This conversation was part of our Spring interview series focused on how we can skillfully cope with pandemic fatigue, stress, uncertainty, and loss. Our health coach, Ariana Figueroa, sat down for a conversation with Scott MacGregor to explore how mindfulness — in particular MBSR, can offer strategies to help us right now.

Scott MacGregor is a licensed clinical therapist and stress reduction educator with over eighteen years of meditation practice including retreats for mindfulness, meditation in medicine and research, insight meditation, and spiritual reflection. His MBSR certification is through Brown University and he has participated in professional training under the direction of Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn at UMASS Medical School’s Center for Mindfulness. He is also trained in the Mindful Schools curriculum. He teaches mindfulness at the Asheville & Charlotte Fire Departments, UNC School of Medicine ~ Asheville Campus, and the VA Medical Center’s Integrative Pain Management Clinic. He has taught mindfulness to patients in primary and specialty care clinics (e.g. family/internal medicine, cardiopulmonary, diabetes, substance abuse recovery), to individuals, to middle, high school, and university students, as well as to a variety of professional audiences. Before becoming a therapist, Scott worked in information technology for 25 years. He has lived in Asheville since 2002.