OXFORD MINDFULNESS FOUNDATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Development Director - Training and Curricula. Teacher, Trainer & Supervisor
"It's hard to convey what a pleasure and privilege it is to be working in an international centre of excellence, with wonderful people"
I am the Development Director - Training and Curricula for the Oxford Mindfulness Foundation (OMF). I am also a member of the University of Oxford Mindfulness Centre (OMC) Curriculum Development Group. I have an academic background in Psychology (MA Oxon). Most of my working life was spent in a business...
I am professionally experienced and qualified in finance and in education. I trained to teach MBSR/MBCT at Bangor University alongside obtaining a MSc in Mindfulness-Based Approaches. I am additionally trained to teach the .B Foundations, MBCT-L and Introducing Mindfulness curricula. I...
"I feel privileged to work with an amazing team in an outstanding organisation, and truly value the opportunity to contribute to our vision of a world where all can flourish"
"I am honoured to work with inspirational people who are dedicated to reducing suffering."
I am a Mindfulness teacher with a special interest in providing mindfulness training in Higher Education, in workplace settings and to cancer patients and their families. With the OMF I am involved in teaching Frame by Frame. My career background is in psychology, business consulting, leadership...
Job Titles:
- Teacher, Trainer and Retreat Advisor
I work part-time as an MBCT teacher and trainer for the OMF. I also teach Insight Meditation retreats in the UK, US and mainland Europe, and have a psychotherapy practice in Oxford. For the University of Oxford Mindfulness Masters Programme, I teach the Buddhist...
"It's a privilege and pleasure to be part of a community with such good-hearted, talented, professional colleagues."
"It is an honour to be part of the OMF, as it conducts top level teaching, training and research"
Who am I ? I have been a member of the British Parliament since 1997. In 2013, I set up free mindfulness classes in the UK Parliament. Since then more than 150 British Members of Parliament and Peers have received mindfulness training, along with 250 members of their staff. In 2014, Professor Lord Richard Layard and...
Job Titles:
- Teacher and Trainer at the OMF
Christina Surawy is a teacher and trainer at the OMF. She spent many years working with people with conditions such as Chronic Fatigue and IBS and developed therapies based on CBT and also MBCT. In this blog, Christina shares a review of the book ‘‘Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Managing Fatigue: Supporting People with ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia and Long Covid" by Fiona McKechnie.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Co - Director Teaching & Training. Teacher, Trainer & Supervisor
- OMF 's Co - Director of Teaching & Training
"What does it means to ‘teach mindfully', and how this might potentially transform the experience of teaching of mindfulness, but also other forms of teaching?"
I am a teacher of MBCT and MBSR, having trained at the University of Oxford and Bangor respectively. I have taught mindfulness to adults in a range of settings, including the NHS, Multi-Academy Trusts, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, to clinical and educational psychologists, in...
I have been an associate trainer with the OMC since 2017. I'm a Consultant Clinical Psychologist leading a Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Service for NHS and Social Care staff working and living in the Oxford Region. Over the three decades that I've practised as a...
"I love working for, with, and in the OMF because it is a haven of tranquillity and hope"
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Distinguished Professor of Psychology
- International Advisor
- Professor
"Professor Segal's career has had many important breakthroughs in understanding and treating depression. He worked with Mark Williams and Zindel Segal to develop MBCT and continues actively to develop this programme of work."
Dr. Zindel Segal is the Distinguished Professor of Psychology in Mood Disorders at the University of Toronto Scarborough and a Senior Scientist in the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. His research has helped to characterize psychological markers of relapse vulnerability to affective disorder. Among the books he has authored are Interpersonal Process in Cognitive Therapy, Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression, and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A new approach for preventing relapse. Awarded the Douglas Utting Prize for significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of depression and the Hope Award by the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario, he continues to advocate for the relevance of mindfulness-based clinical care in psychiatry and mental health.
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Trustee and Deputy Chairman of the Board
"Real potential to greatly enhance the penetration of mindfulness across society"
I am Deputy Chairman and work closely with the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer to support the OMF in it's ambitions. I try to draw on my operational and marketing experience as an entrepreneur having started and worked in various digital businesses. I also like to write songs for musical theatre and have been...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Operations Team
- Assistant to CEO and Programme Administrator
"I am grateful for the lovely environment I work in - the staff work hard, are compassionate and are creative problem solvers. Definitely one the best places I have ever worked."
