MED 405

MEDITATION STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE STRESS MANAGEMENT

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COURSE INFORMATION

This online course provides a comprehensive review of the physiology and psychology of stress and stress responses and reactions. Students review a comprehensive program template from one facility's developed stress management program. Students' then explore the concept and practice of "mindfulness" meditation, including scientific research of effectiveness, and how to implement teaching of mindfulness meditation into their consulting practice. Case studies are reviewed and facilitate understanding and effectiveness of "mindfulness" as a highly effective modality in stress management. Upon successful completion of this course, students earn 50 hours of continuing education contact hours toward recertification. Course Code: MED 405

This course is particularly designed for those who would like to apply for Re-Certification as a Certified Stress Management Consultant by the American Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc.

Instructor/Course Author: Dominick L. Flarey, Ph.D, RN,BC, CH-C

Link to Resume

TEXTBOOKS: There is one (1) required textbook for this course.

Full Catastrophe Living. By: Jon-Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D Fifteenth Edition. New York;Bantam Dell Publishers:2005. ISBN# 0-385-30312-2

Link to Purchase on Amazon.com: click here

TIME FRAME: You are allotted two years from the date of enrollment, to complete this course. There are no set time-frames, other than the two year allotted time.

BOARD APPROVALS: The American Institute of Health Care Professionals (The Provider) is approved by the California Board of Registered Nurses, Provider number # CEP 15595 for 50 Contact Hours. Access information

Course Refund & AIHCP Policies: access here

Online Classroom Resouces and Tools

* Examination Access: there is link to take you right to the online examination program where you can print out your examination and work with it. All examinations are formatted as "open book" tests. When you are ready, you can access the exam program at anytime and click in your responses to the questions. Full information is provided in the online classrooms.

* Student Resource Center: there is a link for access to a web page "Student Resource Center." The Resource Center provides for easy access to all of our policies/procedures and additional information regarding applying for certification. We also have many links to many outside reference sites, such as online libraries that you may freely access.

* Online Evaluation: there is a link in the classroom where you may access the course evaluation. All students completing a course, must, without exception, complete the course evaluation.

* Faculty Access Information: you will have access to your instructor's online resume/biography, as well as your instructor's specific contact information.

* Additional Learning Materials: some faculty have prepared additional "readings" and /or brief lecture notes to enhance your experience. All of these are available in the online classrooms.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

1. Define and discuss the concept of "mindfulness."
2. Discuss common issues related to the practice of mindfulness.
3. Discuss the concept of establishing a stress clinic and its potential benefits to clients.
4. Define and discuss the concept of being present in all waking moments.
5. Discuss the foundations of mindfulness practice.
6. Discuss the many attitudes and issues related to commitment for the practice of meditation.
7. Define and discuss the concepts of commitment, self-discipline and intentionality.
8. Understand the power of breathing.
9. Discuss the physiology of breathing.
10. Defying and discuss the concept of diaphragmatic breathing.
11. Discuss how to teach clients to be mindful of their breathing and incorporate this into meditation practice.
12. Define and discuss the concept of "sitting meditation."
13. Defining discuss how you would teach a client to practice sitting meditation.
14. Discuss how you would teach clients to work with their thoughts during meditation.
15. Defining discuss other objects of attention in sitting meditation.
16. Defining discuss five exercises that can be used in sitting meditation.
17. Understand and discuss the body scan technique.
18. Identifies ways in which the body scan meditation technique may be used.
19. Understand "Yoga" as a meditation practice.
20. Define and discuss the concept of "Walking Meditation."
21. Identify and discuss issues related to mindfulness in one's daily life.
22. Define and discuss the concepts of wholeness and interconnectedness.
23. Discuss the many issues related to healing and the use of meditation practice.
24. Identify and discuss the practice of "loving kindness" meditation.
25. Discuss the biopsychosocial model and its applicability to stress management.
26. Define and discuss the research related to the use of laughter in stress management and healing.
27. Discuss the role of emotions in health care.
28. Identify and discuss common psychological illnesses and their applicability to meditative practice.
29. Discuss social influences on general health.
30. Define and discuss the concepts of the general adaptation syndrome as related to stress.
31. Identify and discuss major issues related to "change" and how stress management techniques are applicable.
32. Defining discuss the "Stress-Reaction Cycle."
33. Defining discuss all aspects of "Stress Reactivity."
34. Defining discuss the concept of responding to stress instead of reacting to stress.
35. Discuss ways that you can teach clients to work with their stress related symptoms.
36. Defining discuss ways that you can work with clients who are experiencing physical pain.
37. Identifying how mindfulness meditation is used in clients experiencing chronic pain.
38. Discuss the concepts of "problem-focused coping" and "in motion-focused coping."
39. Define and discuss ways to work with clients experiencing fear, panic, and anxiety.
40. Understand issues related to time management and stress.
41. Discuss issues related to sleep and sleep "stress."
42. Discuss issues related to relationship stress.
43. Define and discuss major issues related to "work" stress.
44. Define what is meant by food stress and discuss major issues related to this.
45. Define "world's stress" and understand its impact on clients.
46. Discuss resources for clients undergoing stress management and meditation instruction.

COURSE CONTENT:

A brief abstract of content:

1. Mind/body and integrative medicine
2. Stress, pain and illness
3. Implementation of a stress management clinic
4. The practice of mindfulness meditation
5. Meditative practice in stress management strategies
6. Attitudes related to meditation practice.
7. Commitment, self-discipline, and intentionality
8. The power of breathing
9. The use of breathing in healing
10. The physiology and pathophysiology of breathing
11. Diaphragmatic breathing
12. Sitting meditation
13. Working with thoughts in meditation
14. Objects of attention in sitting meditation and simple exercises
15. The Body-Scan Technique
16. Yoga as a meditation practice
17. Yoga postures used in meditation
18. Case studies in the stress clinic related to mindfulness practice
20. Behavioral medicine and meditation
21. Wholeness and connectedness
22. Psychoneuroimmunology
23. Healing the body with meditation
24. Loving kindness meditation
25. Biopsychosocial model of health and wellness
26. Beliefs, attitudes thoughts and emotions causing wellness or harm
27. Personality studies in stress
28. Social influences on health
29. Self - regulatory functions in the nervous system
30. Theories and concepts of stress
31. Change, change management and meditation practice
32. The stress-reaction cycle and stress reactivity
33. Chronic stress and Maladaptation
34. Responding to stress
35. Applications related to stress management and mindfulness meditation
36. Working with symptoms and listening to the body
37. Working with physical pain
38. Pain outcomes in a stress clinic
39. Mindfulness meditation and chronic pain
40. Working with emotional pain
41. Problem and emotions focused coping
42. Working with fear, panic, and anxiety
43. The use of mindfulness in treating anxiety and panic
44. Time and time stress
45. Sleep and sleep stress
46. People's stress
47. Role stress and work stress
48. Food stress and world stress
49. The way of awareness
50. Methods to keep up with formal practice of meditation