The

Mindful Compassion

Project

The Mindful Compassion (MiCo) Project was conceived by

psychotherapists and retreat leaders

Dr Virginia Lien (Gin) and Joanna Tan (Jo) in 2017,

as a non-profit initiative promoting the teaching of
mindfulness and compassion in Singapore,

for the healthcare profession.

Drawing from their collective four-decade experience

of journeying with diverse groups and individuals,

together with their personal contemplative practices,

Gin and Jo recognise the importance of caring for professional caregivers, such as doctors, nurses, therapists and social workers who face unique challenges and high levels of stress in caring for vulnerable populations.

MiCo envisions growing a team of trained mindfulness teachers

committed to working in the interest of

healthcare professional well-being, in turn impacting

quality of care for patients and their families.

"Mindfulness and Compassion

are two wings of a bird

in wise caring."

Gilbert & Choden

The Story of MiCo

"When our minds are unclouded,

our hearts flood with compassion."

paraphrased from

The Miracle of Mindfulness

Thich Nhat Hanh

Gin first turned to Mindfulness in 2016 through the 8-week MBSR course as a participant learning to manage chronic physical pain and mental setback resulting from a serious burns injury sustained in 2013.

Gin, then a medical practitioner and psychotherapist familiar with the sufferings of countless patients, saw the value of Mindfulness and Compassion education as an adjunct to existing medical and psychological therapies for patients.

Gin and Jo, both trained therapists, subsequently trained in MiCBT (Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) with Dr Bruno Cayoun and began teaching as a team.

Gin's desire to bring Mindfulness and Compassion to Healthcare in Singapore spurred her to train academically in MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) with the University of Oxford Mindfulness Centre from 2017 to 2020, and to complete her teacher training in Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) in 2019. She has also completed the Master Teacher Program for Mindful Practice in Medicine (MPIM) from the University of Rochester Medical Centre (URMC) in 2022.

MiCo began offering programs locally since 2017 for organisations including the Rainbow Centre, SingHealth, National Healthcare Group and the National University of Singapore YLL School of Medicine.

Mounting health professional stress and burnout have been documented in the literature in the past few decades in tandem with the rising rates of mental distress in the general population.

International efforts to develop Mindfulness programs of shorter duration and practice time, with specific focus in content for Healthcare have been encouraging.

The

Mindful Compassion

Project

The Story of MiCo

Gin first turned to Mindfulness in 2016 through the 8-week MBSR course as a participant learning to manage chronic physical pain and mental setback resulting from a serious burns injury sustained in 2013.

Gin, then a medical practitioner and psychotherapist familiar with the sufferings of countless patients, saw the value of Mindfulness and Compassion education as an adjunct to existing medical and psychological therapies for patients.

Gin and Jo, both trained therapists, subsequently trained in MiCBT (Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) with Dr Bruno Cayoun and began teaching as a team.

MiCo began offering programs locally since 2017 for organisations including the Rainbow Centre, SingHealth, National Healthcare Group and the National University of Singapore YLL School of Medicine.

Mounting health professional stress and burnout have been documented in the literature in the past few decades in tandem with the rising rates of mental distress in the general population.

International efforts to develop Mindfulness programs of shorter duration and practice time, with specific focus in content for Healthcare have been encouraging.

The MiCo Project has identified three international programs specifically adapted for healthcare professionals that can be implemented locally:

• Mindful Self-Care Program (MSCP)

• Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities (SCHC)

• Mindful Practice in Medicine (MPIM)

Please refer to "Programs" for details of each program listed above.

The

Mindful Compassion

Project

The Story of MiCo

Gin first turned to Mindfulness in 2016 through the 8-week MBSR course as a participant learning to manage chronic physical pain and mental setback resulting from a serious burns injury sustained in 2013.

Gin, then a medical practitioner and psychotherapist familiar with the sufferings of countless patients, saw the value of Mindfulness and Compassion education as an adjunct to existing medical and psychological therapies for patients.

​

Gin and Jo, both trained therapists, subsequently trained in MiCBT (Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) with Dr Bruno Cayoun and began teaching as a team.

​

MiCo began offering programs locally since 2017 for organisations including the Rainbow Centre, SingHealth, National Healthcare Group and the National University of Singapore YLL School of Medicine.

Mounting health professional stress and burnout have been documented in the literature in the past few decades in tandem with the rising rates of mental distress in the general population.

​

International efforts to develop Mindfulness programs of shorter duration and practice time, with specific focus in content for Healthcare have been encouraging.

The MiCo Project has identified three international programs specifically adapted for healthcare professionals that can be implemented locally:

• Mindful Self-Care Program (MSCP)

• Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities (SCHC)

• Mindful Practice in Medicine (MPIM)

​

Please refer to "Programs" for details of each program listed above.

​