Jean has over 30 years of experience as a counselor, teacher, trainer, and writer. She has studied Vipassana meditation since 2001 with teachers at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre MA. and has 6 years of MBSR teaching experience.
Jean has worked as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor helping people with disabilities make life transitions and also has extensive teaching experience, mostly with students with special needs. She has a Masters degree in counseling, two years of Gestalt training, and coach training through the Institute for Life Coach Training (ILCT).
She has taken professional training through the Center for Mindfulness, UMass. Medical School (founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D) and has completed her MBSR Teacher Practicum training through the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. She also has professional training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Another important influence has been Nonviolent Communication (NVC) which brings Gandhian nonviolence principles to communication in conflict situations. Jean says: “NVC helps me understand how to use the empathy, awareness and presence that I develop through my Vipassana practice.