We have provided mindfulness and mental resiliency programming for over 1,500 individuals across the globe in more than 30 different companies and non-profit organizations.
44% of employees are looking for a new job in what is being called "the great resignation" while stress has been called the health epidemic of the 21st century, costing American businesses up to $500 billion a year.
Invest in a strategy proven to improve employee satisfaction, productivity, and resiliency to retain your top talent. With our evidence-based, science-backed approach, we've helped global companies in Cincinnati and beyond improve outcomes.
Customizable evidence-based programs that work
Our workplace mindfulness and resiliency programs are completely customizable to your needs and desired outcomes. We partner with you to customize, implement, and evaluate a completely done-for-you mindfulness program. Expected outcomes include:
Enhanced cognitive capacity including focus and task management
Improved stress management and coping skills
Increased productivity and focus
Increased resiliency and overall well-being
Improved work/life balance
Improved teamwork and workplace culture
Decreased healthcare costs
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Sample Practices
Try these evidence-based, approachable techniques to keep steady and calm.
After completion of one of our mindfulness programs, participants reported:
100% Decreased Stress
From a case study of a team of 47 local attorneys. Decreased stress in the workplace is associated with decreased absenteeism, turnover, performance, and morale, as well as improved well-being.
80% Improved Relationships
From a case study with 96 associates from a team within Procter & Gamble. Disconnection at work is reported as the number one reason people are currently leaving their jobs.
100% Recommend our Program
From a team of 45 at the Cincinnati Regional Chamber of Commerce. Invest in connection and strategy proven to improve employee satisfaction to retain your top talent resulting in a healthier, happier workplace.
Trusted in Cincinnati and beyond
“ArtsWave received many appreciative comments about the Mindfulness series we sponsored for the Cincinnati region’s arts organizations. The sessions gave staff members valuable information about how to cope with the stresses of the pandemic and how to operate in times of uncertainty. Having a healthy arts sector depends on healthy arts professionals, and this was another way we could show support during a challenging year.”
“By participating in an 8-Week Mindfulness workshop, I was able to learn techniques to practice that help me be the best leader I can be for my team. I was even able to engage my 5-year old son in practice techniques I had learned to help him."
-Kimberly Mapp, Family Care PS Eng Senior Director, Digital Solutions, Mfg Automation, & Systems, P&G Family Care
We work with industry leaders and global organizations who trust us to transform their workplace culture including:
Cincinnati Bar Association
Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati Regional Chamber of Commerce
Cleveland Browns
Cincinnati Zoo
Coldwell Banker
General Electric Aerospace
Greater Cincinnati Foundation
Greenacres Foundation
Kilgour Elementary School
Main Street Ventures
Motz Corp.
Procter & Gamble Family Care Engineering and Legal Departments
This one-hour session is designed to either stand alone as part of a Workplace Wellness or Employee Benefits Program or to introduce one of the retreats or weekly course options below.
The session is comprised of didactics, guided experiential practices, and a scientific basis for introducing the benefits and evidentiary foundation for mindfulness practice in the workplace.
Participants will walk away with a better understanding of the negative impact of chronic stress, the scientific rationale and the value of mindfulness at work, and how to immediately implement a number of simple and effective mindfulness practices for improved wellbeing.
All participants will receive a digital handout detailing the techniques taught in the session including how, when, and why to practice the techniques and the specific scientific benefits.
For a modest additional cost, audio recordings of the techniques can be provided for sustained guided practice after the session.
A day of mindfulness and wellness can cultivate deeper personal and professional satisfaction for associates, executives and/or leaders. During a half-day or full-day retreat, participants will be introduced to a variety of topics focused on self-care, stress management, and mindfulness. Many of the topics taught in the 4-week and 8-week course will be covered but in a more condensed format. Retreats are informational and also heavily experiential with sustained periods of practice and relaxation techniques.
Participants can expect the same scientific rigor and explanations provided in our weekly courses along with additional relaxation practices, light mindful movement, and mindful eating practices over shared healthy meals.
Retreats can be held onsite in the workplace or at an off-site location, and are highly personalized to each client's needs. Half-day retreats last between 3 and 4 hours and full-day retreats last between 6 and 8 hours depending on the preference of the client.
Both retreats include access to a variety of digital handouts and online audio guided practices for sustained support.
