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Lorraine M. Hobbs, M.A., CHom., Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher
Director of Youth and Family Programs
Lorraine M. Hobbs, M.S., CHom., is a senior MBSR teacher at the UCSD
Center for Mindfulness. She received her training under the supervision
of Dr. Steve Hickman. She has served as clinical director of in-patient
and residential treatment programs, where she worked extensively with
teens and their families. Her interest in integrative medicine and in
the growing research on the consequences of stress and the executive
function of the brain in children/teens inspired her to create a six
week Mindfulness/Stress Reduction training program for Teens at the UCSD
Center for Mindfulness. Her interest in reaching a larger population
of teens and pre-teens led to the implementation of an eight-week
mindfulness based curriculum in schools, designed to reduce stress,
improve self-regulation and concentration and enhance the learning
process. In addition. Lorraine developed a Mindful Parenting program,
which supports parents in developing a greater capacity to parent with
compassion and presence. She is also a part of the Mindfulness in
Schools teaching/training team in the U.K. and lectures on the efficacy
of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction with teens in the community. She
is a certified Iyengar yoga teacher and Homeopathic practitioner. |
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David Viafora, MSW, Mindfulness Teacher
David has been enthusiastically teaching children and teenagers the art of mindfulness practice since 2003, working with youth in schools, homeless shelters, retreat centers, summer camps, and cultural centers. Helping children and teens cultivate peace, self-awareness, understanding, and compassion within themselves and towards others is a life calling. David recently finished a Master’s in Social Work at SDSU, conducting research on the benefits of mindfulness practice with at-risk middle school students and homeless youth in San Diego. He has been practicing mindfulness since 2001, and has lived and worked for several years at mindfulness retreat centers in France and California. David also enjoys hiking, biking, dancing, and taking breaks from emails. |
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Samuel Himelstein, Ph.D., Director of Research
Dr. Himelstein is a licensed psychologist and works with
incarcerated adolescents at the Mind Body Awareness Project, where he is
the Director of Clinical Services and Research. He is also associate
core faculty at Sofia University, where he teaches graduate courses on
research methodology and the incorporation of mindfulness into
psychotherapy. His first book entitled "A Mindfulness-Based Approach to Working with High-Risk Adolescents" will by published by Routledge in April of 2013.
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Rebecca Cherry, MD, MPH, Pediatric Liaison
Dr. Cherry is a practicing pediatric gastroenterologist at Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego. She takes a special interest in the treatment of chronic pain in children and adolescents, and in the use of non-pharmacologic treatment of various gastrointestinal disorders. In her clinical practice, she encourages patients to explore the connection between mind and body. In addition to her specialized medical expertise, Dr. Cherry has trained in clinical hypnosis. She has an MD degree and a Masters in Public Health from Harvard University and did her post-graduate training at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
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Robin Stutzman, M.S., M.F.T., Mindfulness Teacher
Robin received her graduate training in Counseling Psychology from Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Professional Studies in 1986. In full time private practice since 1996, Robin’s specialties have evolved over time from treating children, teens and adults with O.C.D., Anxiety and Depressive Disorders, PTSD and Bipolar Disorders as well as couples counseling, life-transition and transpersonal psychology. She particularly enjoys working with teen girls. A mindfulness practitioner since 1992, she brings cutting edge mindfulness-based treatment techniques to her eclectic practice. Her Mindful Awareness Stress Reduction Training series of classes have been well-received by hundreds of students as a pivotal point in their life-journey. Most recently, she has begun a series of trainings in elementary schools which assist children with self-regulation, focus and peer relating, as well as creating an 8 week parent-teen mindfulness based stress reduction training. |
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Jennifer A. Miller, Psy.D., Teaching Intern
Jennifer is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and owner of A Well Being Mental Health Services in La Mesa, CA. Jennifer assists individuals and families throughout their development as they contend with the vicissitudes of life. Her primary focus is on assisting clients who suffer from depression, anxiety, trauma and other stress-related disorders. Jennifer uses mindfulness-based interventions with all age groups and has taught mindfulness to elementary school students. In addition, Jennifer continues to develop her own mindfulness practice and finds that this is essential in enhancing her work with others. She strongly believes that health and wellness derive from developing, maintaining and renewing a strong mind-body-spirit connection. |
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Katie Ferrell, B.A., Teaching Intern
Katie Ferrell earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychotherapy, Mindfulness and Creative Expression from the University of Redlands (UofR) in Redlands, California. Interest in mindfulness led her to live in mindfulness-based communities in Scotland and Vermont and implement programs and teach in the UofR’s Meditation Room. She has had a mindfulness and meditation practice for a number of years and has attended several Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction classes, a ten-day silent retreat, and studied with teachers in a variety of traditions. Her interests include mindfulness as related to interpersonal relationships, choice, personal relationship to suffering, and sustainability and food. |
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Lucas LeardMann, B.A., Teaching Intern
Lucas attended his first multi-day meditation retreat in 2001 and has been meditating and cultivating a mindfulness practice ever since. He holds a bilingual teaching credential and has been working in elementary schools for over 12 years. For Lucas, mindfulness has been integral to learning new ways of relating to the inevitable stresses of teaching and daily life. Now with an almost 3 year old and an infant at home, he is discovering the potential of a whole new application of these practices: mindful parenting. |