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Chicago Integrative Psychotherapy

Chicago Integrative Psychotherapy
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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in Chicago

An 8-week evidence-based mindfulness program in Andersonville, Chicago

What Is MBSR?

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a structured 8-week course developed in 1979 by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Over four decades and hundreds of clinical studies, it has become one of the most well-researched mindfulness programs in the world.

MBSR is not therapy. It is a skills-based training in attention and awareness, a way of meeting your life with greater clarity, steadiness, and compassion. Over eight weeks, you will develop practices drawn from mindfulness meditation, gentle body movement, and group inquiry that can fundamentally change how you relate to stress, pain, difficult emotions, and the ordinary moments of daily life.

At Chicago Integrative Psychotherapy, we offer MBSR right here in the Andersonville neighborhood, bringing this powerful program to Chicago’s North Side community.

Is MBSR Right for you?

MBSR is for anyone who feels the weight of stress — from work, relationships, health, caregiving, loss, or simply the pace of modern life. You do not need meditation experience. You do not need to be in therapy. You only need curiosity and a willingness to show up.

MBSR may be especially helpful if you are experiencing:

  •  Chronic stress, burnout, or feeling constantly overwhelmed
  •  Anxiety, worry, or difficulty quieting a racing mind
  •  Depression or low mood
  •  Chronic pain or a health condition affecting quality of life
  •  Difficulty sleeping
  •  Emotional reactivity feeling quick to anger, shut down, or spiral
  •  A major life transition and a desire to navigate it with more presence
  •  A wish to develop a sustainable, evidence-based mindfulness practice

Program Structure

MBSR is an immersive 8-week program that combines weekly group sessions with daily home practice. It requires genuine commitment — and participants who engage fully consistently report the most meaningful results.

Format

Weekly group sessions + one full-day silent retreat

Session Length

2.5 hours per weekly session

Weekly Sessions

8 weeks

Retreat Day

One full day of mindfulness practice (approximately 6 hours)

Home Practice

~45 minutes per day using guided audio recordings provided

Group Size

Small group — intimate and supportive

Location

Chicago Integrative Psychotherapy, 5537 N Clark St, 2nd Floor, Andersonville, Chicago, IL 60640

Register

Please contact laura@chicagointegrativepsychotherapy.com

Research Backed Benefits

MBSR has been studied extensively in peer-reviewed research. Clinical trials and meta-analyses consistently show that participants who complete the program report:

  •  Significant reductions in perceived stress and anxiety
  •  Decreased symptoms of depression and improved mood
  •  Reduced chronic pain levels and improved ability to cope with pain
  •  Better sleep quality
  •  Improved immune function
  •  Greater emotional regulation and reduced reactivity
  •  Increased sense of meaning, purpose, and overall well-being
  •  Long-term benefits that persist after the program ends

Meet your Instructor

Laura Pearlman is a licensed therapist and mindfulness practitioner with a deep personal and clinical commitment to mindfulness-based care. As part of her therapeutic practice, Laura holds a special interest in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) two of the most rigorously researched mindfulness interventions available.

Laura’s approach is rooted in curiosity, warmth, and pragmatism. She believes that internal discomfort whether stress, anxiety, or a sense of being stuck is not a sign that something is wrong, but an invitation to listen more closely to the wisdom of the body and mind. Her work integrates mindfulness with psychoanalytic exploration and somatic awareness, helping participants develop a richer, more grounded relationship with their own experience.

In the MBSR program, Laura brings both her clinical training and her own lived mindfulness practice. Her facilitation style is gentle and spacious creating conditions in which participants feel safe to explore, question, and grow at their own pace.

Learn more about Laura: chicagointegrativepsychotherapy.com/laura-ansal-pearlman/