What it means to teach Mindful Self-Compassion

Fulfilling the Required Prerequisites

Becoming a Trained MSC Teacher

The TTP is step 2 of Becoming a Trained Teacher. It is an opportunity for a group of up to 16 teachers-in-training to practice their new-found teaching skills in a safe, structured, online environment facilitated by two Certified MSC Teachers/TTP Trainers. Each week focuses on a single MSC session and all trainees come prepared to teach each session, and are then assigned to lead the various practices, topics and exercises of that session, with periods of feedback and discussion.

The TTP provides new teachers with a “laboratory” to find their own voices and to continue to practice what they learned during the Residential/ Live Online Teacher Training course, with time between each session to review, prepare and reflect on the process of teaching MSC. Once you have been accepted on the Teacher Training program, you will be provided with a link to register for the Teacher Training Practicum of your choice.

Summary:

Cost: $995 USD (early-bird), $1095 (standard)

❖ 10 weekly sessions, 2.5 hours each
❖ Total contact time: 25 hours
❖ CEU credits are not available
❖ Choose from a range of dates once you are enrolled on a Teacher Training Program.
❖ Partial scholarship funding available

Becoming a Certified MSC Teacher

Certification is verification of a teacher’s competence whereas the designation of Trained Teacher simply recognizes that a person has completed the MSC teacher training. Certification is highly recommended for those who continue to teach on an ongoing basis. While Trained and Certified Teachers can teach the standard MSC course, only Certified Teachers are eligible to teach approved adaptations such as MSC Intensives, Retreats and Core Skills workshops.

Fulfilling the Prerequisites

The prerequisites before starting your journey toward MSC Teacher Certification are:

• Attaining Trained MSC Teacher status
• Having taught at least 3 MSC courses in the standard 8-Week MSC format
• Having video footage of either session 4 or 5 of a recent MSC course

Once you have met the prerequisites you may start Step 1 of Becoming a Certified Teacher.

Step 1

Find a Mentor and Conduct the Collaborative Assessment

Start by contacting a Mentor and organizing the Collaborative Assessment. A list of MSC Mentors is provided on this page https://cih.ucsd.edu/mbpti/msc-mentorship

The Collaborative Assessment consists of 3 sessions:

• An orientation session with your Mentor
• Mentor reviews video on their own (see Prerequisites)
• Mentor and Mentee create a Mentorship Plan.
• The minimum duration of a Mentorship Plan is fourteen individual mentorship sessions, which includes at least three sessions for the Collaborative Assessment process, and at least eleven sessions over the course of teaching at least two MSC courses.

At this point a decision is made regarding the applicant’s readiness for certification and the formal mentorship plan is finalized and agreed upon.

Step 2

Enroll in the Certification Program

Once you have completed your Collaborative Assessment and Mentorship Plan with your Mentor, the next step is to enroll with the University of California San Diego Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute (UCSD-MBPTI).

Step 3

Individual Mentorship while teaching MSC

You are required to teach two consecutive MSC courses while meeting regularly with your Mentor to complete your Mentorship Plan. Mentees are expected to record all MSC classes during the mentorship process. The Mentorship Plan may include more sessions at the discretion of the Mentor.

Step 4

Finalize your Certification

Upon completing these requirements, you will submit a formal letter of application for Teacher Certification to the UCSD-MBPTI Teacher Qualification and Certification Committee. Your Mentor will also submit a letter of recommendation at this time. Your request will be reviewed by the Committee and upon approval, you will be issued with a letter confirming you have satisfied all the necessary modules for Teacher Certification status and you will be awarded a certificate acknowledging your Certified MSC Teacher status.

Please note, MSC Teacher Certification is managed through the University of San Diego Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute (UCSD-MBPTI) . For more information please visit the UCSD website: https://cih.ucsd.edu/mindfulness/mbpti/mindful-self-compassion-msc-teacher-certification.