Sponsor: The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhism and Contemporary Society
Mindfulness means “Paying attention in a particular way: On purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” (Kabat-Zinn). The field of mindfulness-based interventions for adolescents is currently exploding. Emerging mindfulness-based interventions for youth are showing significant promise in helping adolescents to cope with adversity, improve health, and promote resilience and positive youth development. In this interactive presentation, Dr. Vo will discuss the background, science, and practice of mindfulness-based interventions with adolescents. He will also discuss current controversies around “Buddhist” vs. “secular” mindfulness with adolescents in educational and health care settings.
Dr. Vo’s lecture will be followed by a book signing (The Mindful Teen: Powerful Skills to Help You Handle Stress One Moment at a Time), tea, and snacks. Then at 7 pm, Professor Mark Unno (University of Oregon) will join Dr. Vo for a more informal panel discussion moderated by Dr. Carole Christensen, Professor Emerita of UBC’s School of Social Work.
Dzung X. Vo, MD, FAAP, is a pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine at British Columbia Children’s Hospital, and clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, Canada. His medical practice, teaching, and research emphasize promoting resilience in young people to help them thrive in the face of stress and adversity. He co-developed (with Dr. Jake Locke at BC Children’s Hospital) a mindfulness training program called MARS-A, or Mindful Awareness and Resilience Skills for Adolescents. MARS-A is a developmentally appropriate adaptation of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), for youth with chronic stress, chronic pain, depression, and anxiety. Dr. Vo is the author of The Mindful Teen: Powerful Skills to Help You Handle Stress One Moment at a Time (New Harbinger, 2015). Dr. Vo also serves on the Board of Directors for the BC Association for Living Mindfully (BCALM) and the Mindfulness in Education Network (MiEN).
Dr. Vo has been practicing mindfulness regularly since 1999, and has experienced the transformational power of mindfulness practice firsthand. All trees have roots, and Dr. Vo’s root mindfulness teacher is the Vietnamese Zen Master, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and author, Thich Nhat Hanh. Dr. Vo has also been deeply inspired by the pioneers of the mindfulness movement in the West, including Jon Kabat-Zinn, Jack Kornfield, Zindel Segal, Daniel Siegel, and many others. Dr. Vo hopes to share the benefits of mindfulness to diverse youth in a universal, secular way that is appropriate for anyone, of any religion, or no religion at all.
