Mindful medicine
Integrative Medicine resources support holistic wellness
Our faculty and staff often put others first — dedicating countless hours toward improving the lives of patients. It’s common for them to be so focused on others that they neglect their own needs.
The UF Health Integrative Medicine, or ITM, team offers several wellness courses designed to “care for the caretaker” using a holistic wellness approach.
“Integrative medicine looks at the person as a whole being mentally, psychosocially, spiritually and physically,” said
Lauren Arce, M.S.N., R.N., C.N.L., O.C.N., AHN-BC , ITM nurse coordinator. “Our courses offer a combination of some didactic, experiential approaches and homework — and by the end you have a toolbox full of resources to help you with your self-care.”

ENCARE-- Compassion, Awareness, Resilience and Enjoyment Training
This course is designed for health care providers and is rooted in the idea of knowing how to provide care for oneself as the foundation from which to provide the best level of care for others. The techniques used to reduce stress are evidence-based and involve mind and body practices, such as breathing techniques and exercises that focus attention on the body and senses.
“In addition to managing stress, I feel the practices I’ve learned help to increase empathy and compassion toward patients, family members and co-workers,” said course attendee Carmen Harris, R.N., a nurse on the UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital Medical Oncology Unit 8 East. “It has had a very positive impact on my life.”
Attendees earn 17 continuing education credits, or CEUs, by completing this course. UF Health Shands nurses can ask their manager if they qualify for paid education leave.
Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction
This course is an effective complement to traditional treatment of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, chronic illness, sleep problems, stress, grief and fatigue. It offers specific mindfulness tools to cultivate skills for how to better regulate emotions. Participants are taught to live in the present and focus less on the past or future. The course offers 23 CEUs.
Chayaveda Transformative Wellness Program
Based on the ancient principles of Ayurveda, this course offers the chance for all members of the community to learn practical tools for nourishment in various aspects of everyday life.
Ayurveda focuses on taking care of the body, mind and energy by cultivating positive intentions and awareness for stress reduction, healthy eating habits and emotional health through awareness and re-engineering daily habits.
Students learn and practice relaxation techniques, such as gentle movement breathing, guided meditation and awareness exercises. CEUs are available for licensed massage therapists and yoga teachers.
Yoga of Awareness
Developed at Duke Medical Center, this course is dedicated to supporting cancer survivors, those living with cancer or anyone living with or who is a caregiver of someone with a chronic illness. Participation in this program has shown to decrease pain and fatigue while increasing vigor and acceptance. Twelve CEUs are available to mental health professionals, massage therapists and yoga teachers.
To learn more about ITM wellness courses, visit UFHealth.org/integrative-medicine/wellness-courses.