The Mental Health Clinic at Hall Health is offering mindfulness meditation skills training for those looking to establish or maintain a meditation practice. Groups are open to anyone and may be covered by one’s health insurance plan.
Groups open for enrollment:
Mindfulness Meditation for Beginners is an 8-session series with three sections:
Wednesdays 8:30 – 10 am starting January 22nd
Wednesdays 4:00 – 5:30 pm starting January 22nd
Thursdays from 10-11:30 am, starting January 23rd
This group is intended for those interested in starting a meditation practice and no prior experience is necessary. Please see description below for more information about the benefits of a mindfulness meditation practice. To enroll in this group, please schedule an initial visit with the group leader, Meghann Gerber, by calling the Mental Health Clinic at (206) 543-5030.
Mindfulness Meditation Follow-up is a group intended for those who have completed the beginning meditation training and are interested in continuing their practice in a group setting. This group consists primarily of a guided sitting practice that lasts approximately 45 minutes with some time for questions and discussion. This group is offered on Thursdays from 12:00-1:00 pm starting January 16th. If you would like to enroll in this group, contact the group leader, Meghann Gerber, directly at (206) 221-7941 or meghanng@uw.edu
Where: All groups are held in the Mental Health Clinic on the 3rd floor of Hall Health Center
Who: All are welcome: Students, staff, faculty and interested individuals from the community
Cost: $43 per session for self-pay participants; if your insurance benefits include mental health services you may be able to get all or part of this service covered. You can check your insurance coverage by calling your plan and asking about the coverage provided for CPT code 90853, which is “group psychotherapy” billed by Hall Health.
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Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation
Do you struggle with repetitive, ruminative or self-critical thoughts?
Are you undermined by an inability to concentrate or focus?
Are you looking for a way to manage or cope with difficult emotions?
Mindfulness meditation is a practice that involves cultivating attention to the present moment in a nonjudgmental manner. Over time this practice creates an internal awareness that allows us to be with ourselves and others with a gentle, open attitude that is particularly helpful for disengaging from tendencies to criticize, ruminate, react or avoid.
The benefits of mindfulness meditation have been widely studied and there is substantial empirical evidence suggesting that regular practice is effective for:
Alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety
Increasing capacity for attention and concentration
Improving self-esteem
Enhancing resilience to stress
The beginning meditation course provides participants with materials, instruction and support for building and sustaining a meditation practice. There is an at-home practice component that is essential for deriving maximum benefits from the series.
