BRIAN SHIERS, LMFT

BA KINESIOLOGY

MA PSYCHOLOGY

UCLA MARC CMF

Ketamine-Assisted therapist

Brian has intensively studied embodied awareness methods since 1993, including Buddhist shamatha, vipassana, and Dzogchen practices, and has completed nine week-long retreats, acquiring over 4,000 hours of both sitting and moving meditation. 

With degrees in Kinesiology and Psychology / Interpersonal Neurobiology setting the foundation for embodied awareness, Brian also completed the year-long Certified Mindfulness Facilitator training at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center in 2011 under the direction of Diana Winston, Dr. Marvin Belzer, Dr. Susan Smalley, and Dr. Dan Siegel. As a senior member of MARC faculty, Brian is an IMTA Certified Mindfulness Teacher - Professional Level, and an Authorized MAPs Teacher, facilitating the signature MAPs I and II programs for UCLA MARC, as well as serving as a Mentor in the TMF Training Program for new facilitators.  

(https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/default.cfm)

Brian is currently an authorized ESRT (Enhanced Stress Resilience Training) Instructor under supervision by Dr. Carter LeBares, MD., ESRT creator and Director of UC San Francisco’s Center for Mindfulness in Surgery, providing training to surgery interns at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and Cedars Sinai Medical School (https://mindfulsurgeon.ucsf.edu/).

He has brought mindfulness to organizations such the UCLA Bruin Women's Varsity Volleyball Teams, Disney Animation Studios, Nestle', Mattel Inc., Salesforce.com, NASA / JPL, and the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team. Brian also leads silent 3-day retreats for law enforcement in the Pacific Northwest, and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#114627) specializing in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy at Westside DBT (http://westsidedbt.com/home), and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy through Journey Clinical (https://www.journeyclinical.com/).

Brian is passionate about translating mindfulness practices for people from diverse cultural and organizational backgrounds who are searching for inner balance, bridging the gap between science and experience, practice and everyday life.  He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Laurie, and his son, Bodhi.