At InterStrength, we are dedicated to helping you deeply understanding yourself and others to consciously navigate this rapidly changing and uncertain world. We seek to provide  information, frameworks, practices, and experiences so we can all empower ourselves, and others, to feel whole, complete and understood. 

In today's stressful times, we need more than mental frameworks to help us restore our equilibrium and manage our stress. Meditation is one of the tried and true methods that can help us. It also can help us increase our self-awareness as we deeply explore who we are at our core.

In every discipline and for every facilitator, teacher, or coach a way to de-stress is needed.  A practitioner's' ability to remain calm and access a better knowledge of self increases her/his ability to train and to help others in any realm and especially when increased self—knowledge is the goal.

We have partnered with Dr. Kathleen Nader to create a course that will give you the opportunity to develop the skill and habit of meditation. It will also help you discover the style of mediation that is best suited for you so you are more likely to sustain your practice and reap the benefits.   

Benefits of Meditation

Meditations have proven to reduce stress and to increase awareness. In addition to stress reduction and self-realization, meditation has been linked to a wide variety of benefits:

Physical: better health and improved sleep

Neurobiological: positive brain changes

Mental: better attention,  mental discipline, and calmness

Emotional: better self-skills such as perspective taking and improved emotion regulation

Spiritual: finding your true core self

Course Outcomes 

Self-Awareness

In addition to being refreshed/taught good meditation habits, participants will learn which sensory mode works best for them in meditation. An important self-discovery practice reveals the best personal way to meditate to suit one’s own natures. A variety of meditation practices can help to remove obstacles to finding the true or core self.

Dealing with Thoughts 

Methods are provided that help to deal with intrusive thoughts or memories, during meditation. Two different mindfulness techniques help participants to live in the here and now. There will also be methods to assist finding answers and problem solving. 

Practices 

A variety of meditation practices will be taught, including mindfulness and other techniques. There are methods from different paths and faiths (Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish), sound meditations, visual meditations, and energy and movement meditations. Some of the latter are believed to assist brain stem repair after traumas.

Course Outline

Session 1: Remembering Good Meditation Habits and Finding the Primary Sense

  • Uses and benefits of meditation
  • Finding your sensory mode for meditation
  • Important things to know about meditation

Session 2: Dealing with the Mind and Memories in Meditation

  • The Mind and Meditation
  • Thoughts in meditation
  • Mindfulness techniques
  • Self-discovery technique
  • Expansion techniques

Session 3: Sound

  • Sound practices—Amen or Aum and mantras
  • Buddhist mantra/prayer
  • Christian mantra/prayer
  • Hindu mantra/prayer
  • Islamic prayer/mantra
  • Jewish prayer/mantra

Session 4: Moving Energy

  • The meaning of energy
    (e.g., physics; acupuncture/acupressure; meditation)
  • Feeling energy
  • Moving energy
  • Sphere of Light Practice 1

Session 5: Problem Solving Through Meditation

  • Grounding practices
  • Problem solving
  • Listening for Answers
  • Heart Practice

Session 6: Body Movement

  • Meditative or healing motion
  • Hand Dance (temple dancing)
  • Drum practice for brain stem repair


The price of the course has been reduced, because you will be asked to fill out questionnaires before starting class and again at the end of the 5th week of class. Information provided will be completely confidential, and the provider’s name will only be available to Dr. Nader. 

To get the expected results from the course you will...

  1. Meditate twice per day for at least 15 minutes per time, using techniques taught in class. (New meditators may take the first week to build their time to 15 minutes.) 
  2. There will be occasional additional practices that may assist meditation and awareness.
  3. After each course session, you will receive support for the week's practice in the course lessons.
  4. There also are brief questions to answer at the end of each of the first 5 classes. These questionnaires will help us to learn how meditation affected different participants and whether or not personality/type/style was a factor in best practices and to outcomes. 

About the instructor

Adjunct Instructor Kathleen Nader

As a former co-director of the UCLA Trauma, Violence, and Sudden Bereavement Program, and as a private clinician and consultant, Dr. Kathleen Nader is known for her national and international consultations, training, and specialized interventions for traumatized children and communities. Her work has included school training and intervention programs following shootings, bombings, disasters, accidents, unexpected deaths, and war or terrorism. Dr. Nader has written and co-authored books, journal articles, assessment scales, and videotapes regarding youth trauma, treatment, and school interventions. Her peer reviewed books include Honoring Differences: Cultural Issues in the Treatment of Trauma and Loss (1999), Understanding and Assessing Trauma in Children and Adolescents: Measures, Methods, and Youth in Context (2008), School Rampage Shootings and Other Youth Disturbances (2012), Assessment of Trauma in Youths (2014), and the Handbook of Trauma, Traumatic Loss, and Adversity in Children (2020). The Handbook discusses numerous topics from across disciplines (e.g., age-specific maladies; attachment; development, meditation, neurobiology, other treatments).            Dr. Nader has studied and practiced meditation for more than 45 years. Her studies have included a number of different paths and methods (e.g., meditations and practices from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism). Her study of acupressure (a precursor to acupuncture) has provided additional understanding of the body’s energy patterns.

Course Curriculum

    1. Important Agreements

    1. Meditation Survey

    2. DASS Survey

    1. Live Session Details

    2. Help with Zoom

    3. Navigating Inside Zoom Meetings

    4. Participating in Live Sessions

    1. Video to watch....Why Meditation? Why Here? Why Now?

    2. Handout: Benefits of Meditation

    1. Session 1 Recording: If you missed the session, please watch before you start the homework

    2. End of Session 1 Survey to complete

    3. Homework: Meditations—Week 1

    4. Rose Meditation Image (view and download)

    5. Homework: Discovery Practices—Find Your Personal Rhythm

    6. For Session 2: Bring a scent to class

    1. Session 2 Recording: If you missed the session, please watch before you start the homework

    2. End of Session 2 Survey to complete

    3. Session 2 Meditation Homework

    4. A Simple Mindfulness Technique

    5. OPTIONAL Practice after Session 2

    6. Listening Practice

About this course

  • $279.00
  • 55 lessons
  • 0 hours of video content

Regular fee is $279. Sign up here for the deeply discounted research participation fee of $97.

Sign up now!