Mindfulness courses at Ohio State: Gain powerful tools for a stressful world

Group-therapy-conversationExperts at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, offer courses for resilience, well-being and mental health that teach evidence-based mindfulness practices and principles. Mindfulness provides a way to slow down, regain clarity and cultivate a sense of balance through many of life’s challenges.

Whether you’re new to mindfulness and meditation or want to reinforce existing skills, mindfulness-based programs at Ohio State can support your journey.

We offer mindfulness courses for the general community, and courses for coping with specific mental health conditions, like depression, anxiety and substance use disorder. All programs are led by clinician experts from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health within The Ohio State University College of Medicine, who are trained in the use of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

What is mindfulness-based cognitive therapy?

Mindfulness courses at Ohio State are rooted in MBCT, a method designed to facilitate recovery from depression and prevent future relapse.

The evidence-based program was designed by mindfulness scholars Zindel Segal, PhD, Mark Williams, PhD, and John Teasdale, PhD, and based on the mindfulness-based stress reduction program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD. The goal is to increase your awareness of habitual thoughts and patterns that can make you more vulnerable to escalations in depression and anxiety.

That awareness allows you to approach thoughts with more curiosity and compassion, and to bring wisdom and compassion to difficult moments.

Improve your well-being with mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice that can benefit you if you experience stress or want to feel more present in your daily life. Whether you’re navigating work pressures, coping with emotional ups and downs, or simply seeking greater well-being, mindfulness can help.

Mindfulness can even support you if you struggle with overthinking, anxiety, depression and substance use.

Our courses are backed by decades of research to help you improve focus, reduce stress, enhance your emotional resilience and even improve your physical health. More than 200 people have attended our classes, with many of them returning for additional sessions. Participants who gain the most from our programs don’t just learn about mindfulness –– they practice it consistently.

Our mindfulness course leaders are all trained to provide nonreligious, structured, science-backed guidance that helps you develop practical mindfulness skills that stick.

Ready to start your mindfulness journey? Explore our courses to take the first step toward a calmer, more balanced you.

Ohio State’s mindfulness-based group courses

Mindfulness-based classes from Ohio State’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health include introductory and in-depth group classes open to the community, as well as group courses uniquely designed to help with specific mental health concerns.

People interested in participating in community courses are asked to complete a registration form to ensure the course is a good fit. Participants in our condition-specific courses have a clinical evaluation with one of our providers before those classes begins.

Our courses require your strong commitment to be successful. We ask that you commit to:

  • Attend weekly group sessions that range from three to eight weeks, depending on your course. Eight-week courses include one all-day retreat.
  • The sessions build upon one another, so we ask that you attend all of them and inform your instructor if you must miss a session.
  • Practice daily at home during the program (audio files are provided to guide home practice).

Find the right mindfulness courses for you

Benefits of mindfulness

Mindfulness, when consistently practiced, may significantly benefit your mental and physical health. Here are some ways mindfulness may support well-being:

  • Reduces stress and anxiety: Mindfulness helps lower cortisol levels, reducing overall stress and improving emotional regulation.
  • Enhances focus and cognitive function: Regular mindfulness practice strengthens attention control and working memory.
  • Improves emotional resilience: Mindfulness promotes self-awareness and emotional regulation, helping you respond more effectively to challenges.
  • Supports mental health: Reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression while also preventing relapse.
  • Enhances physical health: Mindfulness has been linked to lower blood pressure, improved immune function and reduced inflammation.
  • Helps with pain management: Mindfulness can change how the brain perceives pain, reducing its intensity and improving quality of life.

Whether you want to reduce stress, sharpen your focus or improve your overall well-being, mindfulness is a proven tool that works.

Frequently Asked Questions

What participants are saying

“I am learning that I have the patience and ability to do this. I am learning how my mind works.”
“It has now become virtually an automatic thought to ask if I am acting wisely or if my actions are driven by emotions.”
“The breathing space has been very helpful for stopping me in my tracks. I can pause for a moment and reflect on my thoughts.”
“MBCT has helped me realize my limitations and be less critical of myself.”
“This practice can help me to live life and not have my negative thoughts control me.”
“With the negative emotions, anxiety in particular, I am better at not fighting it or trying to do something to rationalize it or ignore it — but allow it and can see that it passes.”

The science behind mindfulness and MBCT

Mindfulness isn’t just a trend — it’s backed by decades of research. Studies show that practicing mindfulness strengthens the brain areas that help with focus, decision-making and emotional balance. It can also help regulate the part of the brain that triggers stress and anxiety.

Researchers also have found that mindfulness can improve health by lowering stress hormones, reducing anxiety and depression and boosting the immune system. People who practice mindfulness regularly report feeling more present, less overwhelmed and better equipped to manage challenges.

Mindfulness courses through the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health are rooted in MBCT, –– one of the most extensively researched mindfulness interventions, with strong clinical evidence supporting its effectiveness. Developed as a relapse prevention treatment for recurrent depression, MBCT has been shown in large-scale, randomized controlled trials to significantly reduce relapse rates for individuals with a history of depression.

Evidence-based research benefits of MBCT

  • A 2016 analysis of data from 1258 patients showed that MBCT reduced the risk of relapse by about 30% over a 60-week follow-up period compared to those who did not receive MBCT. MBCT’s effect was at least as strong as that of continuing antidepressant medication.
  • A combined analysis of research studies found that MBCT significantly reduces residual symptoms of depression and anxiety and improves quality of life.
  • A randomized controlled trial of health care workers in high-stress jobs found that participants in the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Life (MBCT-L) course experienced reduced stress compared to the control group.

MBCT studies at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

  • Researchers in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health are studying type 2 diabetes patients with symptoms of depression, to study MBCT’s impact on both mental health and disease outcomes.
  • Researchers are conducting a study to help understand whether and how combining MBCT with ketamine may help individuals diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression.
  • Researchers have launched ENIGMA-Meditation to combine brain scan data from meditation studies worldwide. By combining and standardizing data, scientists can get a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of how meditation affects the brain and why it works as a therapeutic tool.

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