Mindfulness-Based Chronic Pain Management Level 1

MBCPM Level 1 is the entry level course.

The course is offered 3 times a year starting in January, April and September and lasts for 13 weeks.  Participants attend one class per week.  Depending on the day,  classes run from 2 hours and 30 minutes to 2 hours and 50 minutes with one 15 minute break.

Attendees learn the principles of mindfulness meditation, the importance of living in the moment, and the power of now, and how these relate to suffering less pain. Mindfulness assists in remaining calmer and more pain controlled despite the challenges of everyday life, such as when interacting with family, friends, colleagues, employers and insurers.  This can change the intensity of pain suffering, both emotional and physical, in a very positive way.

Consistent attendance is required to remain in the course.

Cost

An enrollment fee of $35 is charged per person per course, but the cost of participation is covered by the Ontario provincial health insurance plan. There is also a cost for course materials of $85.

Registration

A physician’s referral is required to register for the course.

Click here to download the Greater Toronto Area referral form

Click here to download the Ontario Telemedicine Network Form for courses offered throughout Ontario

Where is the course offered?

The course is offered in Toronto at St Michael’s Hospital and at locations throughout Ontario by the Ontario Telemedicine Network.

To date courses have been offered in Bracebridge, Cambridge, Campbellford, Carlton Place, Cochrane, Elliot Lake, Espanola, Fort Frances, Haliburton, Iroquois Falls, Kingston, Leamington, Lindsay, Little Current, Napanee, Newmarket, Noelville, North Bay, Orangeville, Orillia, Oshawa, Parry Sound, Peterborough, Picton, Sault Ste-Marie, Shelburne, Sturgeon Falls, Sudbury, Terrace Bay, Thunder Bay, Wawa, and Wellington.

Those wishing to attend the course from outside Toronto should send in the referral as soon as possible to get on the list for a course in your area.  While we cannot accommodate every community in Ontario, we will do our best to get you into a group which is reasonably close to where you live.

We add more sites if there are enough participants and the location is serviced by OTN.

Please note that most of the classes are run with four sites simultaneously, three sites being connected through TV screens from their local hospitals. Average number of participants is 50 for the entire class at all four sites.

Schedule for April 2013

Tuesdays starting April 30th from 1:00 to 3:30 pm at Sunnybrook Hospital (Toronto), Centenary Hospital (Scarborough), North Bay, Peterborough CMHA, Peterborough FHT and Thunder Bay.

Tuesdays from 5:00 to 7:30pm – St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto. If you are currently registered for this class, please note that the location of classes varies. For the full room schedule and St. Michaels Hospital maps and visitor guide, please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Wednesdays starting May 1st from 9:30 to 11:50am at Carleton Place, Orangeville, Picton, Sault Ste-Marie, Sudbury (Val Caron) and Timmins.

Thursdays starting May 2nd from 1:15 to 3:45pm at Aurora, Kingston, Newmarket, Orillia and St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto.

The Room Schedule for Level 1 Class (Tuesday, 5pm at St. Michael's Hospital)

For a downloadable version of the St. Michael’s Visitor Guide please click here. For More detailed directions on how to get the Hospital please visit their website.