Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness | Dr. David Treleaven

In this episode I sat down with acclaimed author, trauma expert, leadership coach, and renowned mindfulness teacher, Dr. David Treleaven. This wide-ranging conversation included a variety of topics related to his recent book Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness including: 

• David's experiences and challenges with meditation
• Why David is so passionate about looking at mindfulness from a trauma-informed perspective
• The dangers of viewing mindfulness as a panacea and why mindfulness is not always beneficial
• Ways to engage in meditation and mindfulness practice that maximize the benefits while minimizing potential downsides
• What trauma is, and why David believes that a greater understanding of trauma can make the benefits of mindfulness even more powerful 
• Ways to stay engaged and present in difficult conversations
• How organizations and leaders can build more positive and inclusive cultures 
• Practical strategies to stay grounded when triggered or overwhelmed

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Thanks for listening!

David's Background:


David Treleaven, PhD, is an acclaimed author, educator, and trauma professional whose work focuses on the intersection of mindfulness and trauma. Utilizing contemporary research to inform best practices, David has offered workshops on trauma-sensitive mindfulness at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, as well as keynote speeches at the Omega Institute in New York and the Institute for Mindfulness in South Africa in Johannesburg. Trained in counseling psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, he received his doctorate in psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and is currently a visiting scholar at Brown University. You can find out more about David, his teachings, and his book Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness at www.davidtreleaven.com