Director of Professional Education and Development
Diane Reibel, PhD, co-founded the Stress Reduction Program at the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine in 1996. She has taught mindfulness-based stress reduction programs for over sixteen years. Dr. Reibel has participated in professional training under the direction of Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, and is certified as an MBSR teacher through UMASS Center for Mindfulness. In addition, she is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics at Jefferson, and studies the effects of mindfulness on physical and psychological health. Her research is published and widely cited in both scientific journals and the popular press. She is co-author with Don McCown of Teaching Mindfulness: A practical guide for clinicians and educators. Dr. Reibel brings both a scientific foundation and heartfulness to her work.

Director of Mindfulness at Work Programs
Don McCown, MAMS, MSS, is director of the Mindfulness at Work initiative, launched over five years ago, to bring MBSR to corporations, nonprofit organizations, and professionals. He teaches MBSR foundation and graduate courses in Jefferson's Stress Reduction Program, as well as instructing the College Course in MBSR for both graduate and undergraduate students in the Jefferson College of Health Professions. He maintains a practice of mindfulness-based psychotherapy at Jefferson, where he integrates mindfulness in his work with individuals, couples, and families. He is co-author of Teaching Mindfulness: A practical guide for clinicians and educators, and regularly publishes and presents on mindfulness and its applications in health care and the workplace.

Executive and Medical Director, Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine
Daniel A. Monti, MD, has expertise in several areas of integrative medicine, particularly mind-body medicine and integrative oncology, and has dozens of scholarly publications and presentations in these areas. Dr. Monti currently is the recipient of a research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ National Cancer Institute (NCI) to study the effects of mindfulness-based art therapy for cancer patients. In addition to his leadership role in the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine, is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Jefferson Medical College and Thomas Jefferson University.

Instructors:

Kathy Corbett, MS, CT, is an MBSR instructor and a mind-body-spirit wellness educator and counselor. She earned a Master’s degree in Applied Meditation from Won Buddhist Institute and received professional training under the direction of Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of MBSR. .She is interested in the practical application of mindfulness for life transitions. Her work includes teaching meditation to hospice patients and caregivers, seniors in later life, and people living with cancer.

Aleezé Moss, PhD is a Research Associate at the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine. She works on research projects that are examining mindfulness interventions for cancer patients. She also has extensive MBSR teacher training from Jefferson’s program. In addition, she is a certified yoga teacher and teaches mindful/therapeutic yoga in local studios and privately.

Caroline Peterson, MA, ATR-BC, LPC is a board certified art therapist and licensed professional counselor. She received professional training through the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, and she has led over 40 mindfulness-based programs since coming to Jefferson in 2002. Ms. Peterson is a Research Associate at the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine where she pioneered an innovative program that integrates art therapy with MBSR curriculum. This work, Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy (MBAT), has been the focus of two NIH-funded research studies for persons diagnosed with cancer. Caroline also provides individualized MBSR sessions for people interested in the Jefferson Stress Reduction Program who may not be able to attend the regular group program or who prefer additional support.

Catherine Polan Orzech, MA, LMFT, has taught Mindfulness and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for the last nine years. Catherine received her initial training at the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and her professional training under the direction of Jon Kabat-Zinn. She has taught and lectured on the subject of Mindfulness internationally, and was founder and co-director of the Montreal Center for Mindfulness. In addition to teaching MBSR, Catherine is a Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in mindfulness-based psychotherapy focusing on individuals, children and families experiencing interpersonal and relational stress.

Jerry Santini came to MBSR as a participant in 1997 and it changed his life. He wanted to learn more and “give back” to the program, so he volunteered for the Stress Reduction Program performing administrative tasks, while he continued to study with various meditation teachers, including Tara Brach, Pema Chodren, Sharon Salzman and Larry Rosenberg. He also participated in MBSR Professional Training with Jon Kabat-Zinn in 2000 and 2001. Since 2001, Jerry has been an MBSR teaching assistant with our program. His special interests include bringing mindfulness to the homeless in shelters. Participants in our MBSR programs often remark that Jerry brings a great presence, humor and big heart to our classes.

Wendy Weingarten, MSW, a licensed social worker, directed support programs that promote health and resiliency for individuals and families for more than a quarter of a century. Wendy’s expertise is in helping parents integrate mindful self-awareness in building emotionally healthy families. She has extensive experience facilitating parenting and stress and anger management classes. Wendy has participated in comprehensive MBSR teacher training at Jefferson and has participated in MBSR Professional Training with Jon Kabat-Zinn.