Profile

Donald holds the Diplomate in Clinical Social Work (DCSW), earned through 6 years of intensive training. Donald has been combining therapy and mindfulness for 20 years. He has fine-tuned his approach both in groups and with individuals. He is gratified to have trained 6 psychotherapists in this method. Donald has been teaching mindfulness meditation in NYC for 14 years, and practicing psychotherapy for 24 years. 350 people have taken the Mindfulness Workshop with him in NYC, in 50 MBCT groups.

Donald is a Certified teacher of Mindfulness Based - Cognitive Therapy (MB-CT). He studied MBCT with Zindel Segal, Susan Woods, Pat Rockman, Evan Collins, and Gwen Morgan. He is a mentor to aspiring MBCT teachers with the Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute (MBPTI) of the University of California San Diego Medical School as well as with the Centre for Mindfulness Studies (CMS) in Toronto.

Donald has also learned through retreats and writings from Thich Nhat Hanh, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Sharon Salzburg, Toni Packer and others.

Donald wrote the book Working the Present, Mindfully-Based: Bringing Mindfulness Based - Cognitive Therapy Group Work into Individual Therapy, a book endorsed by Zindel V. Segal, Ph.D. This book takes the approach of using principles of MBCT in an ongoing, dynamic way in psychotherapy.

PERSONAL STATEWMENT: ‘I’ve done quite a few things in my life. But, these days I spend a lot of time just being mindful in the present moment. This morning I probably did my meditation, and enjoyed eating my oatmeal mindfully.

‘At my age I’m supposed to be slowing down, enjoying the fruits of my life (or so my friends tell me) but I’ve found this exciting gem. I’ve found a very helpful and fruitful way to combine two wonderful things: psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.

‘I’ve raised a family. All grown up. I’m hugely proud of my children. I get involved in causes, I love being in nature, I walk in the woods and on the beach, read books, watch movies…

‘But what really gets me… is the continuing beauty, power… and fullness of the awakened mind.’

MINDFULNESS TRAINING

-5-Day Residential Intensive at Omega – Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy

-5-Day Residential Intensive at Omega – Mindfulness-Based Training Intensive, methods of inquiry

-Participant in 8-week MBSR program taught by master teacher Elaine Retholtz

-Inquiry training weekend – Center for Mindfulness Studies

-Rock Blossom Sangha, following teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh

Facilitator
Facilitator scheduler
Treasurer (10 years)
Care-taking council (4 years)

-Healing shame and fear – 5-day training with Tara Brach

-Mindfulness, CBT and the effective management of mood and anxiety disorders, taught by Zindel Segal, creator of Mindfulness Based - Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

-Retreats at
Insight Meditation Society, Barre, MA
Springwater Meditation Inquiry Center