Donald Fleck
Respected Master Mindfulness Teacher in NYC
Donald Fleck, MBA, LCSW, DCSW, has been practicing psychotherapy for 25 years and teaching mindfulness meditation for over 17 years.
A distinguised senior mindfulness meditation teacher, he has spent the past decade mentoring psychotherapists in mindfulness practices. He is the author of Working the Present, endorsed by Zindel Segal, co-creator of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).
Donald earned his AB at Duke University and his MBA at Columbia University. He holds the prestigious DCSW (Diplomate in Clinical Social Work) designation from the New York State Association of Clinical Social Workers. Additionally, he is accredited by leading North American institutions to “teach the teachers” of mindfulness, underscoring his expertise in the field.
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Certification
Certified as a mindfulness teacher by both North American certifying institutions: Centre for Mindfulness Studies, Toronto, and Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute, Medical School of the University of California's San Diego Medical School.
Approved Mentor
MBPTI
Centre for Mindfulness Studies, Toronto
Mindfulness Training
5-Day Residential Intensive at Omega – Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy
5-Day Residential Intensive at Omega – Mindfulness-Based Training Intensive, methods of inquiry
Participant in 8-week MBSR program taught by Elaine Retholtz
Inquiry in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
Inquiry training weekend – Center for Mindfulness Studies
Rock Blossom Sangha, following teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh
Facilitator
Facilitator scheduler
Treasurer (10 years)
Care-taking council (7 years)
Healing shame and fear – 5-day training with Tara Brach
Mindfulness, CBT and the effective management of mood and anxiety disorders, with Zindel Segal
Retreats at
Insight Meditation Society, Barre, MA
Springwater Meditation Inquiry Center
Mindfulness Teaching
Facilitated 45 Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Groups, 370 Grads
Lead 25 Days of Mindfulness in NYC
Taught the use of mindfulness in psychotherapy to about 200 LCSWs in NYC (NASW)
Special Interests
Using mindfulness in psychotherapy.
Published in 2015: Working the Present, Mindfully-Based: Bringing Mindfulness-Based Group Work into Individual Therapy. (Endorsed byZindel Segal, Ph.D.,co-author of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy)
Donald on Mindfulness:
It is not a state, but a process for healing and strengthening the individual. Mindfulness opens doors to pleasures that have been hidden away.
The process:
1) Awareness - a shift of focus from thinking about life to the actual moment-by-moment experience of life.
2) Allowing - Keeping the attention on this moment-by-moment experience along with the emotions that come with it. This can heal and strengthen you. And open you to existential pleasure.
3) Acceptance - After some time for allowing we realize that we have done all the healing and strengthening we can do. We accept that life is imperfect, and so are we. We move to accepting the situation as it is. We free ourselves of guilt. We open ourselves to making changes without the burden of trying to change the things that can’t be changed.
4) Action - We make changes in our life, unburdened by regrets or guilt. We ask ourselves right now, “What is my next best action, what is my next right action?” We try it out, always adjusting based on what we learn from the action.
Author
Donald wrote the book Working the Present, Mindfully-Based: Bringing Mindfulness Based - Cognitive Therapy Group Work into Individual Therapy, a book endorsed by Zindel V. Segal, Ph.D. This book takes the approach of using principles of MBCT in an ongoing, dynamic way in psychotherapy.
“I've attended Donald's 8-week program and continued working with him individually since. He's helped me develop a deeper awareness of my thoughts and emotions, which has improved my ability to manage stress and stay grounded in challenging situations. Donald has a calm, supportive presence that makes each session feel safe and empowering. His techniques have been practical and easy to incorporate into my daily life. I highly recommend Donald to anyone looking to deepen their mindfulness practice and achieve lasting mental clarity”
Donald’s Personal Journey with Mindfulness
A brief intro to mindfulness, focused on the benefits of acceptance of our humanity, of ourselves as we are.
An example on how to feast on an apple, mindfully.
Donald describes first trying out mindfulness using the Book The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson, and his being inspired by the Bill Moyers series Healing and the Mind.
A double reading of Mary Oliver's Wild Geese - the Poet of Honor of mindfulness teachers
