

AMI offers mindfulness courses, retreats, and counseling to enhance your physical and mental well-being. We have two certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction instructors on our faculty. Both are mental health professionals who hold PhDs. Whether you’re new to mindfulness or you would like to deepen your practice, we have something for you. We also offer courses designed specifically for healthcare practitioners seeking continuing education credits .
All are welcome at AMI. We serve individuals and families of all shapes, sizes, colors, creeds, origins, abilities, genders, and orientations.
What is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction?
Mindfulness means focusing on the present moment without judgment. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction emphasizes reflection and relaxation through breathing, light yoga, and meditation. It was developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn of the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. MBSR has been proven effective through hundreds of peer-reviewed research studies over the last 35 years.
How can mindfulness help you?
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is a proven treatment for many mental and physical health conditions:
* depression and other mood disorders
* anxiety and panic disorders
* chronic pain
* insomnia
* coping with cancer
* gastrointestinal issuesv
* attention deficit disorder
* eating disorders
* heart disease
* addiction
* autoimmune diseases
* and others
Evidence suggests that practicing Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction also improves concentration and attention, helps you regulate your emotions, and enhances your relationships. Those who practice mindfulness report feeling increased joy, compassion, and kindness.
The AMI Faculty
What sets AMI apart is our extraordinary faculty and their decades of mindfulness expertise.

Meet Stephanie

Meet Helen
Helen Barnes Vantine, PhD, founded AMI in 2008 with a mission to help others find insight, love, joy, compassion, and acceptance through Mindfulness. She teaches mindfulness skills to individuals, businesses, small groups, health care professionals, and graduate students. In addition to her work at the Atlanta Mindfulness Institute, Dr. Vantine has a private psychotherapy practice in Serenbe, where she offers Mindfulness-Based Therapy to her patients.

Meet Laura
Laura is completing her training to be a certified MBSR teacher through East Coast Mindfulness. In addition to her training as an MBSR teacher, Laura draws on her knowledge of embodied awareness as a yoga teacher and as a dancer with training in contemporary dance. For more information on Laura, please visit laurajeansmallwood.com.