I am the Assistant to the CEO and Programme Administrator supporting a range of programmes at the OMF. I am the first point of contact for students and members of the public who are interested in attending our programmes. I deal with routine enquiries and support...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Operations Team
- Online Course Administrator
"I am very happy and feel blessed to be part of the OMF. The team are professional and great to work alongside."
Based in North Wales I have experience in many administrative roles. I was a former HR Coordinator, and my previous experience was with the Police, Council, NHS and a popular Football Club. I take care of the...
I am a clinical psychologist, a senior mindfulness teacher, trainer, supervisor and author - and have been involved in mindfulness since the end of 90s and the beginning of MBCT. I am an Adjunct Professor of Clinical Psychology at the School of Medicine,...
I am a workplace health and well-being professional, with over 20 years of experience working with corporates across the world. I am a thought leader in the space of well-being and have facilitated Mindfulness programs for clients in the UK, US and APAC region. ...
Job Titles:
- Events Coordinator
- Member of the Operations Team
I have previous administrative experience from the health, education, and travel sectors, and am now the administrator responsible for 12-month teacher training cohorts (both UK and international) at the OMF. I take care of administration relating to the 12-month...
"I am thankful to be part of such a friendly and supportive team and to be involved in the important and passionate work of the OMF."
Job Titles:
- Member of the Operations Team
- Marketing and Communications Officer
"I feel honoured to be working with and supporting the OMF in their mission of improving lives through mindfulness and the practice of being mindful. It's a joy to be able to bring together professional and personal interests for a cause I feel passionate about."
I'm a marketing communications professional and a mindfulness teacher with a particular interest in mindfulness, self-compassion and Motherhood. I spent 15 years in full-service advertising and communications agencies in client service roles, working across all forms of media...
Job Titles:
- Teacher and Trainer - Spanish Programmes
"I'm delighted to be part of this community and I celebrate OMF's mission of reducing suffering, promoting resilience and realising human potential across lifespan through mindfulness."
I'm a psychotherapist, with a master's in clinical social work who works in a Community Health Centre located at downtown Toronto, Canada. I'm a certified Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy teacher, trained by Zindel Siegel at The Centre for Mindfulness Studies in Toronto. I'm also a Yoga practitioner...
I am a teacher of Mindfulness-Based Approaches and Insight Meditation. I started to practice meditation in 1995 and trained with Christina Feldman at Gaia House, before starting to lead retreats in 2007. I have masters degrees in Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Teaching Mindfulness-Based Approaches, and...
I am on Occupational Therapist by training and have worked in various mental health settings within the NHS for many years. Since being a teenager I have developed a meditation practice from within the contemplative tradition. I was first introduced to Mindfulness in 2010 and was privileged to be trained as an...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Operations Team
- Operations Co - Ordinator
"I love feeling connected to people practising and teaching mindfulness all over the world, there's a real sense of community, and an extraordinarily transformational one, at that."
I've worked with young people and vulnerable adults in social services, education, the University of Oxford and charities for most of my working life in wide-ranging HR and senior administrative roles. I joined the OMF in 2017. Living in a rural environment, I enjoy time out walking, weight...
"I hope to support OMF's future development as an institution that combines the intellectual rigour of an Oxford academic background with the wider application of mindfulness in personal development"
I am Treasurer, Finance Director and Governing Body member of St Anne's College, Oxford. I combine over 30 years of international experience in the banking industry with specialist knowledge of charity financial management, risk management, sales and marketing. I am also a Trustee of the Nuffield Oxford...
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- International Advisor & Trainer
"It is a privilege to work with such a diverse group of international colleagues - to learn from and to support each other, in the cultivation of wisdom and compassion in oneself and in our respective communities. "
I am a mindfulness practitioner who started the mindfulness journey from traditional mindfulness meditation practice, then moving onto learning and teaching MBSR and MBCT. Before becoming a mindfulness teacher, I have a business background working in Asia and Europe for 19...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Operations Team
- Zoom Driver
I am a Life Coach and QEC Practitioner based in France and the UK. I studied with the Mindfulness Coaching School in the US and use both mindfulness and traditional coaching techniques with my clients to support change in their lives. Before becoming a coach I was a Project Manager working in the Arts and...
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Trustee, Teacher, Trainer, Supervisor and Consultant to the OMF
I'm a mindfulness teacher, trainer and supervisor. In my role as consultant to the OMF, I have supported the development of the OMF's international collaborations and implementation of training pathway changes. ...
As a psychologist and mindfulness teacher, I am passionate about supporting people in finding ways to live with more ease and to flourish. Practising mindfulness offers real and lasting change that enables us to rebalance and navigate our lives towards a greater sense of well-being. It can resource us to feel...
