Dr. Chris Willard

Dr. Christopher Willard (PsyD) is a psychologist and educational consultant based in Boston specializing in mindfulness.  He has been practicing meditation for 20 years, and has led hundreds of workshops around the world, with invitations to more than two dozen countries. He currently serves on the board of directors at the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, and is the president of the Mindfulness in Education Network. He has presented at TEDx conferences and his thoughts have appeared in the New York Times, The Washington Post, mindful.org, and elsewhere. He is the author of Child’s Mind (2010) Growing Up Mindful (2016) Raising Resilience (2017) and eight other books for parents, professionals and children, along with six sets of cards and therapeutic games, available in more than ten languages. He teaches at Harvard Medical School.

On the personal side, he enjoys traveling, hiking, cooking, reading and writing, and being a father.  

What is the program?

The Growing Up Mindful program is a 10 week, 20+ Hour hybrid live and pre-recorded course created by Harvard psychologist Dr. Christopher Willard.

Over the course of our time together, we will discover proven practices that can be used by teachers, therapists, parents and others looking for creative ways to share mindfulness with young people. We will explore mindfulness through awareness, movement, games, play, and creative activities for all ages.

Learning differences, cultural differences, developmental differences, and more all affect how childrenand teens learn best, and this course explores ways to adapt mindfulness, rather than approach with a one-size fits all approach. 

 We will discuss tailoring techniques to a range of issues, including depression, anxiety, executive function challenges, trauma and stress. Different practices will engage different learning styles through arts, sports, games, music, technology and more, for attention spans ranging from 30 seconds to 30 minutes. 

Course Structure

Each week will cover a different topic, with 4-5 short videos adding up to about an hour each week. You can watch these videos on your own time or with your accountability partner. We will explore weekly reflection questions and practice on our own and with accountability partners during the week. 

Each week we will gather live online in a group of about 25 students with Dr. Willard to discuss themes of the week and explore questions to deepen our practice and teaching skills. 

Participants will gain a certificate from Dr. Willard by the end of the course attesting to their knowledge and attendance.

Weekly Themes

Introduction to each other and mindful awareness

• An introduction to child and teen mindfulness
• Setting community guidelines and intentions

Week 1. Defining mindfulness, defining intentions and science

• Mindfulness and the neuroscience of healthy brain development
• Playful and practical exercises to explore the mind-body connection 
• Mind-body meditations to rewire young brains for resilience

Week 2. The power of your own practice

• Why mindfulness will make you a better and happier therapist, teacher, or parent
• Self-compassion, appreciation, and relaxation exercises to avoid burnout

Week 3. Adapting Mindfulness for all Minds

• Developmentally appropriate adaptation ideas
• The simple science of how mindfulness keeps stress and mental illness at bay 

Week 4. The Neurobiology and Research on Mindfulness and Compassion

• Simplifying neuroscience to empower brain and behavior change
• Mindfulness, mental health and learning. The state of the research.

Week 5. Mindful Eating in the Real World

• The state of the research on mindful eating
• Kid friendly formal and informal mindful eating practice

Week 6. Mindful Walking and Movement in the Real World

• Research-based mindful movements
• Developmental adaptations of mindful walking and movement

Week 7. Engaging kids and getting Buy-In

• Practical and effective ideas that will generate buy-in from children and teens
• How to make mindfulness fun and accessible even to all kinds of children
• Dealing with resistance

Week 8. Mental Health, Trauma and Equity Perspectives and Considerations

• Accessible analogies to explain what mindfulness is and isn’t
• How to help kids and families slow down, sit still and single-task

Week 9. Creating our Own Practices, Visualizations and Adaptations

• Comfortably adapt mindfulness to all kinds of minds, bodies and backgrounds
• Tips and tricks to build your confidence when teaching mindfulness

Week 10. Toward Creating Mindful Community in Schools, Clinics and Beyond

• Systemic approaches to culture change in schools, clinics and families
• Creating a mindful and compassionate workplace, school, and family 

Bonus Content: 

• Teaching with integrity and equity
• A roadmap for creating a mindfulness consulting "business"
• Interviews with mindfulness leaders

If you have more questions, schedule a call with Dr. Willard to learn more and join the next class

In this call you will learn more about the Growing Up Mindful 10 Week Program and better understand how to share mindfulness with kids and teens through: 

1. Understanding what motivates kids to practice
2. A customized comprehensive training
3. Being introduced to a community of changemakers with similar challenges and vision 
4. Learning how to take a strategic view to inspiring practice