• About NeuroNova Centre

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    NeuroNova Centre for Mindful Solutions Inc. (NNC) was established in 2010 to offer professional trainings in Mindfulness-Based Chronic Pain Management (MBCPM™).

    This work evolved from the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn to further customize it for those living with chronic pain, a process that started in 2002 at St Michael’s Hospital’s pain clinic, Toronto, and incorporated Sunnybrook Health Science’s Centre’s pain clinic and telemedicine service from 2003. The trauma-sensitive, trauma-informed MBCPM™ detailed curriculum is available to professionals who train to facilitate the courses for patients.

    NNC collaborates with University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies (UTSCS) to: (1) offer the patient/client course to professionals (the MBCPMTM Practical Training), and (2) offer training and mentorship to those who plan to facilitate the course – Curriculum Training Intensive and Curriculum Implementation and Development.

    Facilitators, after training, may also run an MBCPM™ Advanced Review (revision) course for alumni of the MBCPM™, exploring the course curriculum at a deeper level, with an Advanced Review workbook.

    In addition, they may offer a parallel Mindfulness-Based Chronic Stress Management course with its own workbook and formal practices.

    NeuroNova Centre also offers Masterclasses in formal practice delivery and inquiry for facilitators trained in MBCPM™ or other Mindfulness traditions.

    ABOUT MBCPM™

    Mindfulness-Based Chronic Pain Management (MBCPM™) is a program developed in Toronto, Canada by Dr. Jackie Gardner-Nix, a physician and University of Toronto Associate Professor, who has worked as a chronic pain consultant for many years at University of Toronto pain clinics, including at St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto. She also ran it from telemedicine locations, initially from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre into other health facilities throughout Ontario via the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN). The MBCPM™ program, both onsite and online, has helped thousands of chronic pain sufferers since 2002.

    EVOLUTION

    Based on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) originated by Jon Kabat-Zinn, in the USA several decades ago, it has been developed into a Trauma-Sensitive and Trauma-Informed and researched mindfulness-based pain management program, customized to the needs of those dealing with chronic pain, and recognizing the prevalence of trauma in the chronic pain population.

    PAIN CONDITIONS

    Typical conditions of referred patient-participants include low back pain, fibromyalgia, migraines, arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and many others and include mental health disorders. The MBCPM™ program is offered in addition to what is conventionally offered for chronic pain management, not “instead of,” though many have found that it has reduced, prevented, and in some cases eliminated their need for medications and procedures.

    COURSE MATERIALS

    The MBCPM™ program is described in the book “The Mindfulness Solution to Pain” available from NNC, bookstores, and major bookseller websites. Well-respected pain specialists have endorsed the book, recognizing its potential for enhancing pain management for many conditions. Customized guided meditations for the MBCPM™ program are available as downloads through NNC’s website and include a popular sleep meditation. NNC publishes and distributes the patient course materials. A workbook and meditation downloads for the pain course are also available in French.

    RESEARCH

    Research has demonstrated that the “off site” participants (via telemedicine or Zoom) benefit almost as much as the “on site” participants on measures that include pain catastrophizing, mental health, suffering, and pain scores.

    MBCSM

    Mindfulness-Based Chronic Stress Management (MBCSM), modeled on the pain course is, therefore, also trauma-sensitive and trauma-informed and has been introduced with its own workbook and meditations for clinical populations, as well as for corporate use for staff.

    Our Professional Training Instructors

    Taught through the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies (UTSCS)

    Online programs available worldwide via Zoom

    Dr. Jackie Gardner-Nix, MBBS, PhD, MRCP(UK)

    Dr. Jackie Gardner-Nix, MBBS, PhD, MRCP(UK)

    NNC Faculty Instructor, UTSCS Dr. Gardner-Nix was a Chronic Pain Consulting Physician, Department of Anaesthesia, Pain Clinic, St Michael’s Hospital until 2018, and is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Anaesthesia, University of Toronto. She is also on courtesy staff at Northumberland Hills Hospital, Cobourg. She trained in the renowned Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based […]
    Dr. Allen Steverman, M.D.

    Dr. Allen Steverman, M.D.

    NNC Faculty Instructor, UTSCS Allen is a physician with a focused practice in chronic pain and a particular interest in mindfulness-based approaches to chronic pain management. He is an attending physician at the Pain clinic of the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal as well as at the Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital, an assistant professor in […]
    Angie Kingma, OT Reg. (Ont.), RP

    Angie Kingma, OT Reg. (Ont.), RP

    NNC Faculty Instructor, UTSCS Angie is a Registered Psychotherapist and Occupational Therapist who has two decades of experience in a variety of mental health settings. She has developed a passion and expertise in mindfulness-based interventions including MBCPM™ and her skills are well respected in the mindfulness community. Her priority is therapeutic rapport ensuring compassion, kindness […]
    Grace Bezaire, B.A.

    Grace Bezaire, B.A.

    NNC Faculty Instructor, UTSCS Grace has lived experience of chronic disease and pain (colitis, migraines) who benefited enormously from mindfulness practice after taking Dr. Lucinda Sykes training in Toronto in 2009. She has a degree in anthropology from the University of Toronto. She was one of the earliest facilitators trained in delivering the MBCPMTM programme […]