Approved MBSR Mentors
Michael Apollo RP
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Tom Heah OT Reg. (BC)
Location: Vancouver, BC
Tom Heah works as an occupational therapist with Vancouver Coastal Community Mental Health and Substance Use Program, and has a private practice in Vancouver, B.C. He is a faculty and mentor in MBCT and MBSR with the Centre for Mindfulness Studies, and an advisor with the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center. He is certified through UCSD in facilitating MBSR and MBCT, and has completed the Training in Mindfulness Facilitation program at UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center. Since 2006, Tom has facilitated mindfulness-based courses for people who have mental health, substance use issues, physical and neuromuscular conditions, and the general public. He is a clinical faculty member at the School of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia, where he has been involved in research, preceptorships with students, and lectured on mindfulness applications.
Seonaigh MacPherson, Ph.D.
Location: Chilliwack, BC
Seonaigh began meditative practices over 40 years ago at the age of 19. Since then, she has amassed over 20,000 hours of practice in retreat and daily practice contexts. Throughout the 1990s, she lived and researched in the Himalayas in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, culminating in the completion of a doctoral dissertation at UBC on A Path of Learning: Indo-Tibetan Buddhism as Education. She has studied extensively with many of the leading Buddhist teachers of meditation, including the Heads of all Tibetan orders as well as over 200 hours, including private consultations, with HH the Dalai Lama. Her undergraduate university degree is in Psychology and her doctorate in comparative interdisciplinary studies in education. In the MBSR tradition, she has studied with Jon Kabat Zinn, Susan Woods, Pat Rockman, and Evan Collins. Her abiding interest throughout these varied experiences has been to integrate mindfulness and other contemplative practices into Western educational systems – formal, non-formal and informal.
Currently, Seonaigh reside in Chilliwack, BC, where she serves as Head of the Department of Adult Education at the University of the Fraser Valley. Under her leadership, the Department has introduced a range of undergraduate courses in mindfulness and wellbeing, and they are preparing to launch the first for-credit graduate certificate in Mindfulness-Based Teaching and Learning (MBTL). Her particular interests in mindfulness are the promotion of lifelong learning, wellbeing and health, and environmental awareness.
Allison McLay BA DCS RP
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Allison McLay has 25 years of experience in psychological assessment and counselling. Her areas of expertise include the assessment and treatment of learning disabilities and ADHD. She has worked in both private practice and the social service sector and currently works for the disabilities and personal counselling departments at York University. Allison practices mindfulness personally and professionally. She co-facilitates MBCT groups for anxiety/depression and training professionals.
Gwen Morgan MA MSW RSW RP
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Gwen Morgan is an Certified MBSR and MBCT instructor, and Approved Mentor with The Centre for Mindfulness Studies and the University of San Diego, Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute. Gwen is also trained in Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT). She has worked as a social worker for 30 years, and came to mindfulness stress reduction through her personal practice in yoga and meditation. She began her professional training with the 7-day intensive led by Jon Kabat Zinn and Saki Santorelli, and has advanced training from The Centre for Mindfulness Studies, UC San Diego and the UMass Center for Mindfulness. She has been teaching MBSR in hospital and community settings with a focus on diversity and reaching marginalized peoples. She was a Teaching Assistant to Susan Woods in the 6-day MBSR Intensive Training for professionals and is mentoring aspiring mindfulness teachers.
Rosemina Munjee RP
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Melissa Nigrini M.Ed RP
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Melissa Nigrini specializes in adult education and experiential learning, with over 20 years of experience designing, implementing and evaluating educationprograms and curricula. Melissa has been a mindfulness meditation practitioner for over 15 years and is a certified facilitator of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery and SMART Education. At the Centre for Mindfulness Studies, she is a facilitator, trainer and mentor, as well as curriculum and faculty development lead. She is a senior instructor in the Applied Mindfulness Meditation Program at University of Toronto. She also designs and facilitates mindfulness programs for organizations. Melissa is fluent in English, French and Spanish, and provides mentorship for delivery in these languages.
Rhea Plosker MC, MASc, RSW, RP
Location: Online (from Toronto, Ontario)
Rhea Plosker RSW RP is a Registered Social Worker, Registered Psychotherapist, and leadership coach working in private practice in Toronto, Ontario. She meets requirements for a clinical supervisor as defined by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario.
Rhea has facilitated more than 40 MBSR, MBCT, and MBCT-Cancer groups. She designed and co-facilitates Mindfully Managing Anxiety and Uncertainty, an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy group program. Rhea is an instructor with George Brown Continuing Education and a program leader with Wellspring Cancer Support.
Rhea has a passion for improving accessibility to mindfulness-based programs, both online and in-person. She supported the Centre for Mindfulness Studies in adapting and designing program curricula for online delivery, and trained facilitators to transition online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rhea holds certificates in CBT for Anxiety and Depression, Solution Focused Therapy, and is a Certified Intuitive Eating counsellor. She also has extensive training and supervision in the use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Narrative Therapy. Rhea has recently completed the following mindfulness training programs and retreats:
Embodying Metta Retreat (True North Insight 2021)
Compassion and Wisdom: Meditative Training for Professional Caregivers (True North Insight 2021-2022)
Buddhist Psychology Training (Spirit Rock 2022)
Living Dharma Program (Spirit Rock 2022-2023)
Love and Death-Opening the Great Gifts (Upaya Zen Center 2023)
Wellspring Cancer Support-The Healing Journey Level 1 Facilitator Training (2023)
Social Work and psychotherapy is Rhea’s second career, following a corporate career as an engineer, technology executive and consultant. You can learn more about Rhea at www.inspirationsolutions.
Patricia Rockman MD CCFP FCFP
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Patricia Rockman is an associate professor with the University of Toronto, department of family and community medicine; cross appointed to psychiatry. She is the past chair of the Ontario College of Family Physicians Collaborative Mental Health Network. She is a medical psychotherapist and leads MBCT and MBSR groups. She has been educating healthcare providers in stress reduction, CBT and mindfulness-based practices for over 20 years. She is a founder and the Director of Education and Clinical Services at The Centre for Mindfulness Studies and the developer of the MBCT Facilitation Certificate program as well as the MBSR Facilitation Certificate program.
Blakie Sahay OT Reg. (Ont.)
Profession: Occupational Therapist & Psychotherapist
Multi-Lingual MBSR Mentors
Melissa Nigrini M.Ed RP
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Melissa Nigrini specializes in adult education and experiential learning, with over 20 years of experience designing, implementing and evaluating educationprograms and curricula. Melissa has been a mindfulness meditation practitioner for over 15 years and is a certified facilitator of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery and SMART Education. At the Centre for Mindfulness Studies, she is a facilitator, trainer and mentor, as well as curriculum and faculty development lead. She is a senior instructor in the Applied Mindfulness Meditation Program at University of Toronto. She also designs and facilitates mindfulness programs for organizations. Melissa is fluent in English, French and Spanish, and provides mentorship for delivery in these languages.