“The training helped me understand how to keep a balance, how to measure my ability, not by a scale made up from a chart or a study, but from my own ability to handle my thoughts, my trauma, and how to help others with it.”

— Police Officer, Immersion Participant

Quick Guide

Police Chief Magazine, May 2019 article.

The Data - A clear evidence-based path forward

Pacific University, Graduate School of Psychology and the Stress Resilience Lab have demonstrated positive data outcomes in training mindfulness to police officers. See the latest research here.

University of Wisconsin, Madison, Center for Healthy Minds have demonstrated similar outcomes and have shown reductions in symptoms fo PTSD. See their research here.

Articles

Christopher, M. S., Hunsinger, M., Goerling, R., Bowen, S., Rogers, B., Gross, C. R., Dapolonia, E., & Pruessner, J. (2018). Mindfulness-Based Resilience Training to reduce health risk, stress reactivity, and aggression among law enforcement officers: A feasibility and preliminary efficacy trial. Psychiatry Research, 264, 104-115. PMCID: PMC6226556

Goerling, R. Leading Forward with Mindfulness Skills Training. Police Chief. 86, no. 5 (2019): 37-43.

Christopher, M., Goerling, R., Rogers, B., Hunsinger, M., Baron, G., Bergman, A., & Zava, D. A Pilot Study Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Cortisol Awakening Response and Health Outcomes among Law Enforcement Officers. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology. January 2015.

Goerling, R. (Fall 2014) Cognitive Fitness. Leadership & Resilience in the Warrior Arena. California Assoc. of Tactical Officers (CATOnews).

Goerling, R. (2012) Police Officer Resiliency and Community Building. Proceedings of the American Society of Business and Behavioral Sciences. 19(1),394.

Bergman, A. Christopher, M. Bowen, S. (2016) Changes in Facets of Mindfulness Predict Stress and Anger Outcomes for Police Officers. Journal Mindfulness. 7 (851-858).

Books

Mindfulness

Kabat Zinn J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living. New York, NY: Delta Publishing.

Kabat Zinn, J. (2005). Coming to our senses: Healing ourselves and the world through mindfulness. New York, NY: Hyperion.

Gelles, D. (2015). Mindful work: How meditation is changing business from the inside out. New York, NY: Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt.

Pressfield, S. (2002). The War of Art. New York, NY: Black Irish Entertainment.

Strozzi-Heckler, R. (2003). In Search of the Warrior Spirit: Teaching awareness disciplines to the Green Berets. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.

Mindful Leadership

Forret, A. (2019). Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader: Lessons from Google and a Zen Monastery Kitchen. New World Library.

George, B. (2010). True north: Discover your authentic leadership (Vol. 143). John Wiley & Sons.

Brown, B. (2018). Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. Random House.

Marturano, J. (2014). Finding the space to lead: A practical guide to mindful leadership. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.

Carroll, M. (2008). The mindful leader: Awakening your natural management skills through mindfulness meditation. Shambhala Publications.

Police Leadership & Reform

Holiday, R. (2016). Ego is the Enemy. New York, NY: Penguin.

Stamper, N. (2016) To Protect and Serve. How to Fix America's Police. New York, NY: Nation Books.

Alexander, M. (2011). The New Jim Crow. New York, NY: New Press.

Kyodo Williams, a. (2016). Radical Dharma. Talking Race, Love, and Liberation. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.

Performance

Kotler, S. (2015). The rise of superman: decoding the science of ultimate human performance. London: Quercus.

Kotler, S. (2017). Stealing Fire: the Secrets of Super Performers from Google Executives to Navy SEALS. HarperCollins.

Gonzales, L. (2003). Deep survival: Who lives, who dies, and why : True stories of miraculous endurance and sudden death. New York, NY: W.W. Norton.

Kashdan, T. & Diener, R. (2014). The upside of your dark side: Why being your whole self--not just your "good" self--drives success and fulfillment.

McDougall, C. (2009). Born to run: A hidden tribe, superathletes, and the greatest race the world has never seen. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

McDougall, C. (2015). Natural Born Heroes. Mastering the lost secrets of strength and endurance. New York, NY: Vintage.

Science of Stress & Behavior

Clark, T. (2011). Nerve: Poise under pressure, serenity under stress, and the brave new science of fear and cool. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

Duhigg, C. (2012). The power of habit: Why we do what we do in life and business. New York: Random House.

Hanson, R., & Mendius, R. (2009). Buddha's brain the practical neuroscience of happiness, love, & wisdom. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

McGonigal, K. (2015). The upside of stress: Why stress is good for you, and how to get good at it.

LeDoux, J. (1996). The Emotional Brain. The mysterious underpinnings of emotional life. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Resiliency & Personal Development

Brown, B. (2012). Daring Greatly. How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent and lead. New York, NY: Gotham.

Greitens, E. (2015). Resilience: Hard-won wisdom for living a better life.

Gonzales, L. (2003). Deep survival: Who lives, who dies, and why : True stories of miraculous endurance and sudden death. New York, NY: W.W. Norton.

Fredrickson, B. (2009). Positivity. New York, NY: Crown.