"It is a privilege to be able to teach and work with mindfulness, seeing the shift it can bring in how we relate to the full range of our experiences. Practising mindfulness allows the development of a more compassionate awareness, where we have more space for making wise choices for our own well-being and in relation to others."
Job Titles:
- Member of the Operations Team
- Teacher
- Trainer
- Trustee
"I love that I now reach people where they are likely to feel stressed and pressured the most - the workplace - and provide them with the tools to maintain their focus, engagement, and productivity both on and off the job."
Based in Trinidad & Tobago, I am a former human resource professional and the present-day founder and principal consultant of the Caribbean Mindfulness Institute (CMI). After my own experience with workplace burnout and chronic stress, and having benefited tremendously from the mindfulness-based stress...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Co - Director Teaching & Training. Teacher, Trainer & Supervisor
"Since participating in my first MBCT programme in 2011, and realising for myself just how powerful mindfulness can be both as a therapeutic and as a wellbeing intervention, I have been a passionate advocate of mindfulness in my personal and professional life."
I am professionally qualified as an Occupational Psychologist and until 2016, was Director of Ministerial Business and Parliamentary Accountability at the UK Department of Health (DH) and Chair of the DH Staff Health and Wellbeing programme. After training to teach MBSR/MBCT at Bangor University and Oxford...
"I am committed to supporting the OMF in expanding and disseminating the positive outcomes of mindfulness-based approaches"
I am an Uruguayan psychologist and researcher living in Barcelona with my husband and my daughter. I work at the Institute Mar of Medical Research, one of the largest public hospitals in Barcelona. I manage research projects aiming to find innovative treatment approaches for severe mental...
"The OMC combines high standards of scientific research with a heartfelt desire to promote human flourishing"
I am a mindfulness teacher, trainer and supervisor and am involved in teaching and training the Mindfulness for Life curriculum for the Oxford Mindfulness Centre. I am a Chartered Occupational Health Physiotherapist by background and for many years have had a special interest in the connection between physical...
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Teacher and Communications Advisor
"So many workplaces could use a healthy dose of mindfulness. The OMF has a unique breadth of expertise, and an unrivalled group of teachers to help them to access it"
First, I was a corporate lawyer, qualifying as a litigator at the City firm of Linklaters in the 1990s. Then I decided to change careers, became a newspaper journalist in the 2000s, and ended up as the media editor of the Daily Telegraph. These high-pressure jobs ultimately caused me to burn out - and...
I am a consultant psychiatrist and MBCT teacher in a large NHS Trust in the North East of England. I lead the Mindfulness Team in our NHS Trust, which provides clinical programmes of...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Operations Team
- Teacher, Supervisor and Mentor
Until 2009, I was an IT executive managing services and delivery of large projects around Europe. However, the stress of the role led me to MBCT and I discovered for myself the huge benefits of mindfulness to transform my life both personally and professionally. After training to teach MBSR and MBCT in...
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Trustee - Chairman of the Board and Teacher
As chair of the board of trustees, I work closely with the CEO and fellow board members to provide strategic leadership for the OMF. The pandemic brought with it a significant increase in our operations worldwide and the need to manage growth and structural changes in the organisation while ensuring good governance and sound...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Operations Team
- Finance & Grant Capture Officer
I'm based in the North Wales area and have an extensive administration background working mainly within the NHS in Primary Care Trusts and Clinical Commissioning Groups. I take care of anything Finance related, including processing and paying invoices, issuing refunds, arranging payment plans...
I am a Life Coach and QEC Practitioner based in France and the UK. I studied with the Mindfulness Coaching School in the US and use both mindfulness and traditional coaching techniques with my clients to support change in their lives. Before becoming a coach I was a Project Manager working in the Arts and...
I'm a clinical psychologist and a mindfulness researcher, teacher, trainer, supervisor, and practitioner. Before moving to Oxford in 2019, I was a Professor of Psychology at the University of Kentucky, where I conducted research on mindfulness and taught and supervised several mindfulness-based programmes in...
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Communications Advisor
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Leadership Team
Working with Chair of the Board of Trustees, I take joint responsibility for OMF strategic leadership. I am a business person who has been fortunate enough to find a field where I love to work. Following many years in leadership roles, I am now a Fellow...
I am a mindfulness teacher trainer and author - and have been involved in mindfulness since 1999 and the beginning of MBCT. I have two special interests within the mindfulness field - one is in relation to work with people with cancer - and the other is concerned with groupwork practice. I am...