Addressing the enormous problem of stress
StressCare is a non-profit organization founded by David Weinberg in 1996. We offer practical tools and a proven path to greater health and well-being in our 8-Week MBSR, Mindfulness 1-on-1, and MBSR-alumni programs. Due to COVID crisis, in-person programs are suspended throughout 2022.
People seeking relief from stress and pain come to our classes from all over the San Francisco Bay Area, including Alameda County, Contra Costa County and San Francisco. All programs are currently held online only.
We have helped over 2500 people recover from stress
Our work is based on Jon Kabat-Zinn’s pioneering MBSR program (mindfulness-based stress reduction) which he established at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in 1979.
MBSR has a 40-year published record of successfully addressing the enormous problem of stress-related illness, un-wellness, and the accompanying loss of hope, meaning and agency that has been so evident, and so difficult to treat, in the modern healthcare system.
StressCare is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in the San Francisco East Bay with a board of directors comprised of Bay Area health care providers. Karin Pfluger is Board President, StressCare Director and lead teacher. David Weinberg, StressCare’s founder, is a Board Member and consulting senior teacher to StressCare.
StressCare is a trusted provider of MBSR in the San Francisco East Bay, advancing a vision of mindfulness training as essential in healthcare and self-care since its founding in 1996.
Continuing Education Credit available for health care professionals
Due to COVID, StressCare’s CE program for in-person 8-Week Courses is temporarily suspended.
Our 8-Week Courses are approved for 25 live hours of Continuing Education Credit (CE) for RNs, MFTs, LCSWs and Licensed Psychologists. Get information on our For Providers page.
We welcome you
We welcome the participation of people from all walks of life. StressCare programs are open to people of any race, class, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, and physical ability. We are grateful for the participation and support of our alumni and the wider community of people dedicated to mindfulness as a way of being.
No one will be turned away due to low income
StressCare offers three levels of tuition based on household income, for each of our 8-Week Courses and Ongoing Practice programs. We aim to offer MBSR at reasonable cost to as many people as possible. Tuition assistance is available for individuals with very low income. No one will be turned away due to inability to pay.
Teachers
David Weinberg | Founder and Teacher Emeritus
David Weinberg, MPA, is StressCare’s Founder and Teacher Emeritus in StressCare programs, including 8-Week MBSR. He works with individuals in StressCare’s ACT 1-on-1 program. David is the guiding teacher of Ocean Sangha, a Zen practice group for MBSR alumni. He leads retreats for physicians, physician-referred patients, and the general public for learning basic and advanced methods for stress reduction. David is known for his humor, insight and compassion. David’s page.
Karin Pfluger | Director and Lead Teacher
Karin Pfluger, RA, SEP, is StressCare’s Board President and Lead Teacher for 8-Week MBSR, Online Meditation, and MBSR-Alumni programs. Karin works with individuals and pairs to develop mindfulness and reduce stress in StressCare’s Mindfulness 1-on-1 program. She leads retreats for physicians, physician-referred patients and the general public, and is a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner for body-based trauma healing. Karin is known for her precision, openness and devotion to her students. Karin’s page
John S. Edelen | Adviser and Associate Teacher
John S. Edelen, MD, (Jack Edelen), is a practicing cardiologist and former Chief of Medicine at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Berkeley. Jack practices meditation regularly and is a tireless advocate for MBSR as a vital part of total health care for everyone. He co-leads StressCare retreats and makes presentations to physician groups and others. He recommends this form of stress reduction to his patients, colleagues, and fellow caregivers.
Adam S. Moskowitz | Consulting MBSR Teacher
We welcome former StressCare intern, Adam Moskowitz, whom you may meet on occasion in a StressCare program. Adam leads mindfulness sessions, courses, workshops, and retreats in the SF Bay Area. Adam was a schoolteacher for ten years, and has led mindfulness classes for over a thousand adolescents. He conducts mindfulness trainings for educators to support their lives, teaching, and the lives of their students, and also teaches mindfulness in office settings and to the general public. Engaging kids and adults to connect within is his favorite thing to do. You can learn more about Adam’s work through his organization, One Mindful.
Segolene Doutriaux | Consulting MBSR Teacher
We welcome former StressCare intern, Segolene Doutriaux. Sego recently moved with her family to France, where we wish her all the best as an RN and MBSR teacher! She has been an assistant teacher in StressCare 8-Week Courses, and we look forward to collaborating with her when she visits the US.
StressCare Board of Directors
StressCare is proud to introduce our distinguished Board of Directors:
- Karin Pfluger, R.A., S.E.P., Director and Lead Teacher at StressCare
- David Weinberg, M.P.A., Founder and Senior Teacher at StressCare
- John S. Edelen, M.D., Cardiologist, former Chief of Medicine, Alta Bates Medical Center, Berkeley, CA
- M. Beth Gong, M.D., Internist, Lifelong Medical Care, Berkeley, CA
- Burton A. Presberg, M.D. Psychiatrist in private practice for individuals with cancer and their families, Oakland, CA
- Jacqueline Richter, M.D., Geriatric Medicine, Kaiser Permanente, Walnut Creek, CA
- (Retired 2019) Alfred J. Rothman, M.D., Family Medicine, Brown & Toland Physicians, Berkeley, CA
- (Retired 2019) Laurie Yamamoto, L.C.S.W., Employee Assistance, University Health Services, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
