The Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness Podcast

A conversation with Daniel Rechtshaffen. In this episode, David interviews Daniel Rechtshaffen, mindfulness educator and author of the book The Way of Mindful Education. They discuss the connection between mindfulness and ecology, being in right relationship with our natural environment, and the ethics of bringing mindfulness into different community settings.

A conversation with Jessica Morey and Charisse Minerva (iBme). In this episode of the TSM podcast, David interviews Jessica Morey and Charisse Minerva, Guiding Teachers at Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme), a nonprofit organization that offers trauma-informed mindfulness programs to youth and their families. They discuss how mindfulness providers can embody principles of trauma-sensitive practice, the difference between secularization and secularity in mindfulness practice, and the role of nature and resilience in trauma-sensitive practice. Charisse Minerva is a Board member at iBme, and has also worked with the Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP) and is Mindfulness Coordinator at Friends School of Virginia Beach. She has offered mindfulness in schools, festivals, at corporate offices, and in detention & treatment centers. Jessica Morey is the Executive Director of iBme and a founding board member. She began practicing meditation at age 14 on teen retreats offered by the Insight Meditation Society (IMS), and before joining iBme worked in clean energy and climate policy and finance.

A conversation with Sam Himelstein. In this episode of the TSM podcast, David interviews Sam Himelstein — a psychologist, educator, and author of the book Trauma-Informed Mindfulness with Teens (Norton, 2019). Sam details how he builds trust with youth when teaching mindfulness, and the most effective trauma-informed principles and practices he’s learned over the years. Dr. Sam Himelstein is a licensed Psychologist who worked in the Alameda County Juvenile Hall. He founded the Center for Adolescent Studies and has written extensively on clinical work using mindfulness with young people. He’s author of A Mindfulness-Based Approach to Working with High-Risk Adolescents (Routledge, 2013) and Mindfulness-Based Substance Abuse Treatment for Adolescents: A 12-Session Curriculum (Routledge, 2015). His forthcoming book, Trauma-Informed Mindfulness with Teens (Norton, 2019) will be available this fall.

A conversation with Rhonda Magee. This month's guest is Rhonda Magee, a powerful teacher and thought-leader focused on integrating mindfulness into higher education, law, and social justice. Rhonda discusses racial justice as an aspect of living mindfully, and how to bring, in her words, "compassion together with truth telling." Rhonda is also author of the forthcoming book, "The Inner Work of Racial Justice" (Norton, 2019).

A conversation with Will Kabat-Zinn. In this inaugural podcast, David sits down with meditation teacher Will Kabat-Zinn to discuss his thoughts and insights about trauma-sensitive mindfulness. Will Kabat-Zinn has practiced Insight Meditation for over 15 years. He has taught mindfulness and meditation to diverse populations--neuroscientists at the Mind and Life Institute, incarcerated youth in NYC and Oakland, and business and technology leaders in Silicon Valley. He leads retreats regularly at Spirit Rock and at meditation centers around the country and is a member of the Spirit Rock Teacher's Council.