MBSR Group Therapy | Virtual in Illinois

What is MBSR?

Your Space to Slow Down & Take a Beat

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an evidence-based program that uses guided meditation, breathwork, and mindful awareness to help reduce stress and improve emotional well-being.

Rooted in the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, MBSR teaches you how to slow down, stay present, and respond more calmly to difficult thoughts, feelings, and situations. In this 8-week group, you’ll learn and practice these skills in real time, building tools you can carry with you long after the program ends.

No special tools required. Just show up as you are.

Reach out

Who is MBSR for?

The overthinkers, the over-doers, and everyone lost in the noise of “too much.” No meditation experience required, and skeptics are very welcome.

Mild to moderate anxiety
Depression or low mood
Everyday life stress
Chronic overthinkers
Burnout
Life transitions
Mindfulness beginners
App dropouts
Adults across Illinois

What does MBSR help with?

Skills that work in the moment and in everyday life.

Reducing stress & anxietyCalm your nervous system and respond, not react, to stressful moments.
Improving mood & emotional balanceSteadier emotions, greater clarity, and a stronger sense of well-being.
Strengthening daily coping skillsStrategies you can use beyond the group to handle challenges with confidence.
Increasing mind–body awarenessSee how thoughts, emotions, and sensations connect so you feel more grounded.

How does MBSR work?

Each session introduces a new practice. You’ll try it together, talk through what came up, and take a short exercise home for the week ahead. Think of it like a gym for your attention: small, repeated reps that retrain how you meet stress, so calm becomes something you can find on purpose instead of by accident.

Body scan

Yoga

Breath awareness

Group dialogue & discussion

Interventions

Stress reduction techniques

Daily homework

Meet your MBSR group therapist

Dr. Kelsey Mullen, PsyD | She/Her/Hers

Dr. Kelsey Mullen is a clinical psychologist specializing in health psychology. She’s provided therapy for trauma, anxiety and depression, major life transitions, and health concerns that affect mental well-being in both VA hospitals and community health settings.

She uses structured, evidence-based approaches, including CBT for chronic pain, sleep, depression, and anxiety, alongside holistic, values-based care. A Navy veteran, Kelsey has a special interest in supporting veterans and service members.

Life transitions
Chronic pain
Sleep
Anxiety
Depression
PTSD
ACT
LGBTQIA+ affirming

TLDR:“A journey begins with a single step.”

Meet Dr. Mullen

Not just good vibes. Actual research.

MBSR is one of the most studied mindfulness programs in the world. Here’s what the peer-reviewed research shows.

~30%

drop in clinician-rated anxiety severity after 8 weeks of MBSR, a result statistically on par with the first-line medication escitalopram (Lexapro).

Hoge et al., JAMA Psychiatry, 2023. View study

29

studies (2,668 people) found MBSR had large effects on stress and moderate effects on anxiety and depression, with results holding about 19 weeks later.

Khoury et al., Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 2015. View study

47

randomized trials (3,515 people) showed mindfulness programs improve depression, with an effect similar in size to what’s seen with antidepressants.

Goyal et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2014. View study

Frequently asked questions

Still on the fence? A quick call with our team will help you figure out if the group is a fit. No pressure, no judgment.

Get started

No. This group is designed for beginners and anyone open to learning mindfulness tools.

Participants are asked to join each of the 8 sessions live, try the guided practices, and complete brief at-home exercises to reinforce the skills.

If you experience mild to moderate anxiety, depression, or stress and are open to structured mindfulness practice, you’re likely a strong fit.

You may not be eligible for the group if you’re currently dealing with active mania, active suicidal or homicidal ideation, or a history of inappropriate boundary-crossing.

A short phone call with the facilitator will confirm your eligibility.

Just a stable internet connection, a quiet space, and a device with video and audio capability.

The rate for this group is $50 per session.

The MBSR group consists of eight 60-minute sessions.