Compassion-Based · Online (Netherlands)
MBCL (Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living) foundation course and teacher training. Extension layered onto MBSR/MBCT for practitioners integrating compassion. Online (Netherlands-led).
MBCL International Teacher Training is the online teacher pathway for Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL), an extension protocol developed by Erik van den Brink and Frits Koster in the Netherlands as compassion-focused training that layers onto MBSR or MBCT. MBCL isn't a standalone eight-week protocol replacing MBSR or MBCT; it's a follow-on course for practitioners who've completed MBSR or MBCT and want to deepen into compassion practice specifically. The protocol combines the brahmaviharas (loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity) with contemporary compassion-focused therapy frameworks (Paul Gilbert's CFT, Kristin Neff's self-compassion work) and Tibetan Buddhist compassion practices. The course is structured as an eight-session program that builds explicitly on MBSR or MBCT foundation; teachers of MBCL teach this specific protocol rather than replacing MBSR or MBCT teaching with it. What the teacher training delivers: foundational MBCL participant experience (taken as participants before teacher training); teacher development training covering the MBCL curriculum from the teacher's seat; supervised practicum teaching MBCL with sessions reviewed by faculty; ongoing supervision; and integration with the broader MBSR or MBCT teaching practice graduates already have. Delivery is online from the Netherlands with international participation across Europe and beyond. For MBSR or MBCT teachers wanting to add specialized compassion-focused teaching to their practice, MBCL International Teacher Training is the established route. Graduates leave qualified to teach MBCL alongside their existing MBSR or MBCT teaching. The credential isn't a replacement for primary MBSR or MBCT teacher certification; it's a specialist extension. The Netherlands lineage and the European mindfulness teacher community connections matter for the credential's working weight.
The teacher training covers MBCL teacher development across foundational, teacher development, practicum, and supervision stages. Teacher development covers the MBCL curriculum session by session: introduction to compassion theory and the brahmaviharas, self-compassion practices, compassion for others, working with difficult emotions and self-criticism, the integration of CFT (compassion-focused therapy) frameworks, and the closing session work that consolidates compassion practice for ongoing personal and teaching application. Reading draws on van den Brink and Koster's MBCL source texts, Paul Gilbert's CFT literature, Kristin Neff's self-compassion research, and the broader Buddhist compassion-practice literature. Supervised practicum has candidates teach MBCL with sessions reviewed by faculty for fidelity and inquiry quality.
Delivery is online from the Netherlands across multiple months, with live cohort sessions and recorded content combining. International participants attend from across Europe and beyond. Cohort sizes are kept manageable for direct faculty response on practice teaching. Recording teaching sessions and submitting them for supervision is hard-required. The online format makes the program accessible without travel to the Netherlands. Students typically already have MBSR or MBCT teacher backgrounds; the program builds on that foundation.
Graduates receive MBCL International Teacher Training certification, recognized within the European mindfulness teacher community as the specialist credential for teaching MBCL. They're qualified to teach the MBCL course alongside their existing MBSR or MBCT teaching practice. The credential isn't a replacement for primary MBSR or MBCT teacher certification; it's a specialist extension. Common post-graduation paths include adding MBCL teaching to existing MBSR or MBCT practice, leading compassion-focused workshops and retreats, and contributing to the broader European MBCL teacher community.
Prior MBSR or MBCT teacher training is the standard prerequisite, since MBCL builds explicitly on MBSR or MBCT foundation. Completion of MBCL as a participant before MBCL teacher training is required; the protocol's tradition insists teachers have moved through the course as participants before teaching it. An established personal mindfulness and compassion practice is expected. English fluency is required since international cohort instruction is in English.
Among compassion-focused mindfulness teacher training routes, MBCL sits alongside MSC (Mindful Self-Compassion teacher training developed by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer) as the two main protocol-specific compassion teacher pathways. Compared to MSC, MBCL builds more directly on MBSR/MBCT foundation and integrates CFT alongside the brahmaviharas; MSC is more standalone. Compared to non-protocol compassion training (CCARE's CCT teacher training, broader Buddhist compassion practice), MBCL is a defined eight-session protocol with a structured teacher pathway.
| Location | Online (Netherlands) |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Tradition | Compassion-Based |
| Format | Online |
| Duration | Multi-month |