Founding Board Members and Teachers

Christiane Baud

Christiane is a certified mindfulness meditation teacher within the International Mindfulness Teachers Association having completed Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach’s Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program.

Her approach and philosophy are based in equal measure on sound Western scientific knowledge and on contemplative approaches. On the scientific side, she relies on her background as a biologist (PhD) and a psychologist (MA) to understand and describe the human being as interconnected layers of body, emotions, and mind. On the contemplative side, she draws on 15 years of meditation experience within various traditions.

Christiane holds a PhD in biology from the University of Paris and has had a 20-year career in the pharmaceutical industry research and development. She recently completed a M.A. in Transpersonal Psychology at Sofia University in Palo Alto. She has taught yoga and mindfulness meditation in Dallas for the last 10 years.

Michael LaValle

Michael has served the Dallas community as a licensed psychologist, health service provider, and meditation teacher for the past 40 years.  He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and completed his doctoral studies in psychology at The University of Dallas.  He is certified by The Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center where the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Course was originally developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn. He is also certified to teach by the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. He has served on the faculty of the nine-month certificate program offered by the Institute of Meditation & Psychotherapy.  Michael teaches Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), and he facilitates evening communal meditations and silent retreats. He also has extensive experience with Centering Prayer.

 

Charles Penot

Charles holds a law degree from Loyola University School of Law where he also taught for 4 years. He holds an LL.M. from Yale Law School. Charles has practiced law in Louisiana and Texas for over 30 years. Charles is trained both as a legal mediator, and as a Zen meditator. He is a facilitator-in-training in LIFE University’s Compassion Integrity Training Program.

Alfred (Alfie) Wishart

Alfie is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) and has a Master in Rehabilitation Counseling from UT Southwestern. Alfie is currently a therapist with Curis Functional Health. He also offers workshops in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) and Making Friends with Yourself (MFY) - a program for adolescents.

Dale Jensen

Dale is a CPA and Partner with Weaver, LLP. Dale was born in Australia, and came to the United States to play college baseball at Southern Arkansas University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting. Dale is a father of two children, and his favorite past-time is playing guitar.

Tracy McShan

Tracy (she/her/hers) has been facilitating mindfulness classes, sitting groups, and retreats for 20+ years. Tracy obtained her mindfulness training under the direction of Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach and is a certified through the International Mindfulness Teachers Association (IMTA) and UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. As a certified leadership coach, Tracy is passionate about coaching and mentoring individuals and teams toward greater compassion, meaning, and purpose. Tracy currently works in the Educational Technology field as a leader of Professional Services.

Janet Sandman

Janet Sandman is a Certified Meditation and Mindfulness Instructor, a Certified Teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion, and has received training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness. As an Army Veteran and retired First Responder, she understands firsthand, the tremendous toll stress can take on physical, mental, and emotional well-being.  Janet teaches with simplicity, compassion, and a sense of humor. Her jam is helping others move through life with a bit more ease.

Mindful Parenting Teachers

Lorraine M. Hobbs  

Founding Director of the Youth, Family, & Education Programs at the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion

During her tenure at the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion, Lorraine has developed and implemented curricula in mindfulness for multiple age groups and a course in Mindful & Compassionate Parenting.  As a family therapist and former clinical director of adolescent treatment programs, her concern for the adverse effects of stress on the social and emotional development of teens led to pioneering work in the area of self-compassion for teens. She is co-author of Making Friends with Yourself: A Mindful Self-Compassion Program for Teens & Young Adults, adapted from the adult Mindful Self-Compassion Program and endorsed by Kristen Neff, Ph.D. & Chris Germer, Ph.D.  She is certified to teach MBSR (Mindfulness Based-Stress Reduction), MSC (Mindful Self-Compassion), and CCARE (Compassion Cultivation, Altruism, Research & Education), a year-long training program created by clinical psychologists and contemplative scholars at Stanford University.  Lorraine is Founder/Director, Family & Educational Programs at UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness, co-director of the Mindfulness for Adolescents Certification Program, a Certified MBI Teacher | Teacher Trainer | MBSR Mentor and Director, Project Huruma: A Self-Compassion Program for At-Risk Communities and Caregivers Around the World. She also consults with educators on integrating mindfulness and compassion-based programs in schools and offers workshops & public talks in the community.


Georgina Robinson

Principal of the Provincial Outreach Program for Autism and Related Disorders, in BC, Canada POPARD

Georgina Robinson PhD, is the Principal of the Provincial Outreach Program for Autism and Related Disorders (POPARD), in BC, Canada and is a certified School Psychologist, Trained Teacher of Mindful Self Compassion, Making Friends with Yourself (for children and teens), and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, with additional training in Compassion Focused Therapy. Georgina brings over 25 years of experience working with children, families, and schools with particular focus on supporting those with ASD and complex needs. Georgina is a member of adjunct faculty in the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology and Special Education at the University of British Columbia. Her therapeutic and research interests include stress, coping and resilience in caregivers of those with ASD and other diverse needs. Georgina is grateful to have received training from international leaders in Mindfulness Based Interventions including Susan Woods, Mark Williams, Rebecca Crane, Christopher Germer, Kristen Neff and Lorraine Hobbs. She considers her greatest learning being her experience raising her own children including a son with ASD

Alfie Wishart

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC), and a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC)

Alfie is a therapist in private practice in Dallas, and has worked with the homeless, and inpatient and outpatient individuals, couples and families facing disabilities, substance use disorders, and mental health issues.  He is a Certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction instructor, a Trained Teacher in Mindful Self-Compassion, and a Trained Teacher in Making Friends with Yourself, a self-compassion-based program for adolescents, Self-Compassion for Healthcare Professionals. He has had the privilege of being trained by leaders in the field such as Christopher Germer, Steve Hickman, Michelle Becker, Mila De Koning, Marta Alonso, Thubten Jinpa, Susan Woods, Pat Brockman, and others. He uses the principles and practices of mindfulness and Self-Compassion in his practice and has provided talks, presentations, workshops and courses in MBSR, MSC and MFY programs in the community.