Evidence supports daily mindfulness practice in order to maximize full benefit and learnings, even if just for sixty seconds. While 1-hour sessions offer a great introduction, research shows it takes between 4 and 8 weeks to form reasonably robust new habits. Participants will experience impact from shorter offerings, but a weekly course is what we recommend for lasting change.
Teacher-led group programs are the most familiar way of learning mindfulness, and research tells us that while apps and online platforms can be helpful, learning mindfulness in face-to-face groups has the greatest long-term and sustainable impact on individual wellbeing and workplace culture.
These offerings span either 4 weeks, 6 weeks, or 8 weeks, for 30-45 minutes, one time a week.
The four-week course will cover understanding and managing stress, increasing focus, practical application of mindfulness techniques in the workday, physiological breath techniques for enhanced wellbeing, and mindfulness-based communication skills.
The six-week course will cover the aforementioned topics, plus mindfulness-based communication skills and increased positive emotions.
The eight-week course will cover the aforementioned topics from the four and six-week courses in addition to relaxation techniques, and an introduction to mindful leadership.
All three courses will provide participants with in-the-moment stress busters and mini-mindfulness techniques that can be easily implemented into the workday and into their daily lives. The format of each weekly session is education, demonstration, application, and integration.
Our team works with each company's pain points and desired outcomes to create an evaluation plan that is customized to that company's needs. Sample pre and post metrics may include perceived stress, grit and resilience, self-compassion, burnout, coping, engagement, and focus.
Weekly courses include access to a variety of digital handouts and online audio-guided practice for sustained support.
The greatest benefits from these techniques come from consistent practice. It is common for clients to follow up a 4 or 8-week course or a retreat with weekly scheduled on-site drop-in sessions. Weekly sessions are either 15, '20 or 30 minutes, depending on availability and needs.
Traditional Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an 8-week course, offered '2.5 hours a week, recommending the daily practice of up to 40 minutes a day. Due to time constraints of most workplaces, our team has adapted the standard MBSR programming to fit the structure of the workplace setting while also creating lasting impact. If the full MBSR course is of interest to you or your team please inquire for more information.
This training provides participants with education on how to act as champions for this work and further promote these practices within their workplace and with their colleagues. Participants receive further education on the science behind mindfulness and practice skills, such as leading mindful moments at meetings, facilitating mindful meetings, using mindful communication, acting as a resource and leader for this work, and how to use these techniques with clients. This begins to shift the organization toward a culture of mindfulness led from within and supports sustained culture change beyond this programming.
We have found that the most successful workplace mindfulness and resiliency programming is encouraged and modeled from the top down. A day of mindfulness and wellness can cultivate deeper personal and professional satisfaction for associates, executives, and/or leaders. During a half-day or full-day retreat, participants will be introduced to a variety of topics focused on self-care, stress management, mindfulness, and mindful leadership. Retreats are informational but also heavily experiential with sustained periods of practice and relaxation techniques. Participants can expect the same scientific rigor and explanations provided in our weekly courses along with additional relaxation practices, light mindful movement, and mindful eating practices over shared healthy meals.
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Meet the Team: The University of Cincinnati Difference
What separates us from other companies is our team. Combined with over 50 years of experience, we bring doctoral-level education and research methods to elevate our programs.
Co-led by Meriden McGraw and Dr. Sian Cotton, our team collectively has years of experience working with a breadth of individuals including hospital executives, corporate leaders, military Colonels, medical
students, veterans, lawyers and their clients, and athletic organizations, including the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns, to teach evidence-based techniques proven to enhance cognitive capacity, improve stress management, increase productivity
and focus, decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression, and increase resiliency and overall well-being.
Certified MSBR Teacher | Wholebeing Institute Positive Psychology Coach
Meriden combines her master's level education in mental and public health with her training in mind-body modalities to teach individuals and groups techniques for optimal wellbeing. To date, Meriden has completed twenty-seven different teacher trainings both nationally and internationally and holds various certifications in prayanma (breath techniques), positive psychology, mindfulness, and yoga. Meriden has worked with a variety of populations such as professional athletic teams including both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns, corporate lawyers and their clients, human resource departments, veterans, mental health professionals, families, and adolescent girls. Meriden’s mission is to make these techniques simple and applicable for life in the 21st century so she can help her clients be their best selves personally and professionally, thus enhancing overall organizational performance, and societal wellbeing
Director, Osher Center for Integrative Health | Professor, Department of Family & Community Medicine, UC College of Medicine
Dr. Cotton is a licensed clinical psychologist and founding director of the UC Center for Integrative Health and Wellness and UC Health Integrative Medicine. A Professor in the Departments of Family and Community Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Cotton has an active research lab with ongoing clinical studies focusing primarily on mindfulness-based interventions and integrative medicine practice-based research. In 2007, Dr. Cotton was awarded a K23 career development award by the National Institutes of Health to examine the role of spiritual coping and health-related quality of life in adolescents with a chronic illness. A former Board member for the Academic Consortium of Integrative Medicine and Health, she is often invited to speak with community organizations and businesses, healthcare audiences, and academics about mind-body medicine for stress reduction, and preventive and wellness-based approaches to healthcare.
