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Knoxville Area Psychological Association


Upcoming events

    • December 08, 2026
    • 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
    • Presented on Zoom
    Register

    Upcoming KAPA ZOOM CE event

    Expanding Awareness: Mindfulness Research, Tools, and Clinical Practice

    David Patterson, PhD, MSW



    Summary:

    Over the past 40 years, peer-reviewed research on mindfulness-based interventions has grown rapidly, with Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) the most extensively studied program. This presentation offers a brief history of mindfulness and meditation, summarizes key research findings, and highlights emerging neuroscience on the mechanisms of mindfulness. We will review the core elements of MBSR, its efficacy, and its key outcomes. We will also introduce the Mindfulness-to-Meaning Theory, examine adverse effects and at-risk populations, and discuss practical strategies for integrating mindfulness into clinical practice.

    Learning Objectives:  

    At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:

    • describe and appraise key research mindfulness-based intervention research findings including the emergent neuroscience of mindfulness as well as adverse outcomes,
    • demonstrate knowledge of the elements, efficacy, and outcomes of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction as well as Mindfulness to Meaning Theory, and
    • utilize and integrate the information of the presentation into their clinical practice in selecting appropriate mindfulness-based interventions and requisite referrals.

      Target Audience:

      This program is open to all KAPA members and other interested mental health professionals who are not members. The content of this presentation is appropriate for mental health professionals educated at the graduate level in psychology, psychiatry, or other mental health related disciplines, as well as graduate students in a mental health related discipline.

      Instructional Level:

      The material will be appropriate to intermediate levels of practice and knowledge.

      Continuing Education:

      This program - when attended in its entirety - is available for 1.5 APA approved continuing education credits. With full attendance and completion of a Program Evaluation and Learning Assessment, a certificate will be issued. Partial credit will not be awarded. Participant's attendance will be verified via their Zoom login name and sign in / sign off time. Please assure that you are identifiable by your Zoom login name.

      American Psychological Association Approval Statement:

      The Knoxville Area Psychological Association (KAPA) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for Psychologists. KAPA maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 

      There is no commercial support for this program, nor are there any relationships between the CE Sponsor, presenting organization, program content, research, grants, or other funding sources that could reasonably be construed as conflicts of interest. During the program, the validity/utility of the content and risk/limitations of their approaches will be addressed.

      Registration Fees and Policies:

      If you are a member of KAPA, then this program is free of charge. If you are not a member of KAPA and you do not want CE credit, this program is free of charge.

      Speaker Information:

      David A. Patterson, Ph.D., M.S.W., is professor emeritus of The University of Tennessee’s College of Social and emeritus Cooper-Herron Endowed Professor of Mental Health Research and Practice. He is a Brown University Mindfulness Center certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher with a daily meditation practice of more than thirty-five years. Dr. Patterson was an adjunct professor in the University of Tennessee’s Graduate School of Medicine where he lectured on and taught mindfulness theory and practice to medical residents and medical students. He was the founding director to the UTK-College of Social Work’s Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program in advanced clinical practice and leadership. As an aspiring non-dualist and empirically informed humanist, the primary teaching focus of Dr. Patterson’s 31-year academic career was on clinical social work practice. Dr. Patterson severed as the dissertation chair for 6 Ph.D. students and as the doctoral capstone chair for 17 Doctor of Social Work (DSW) students. He served on dissertation committees for students from clinical and counseling psychology and nursing. He developed and taught for five years the Mindfulness Based Clinical Interventions and Practice graduate course that integrated the 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course into a broader course for clinical psychology, counseling psychology, and social work students on mindfulness-based interventions. Outside academia, he has taught mindfulness and meditation practices to a number of populations in a wide array of classes and retreats. He currently serves on the board of the Meaningful Life Center of Knoxville, TN where he regularly teaches MBSR.

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