Jan Klimas Psychology

Psychological Counselling and Mindfulness Teaching

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or tipping on the edge of burnout? We’re excited to be offering an online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program hosted by Shoreline Counselling. 

MBSR is an evidence-based program that uses the tools of mindfulness to help people respond to their circumstances and live their lives in a more healthy and balanced way. Originally developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn and the University of Massachusetts in 1979 as a new approach to public health for patients living with chronic illness and pain, it has helped tens of thousands of people to improve their lives using the tools of mindfulness and meditation.

With more than 40 years of development and practice, this highly respected program is now taught throughout the world to help people live better lives by teaching them how to use mindfulness to deal more effectively with illness, pain, and the pressures of an increasingly busy and stressful world.

MBSR is the most thoroughly researched and tested program of its kind, and stands alone as the only public health initiative that teaches participants to engage with their minds and bodies in ways that enable them to tap into their own innate resources for healing and flourishing.

Over the course of eight weeks, this hands-on course uses guided meditation practices, short lectures, group sharing, and dialogue to explore themes such as the physiology of stress, the automatic nature of our stress responses, the dynamics of communication, how our perceptions of ourselves and the world around us affect our well-being, and how we can bring mindfulness into our daily lives.

This Program Offers a Free Orientation Session

Find out if this program is a good fit for you by attending a free Mindful Thursday orientation before committing to the 8-week MBSR program. Free Mindful Thursday orientations serve as a prerequisite for the 8-week MBSR Program.

All orientations on Mindful Thursdays are presented by Dr. Jan Klimas.

8-Week MBSR Program

Registration opens June 15th, 2026, and closes a week before the program start date. Classes take place on eight consecutive Thursday evenings (5:30 pm – 8:00 pm PDT), plus one all-day session on Saturday.

A minimum of eight participants is required per MBSR program. Classes with fewer than eight registrants will be cancelled and refunds provided. 

Session Date Time

*Session 1

Thursday, Sept 17

5:30 pm – 8:30 pm PST

Session 2

Thursday, Sept 24

5:30 pm – 8:00 pm PST

Session 3

Thursday, Oct 1

5:30 pm – 8:00 pm PST

Session 4

Thursday, Oct 8

5:30 pm – 8:00 pm PST

Session 5

Thursday, Oct 15

5:30 pm – 8:00 pm PST

Session 6

Thursday, Oct 22

5:30 pm – 8:00 pm PST

*All day session

Saturday, Oct 24

9:00 am – 4:30 pm PST (Sat)

Session 7

Thursday, Oct 29

5:30 pm – 8:00 pm PST

*Session 8

Thursday, Nov 5

5:30 pm – 8:30 pm PST

How to Apply

To apply for this program, when registration is open, please scroll down, click on the Sign-up button and fill the form below (if no Sign-up button appears, registration is not open). Please apply ONLY if you’ve recently attended an orientation session on a Mindful Thursday, or ARE planning to attend an orientation session BEFORE the course start date.

Please don’t send any payment to Shoreline Counselling until you receive a confirmation e-mail from me. Instructions on how to join us online will be sent to you.

Sign Up

Cost: MBSR Program

Fee: $445 (includes MBSR handouts & mindfulness audios). 

Helpful Fee Info: I am a Registered Psychologist (R.Psych) with the College of Health and Care Professionals of British Columbia (CHCPBC). Some Extended Health plans cover Psychologist Services for BC residents. Otherwise, non-reimbursed Psychologist fees are tax deductible according to Canada Revenue Agency.

Payment to Shoreline Counselling is due upon receiving an email with confirmation of enrolment. To inquire about payments, please contact the front desk at 604-371-4145 or email Shoreline at info@shorelinecounselling.ca

 

Refunds: All refund requests are to be emailed to info@janklimas.com and must be received prior to the first session. Refunds are subject to a $50 processing fee. After that point, no refunds or credits will be provided except for emergency situations.

Program Details

  • All times are Pacific Standard Time. To calculate your specific time zone, please use this link
  • Session 1 (opening) and Session 8 (closing) are 3 hours in length
  • All day silent session is usually on Saturday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
  • Sliding scale fees are available upon request
  • The MBSR program is open to anyone 19 years of age and older

How to apply for the MBSR hosted by Shoreline Counselling: 

To inquire, please contact the front desk at 604-371-4145 or email Shoreline at info@shorelinecounselling.ca

Who Should Take the Mindfulness Course?

MBSR is intended for people who want to learn how to manage their stress more effectively or bring more peace and balance to their daily lives. Individuals with no previous experience in mindfulness and experienced practitioners looking to deepen their practice can both benefit from MBSR. In either case, MBSR is not meant to replace traditional or psychological treatments; it complements and reinforces them.

What Will You Get?

MBSR is an immersive program where you and your classmates will explore mindfulness and stress over the course of 8 weekly meetings and one full-day silent session.

  • One information/orientation session (1.5 hrs) that introduces you to mindfulness and MBSR and outlines how they can bring well-being into your daily life). This session is free and open to all.
  • Eight weekly sessions (2.5 hrs). With the exception of the first and last session (3 hrs).
  • Weekly exercises to build mindfulness skills and serve as topics of discussion during group and open session times.
  • Silent retreat (7.5 hrs) normally held on Saturday in the sixth week.
  • Supportive handouts and recorded guided meditations (MP3 files).
  • Small class format of 6-12 participants.

What Will You Leave With?

At the end of this immersive course, you will leave with practical skills that you can use in your daily life to manage stress more effectively, cultivate skills of acceptance and peace, and enhance overall well-being. You will:

  • Explore your habitual “ways of being” or “relating” to yourself and others (your ingrained ways of thinking and reacting) and recognize and how these patterns can harm your well-being.
  • Understand the habitual nature of stress and its physiological effects.
  • Practice flexibility of attention.
  • Learn how to bring mindfulness to moments of difficulty (e.g., unpleasant physical sensations and emotions).
  • Bring mindfulness to your interpersonal communication and explore different communication styles.
  • Develop an individual mindfulness plan suitable for your daily life (no matter how busy your life is).

What Happens After I Submit My Application?

To keep class sizes low, a limited amount of space is available in each program. Your application will be reviewed (for completeness or clarification), and you will be notified by email about the next steps within 3-4 business days.

If your application is received after the class is full, you will be placed on a waiting list and offered the first available place in the next cycle. Please note that this program is not for everyone. I reserve the right to decline applications based on my professional judgment. 

“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.”

—Soren Kierkegaard