Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Online Class
8-week online course
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an eight-week program that introduces mindfulness practices in the form of sitting meditation, body awareness, and mindful movement, modeled by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD.
This program can help if stress is having a negative impact on your life, if you are experiencing chronic physical or mental distress, or if you are simply interested in learning ways to maintain health and well-being. Over 6,000 research papers have published findings on the benefits of practicing MBSR including decreased anxiety, depression, pain, and distress, and increased attention, concentration, performance, and quality of life. Recent studies have found that an 8-week MBSR course had comparable effectiveness to a first-line medication for patients with anxiety disorders (JAMA, 2022)
Course Details
Each MBSR course includes:
- An orientation
- A 30-minute private interview with the instructor before the first class,
- 8 weekly sessions
- One daylong retreat on a Saturday or Sunday
A unique and essential aspect of the UCSF Osher Center MBSR program is a thirty-minute private interview with the instructor before the first class. This is an opportunity to ask questions about the program’s suitability for any personal circumstances. One may also provide information about their health, challenges, and aspirations that one would like the instructor to know so that they can best support one’s well-being.
The orientation session consists of meeting the instructor and participants, an introduction to what participation in the class entails, history and research on the MBSR model, and instruction and practice of mindfulness techniques.
2026 Schedule:
January-March Monday Afternoons, 2:45-5:15 pm PT
- Orientation: January 5
- Class Dates: January 12–March 2 (*No Class on Monday, January 19th due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday, class will be held on January 20th instead; and no class on Monday, February 16th due to the Presidents Day Holiday, class will be held on February 17th instead)
- Retreat: Saturday, February 21
- Instructor: Bonnie O'Brien Jonsson
- Registration is closed
January-March Wednesday Evenings, 6:30-9:00 pm PT
- Orientation: January 7
- Class Dates: January 21-March 11
- Retreat: Sunday, March 1
- Instructor: James Mitchell
- Registration is closed
February-April Tuesday Evenings, 6:00-8:30 pm PT
- Orientation: February 10
- Class Dates: February 17-April 7
- Retreat: Saturday, April 4
- Instructor: Nichole Proffitt
- Registration is open
March-May Monday Evenings, 6:00-8:30 pm PT
- Orientation: March 16
- Class Dates: March 23–May 11
- Retreat: Saturday, May 2
- Instructor: Bonnie O’Brien Jonsson
- Registration is open
April-June Wednesday Evenings, 6:30-9:00 pm PT
- Orientation: April 1
- Class Dates: April 15–June 3
- Retreat: Sunday, May 24
- Instructor: James Mitchell
- Registration is open
May-July Monday Afternoons, 2:45-5:15 pm PT
- Orientation: May 4
- Class Dates: May 18–July 7 (*No Class on Monday, May 25th due to the Memorial Day Holiday, class will be held on May 26th instead; and no class on Monday, July 6th, class will be held on July 7th instead)
- Retreat: Saturday, June 27
- Instructor: Bonnie O'Brien Jonsson
- Registration is open
June-July Tuesday Evenings, 6:00-8:30 pm PT
- Orientation: June 2
- Class Dates: June 9–July 28
- Retreat: Saturday, July 18
- Instructor: Nichole Proffitt
- Registration opens March 1, 2026
June-August Wednesday Evenings, 6:30-9:00 pm PT
- Orientation: June 24
- Class Dates: July 8–August 26
- Retreat: Sunday, August 16
- Instructor: James Mitchell
- Registration opens March 1, 2026
This eight-week class costs $395. Full Refunds are available up to 72 hours before Class 1 begins. Please review our refund policy for more details.
Discounts are available for University of California (UC) faculty, staff, students, UC retirees, and UCSF MBSR Alumni. UCSF Osher Center MBSR program alumni are eligible for a $35 discount when you sign up for a new class. To receive the discount, please email [email protected] with your request and the MBSR class you are interested in.
Free for individuals who qualify for the Community Care Fund (https://osher.ucsf.edu/CCF).
Given the limited availability of our administrator, we kindly ask you to reference the FAQ page to see if your question is answered before contacting [email protected] or 415-353-7718.
Thank you for your understanding.