Susie is a Principal Research Assistant in the Family & Community Medicine and Integrative Medicine Research Divisions in the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She received her BS in Neuroscience and BA in Psychology from the University of Cincinnati in 2011, and her MA in Psychology from Pepperdine University in 2013. She has been working in the College of Medicine since 2013 on projects covering alcohol dependence, anxiety, group medical visits, chronic pain, integrative medicine, mind-body medicine, telehealth, and medical educational programming. Susie has successfully managed research and educational programs in the DFCM and Integrative Medicine, including data collection and management, IRB maintenance, and outcomes dissemination.
Harini is a senior research assistant with the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Cincinnati. Harini has a Master’s degree in Health Administration & Planning from the University of Cincinnati with a primary focus on Health Services Research. Her specialization is in quantitative research methods, data analysis, database design and application support. She has ten years of experience in managing research projects and has been assisting UC faculty, residents and medical students with their research projects
Christina Luberto, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist at the Cambridge Health Alliance Center for Mindfulness and Compassion. She is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and also has appointments as Staff Psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. Dr. Luberto earned her PhD at the University of Cincinnati and completed her clinical internship in Behavioral Medicine and research fellowship in Integrative Medicine (NCCIH T32) at MGH/HMS. Her research and clinical work focus on integrating meditation training with cognitive-behavioral therapy to treat emotional and behavioral problems, and increase pro-social outcomes, among people with chronic medical conditions.
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Participant Feedback
“I focus on my breath when I am nervous. This helped me prepare for a number of presentations.”
“Breathing exercises are used several times daily when unexpected changes (stressful events) happen. I now recognize how my body is reacting and then change my reaction accordingly.”
“I have started using beginners mind when going into a meeting I believe will be difficult. I also use mindful breathing when switching to a difficult task to help settle in and focus.”
“I have used the relaxation practice at my desk to reduce anxiety and also shared with a co-worker and it worked great!”
“Enjoyed the opportunity of talking with others and trying out new ways of dealing with difficult situations and used it at work and at home. Competitive Advantage!”
“I was wary at first of a Monday AM class because there is typically so much to do. However, I left the class each time more ready to take on the day, relaxed yet focused.”
“I feel more resilient and able to tackle my workday.”
Susie is a Principal Research Assistant in the Family & Community Medicine and Integrative Medicine Research Divisions in the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She received her BS in Neuroscience and BA in Psychology from the University of Cincinnati in 2011, and her MA in Psychology from Pepperdine University in 2013. She has been working in the College of Medicine since 2013 on projects covering alcohol dependence, anxiety, group medical visits, chronic pain, integrative medicine, mind-body medicine, telehealth, and medical educational programming. Susie has successfully managed research and educational programs in the DFCM and Integrative Medicine, including data collection and management, IRB maintenance, and outcomes dissemination.
Harini is a senior research assistant with the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Cincinnati. Harini has a Master’s degree in Health Administration & Planning from the University of Cincinnati with a primary focus on Health Services Research. Her specialization is in quantitative research methods, data analysis, database design and application support. She has ten years of experience in managing research projects and has been assisting UC faculty, residents and medical students with their research projects
Christina Luberto, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist at the Cambridge Health Alliance Center for Mindfulness and Compassion. She is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and also has appointments as Staff Psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. Dr. Luberto earned her PhD at the University of Cincinnati and completed her clinical internship in Behavioral Medicine and research fellowship in Integrative Medicine (NCCIH T32) at MGH/HMS. Her research and clinical work focus on integrating meditation training with cognitive-behavioral therapy to treat emotional and behavioral problems, and increase pro-social outcomes, among people with chronic medical conditions.