draw upon the wisdom of ancient medical traditions.

The MBSG is considered an educational program designed to help people, including healthcare professionals, embrace a unique approach to health and wellness and adopt new attitudes about health and healing. In this program, group participants have the opportunity to learn and practice a variety of mind-body techniques such as:

• Meditation (concentrative, mindfulness, and dynamic meditation)
• Guided Imagery
• Breath Work
• Movement (gentle yoga and dance meditation)
• Expressive drawing and writing
• Autogenic Training (self-hypnosis)
• Biofeedback
• Others

There is growing evidence of the immense healing potential of this program for diverse populations. These include healthy people who want to enhance self awareness and well being as well as those with clinical conditions, such as cancer, depression, anxiety, chronic pain and severe stress, particularly when used in combination with conventional health-care services.

This program has also been proven to assist medical students and health care professionals in preventing burnout, re-instilling fresh purpose in their work, understanding their purpose in serving and healing their patients, and providing a transformational experience for them within a safe peer-support group.

After registration please contact Vera Moura, MD, MS-MBM, at 919.320.8285 or vera_moura@med.unc.edu via email to setup a time for a personal interview (in person or by Skype) before the beginning of the group sessions. Each group is limited to ten participants.

Payment

Both Check and Credit Card will be accepted.

Checks can be made out to: PMR/Medical Fund, & on Memo line, write “Mindfulness”

 Questions?

 mindfulness@med.unc.edu

  919.966.8586.