About Joan

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Hi, I’m Joan

Growing up in a medical family, health and wellness were an important part of my life. I have studied meditation and mindfulness for over a decade, with some of the greatest teachers in the field. In 2018, I became a teacher of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) from the University of Massachusetts Medical School. I served as a Board Member for the Community Health Resource Center (CHRC) at California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC)—Sutter Health in San Francisco, California from 2011-2021.

What They’re Saying

I began Joan’s class during one of the more difficult times of my life. This class truly changed the trajectory of my days, as the way I saw and experienced life shifted. The layout of the series flowed beautifully from one class to the next, with each lesson building on the previous. Most importantly, Joan is a natural born teacher. She inspired me and all of the individuals in the class because she doesn’t just talk the talk - she walks the walk. Her kindness, love, and mindfulness are on full display with her every action. Throughout the series, I not only learned an incredible amount about mindful practices and meditation, but also was able to observe and aim to embody the way Joan treated her life, her peers, and herself. Her voice can calm a room of chaos, and she has changed my life substantially. I am incredibly grateful.
— November, 2020
Love, Joan...she listens intently and can help guide you to find the answers on your own.
— December, 2020
I absolutely loved this class. I would love a “next level” class from you Joan!
— March 2021
She is calm, thoughtful and and presents the exercises clearly. I left each session relaxed and used that day’s exercises on my own. A very positive experience, and I look forward to future sessions with Joan
— June 2021
Joan’s command of the subject area, experience, as well as her knowledge and passion around health issues makes her a phenomenal teacher especially for the doubters of meditation’s effectiveness. Combine the knowledge with Joan’s kind and gentle encouragement and every student made significant progress.
— September, 2020
Joan is the best. I am honored to learn mindfulness and meditation from her. She’s patient, kind and so easy to work with and learn from.
— November, 2020
Joan is a gifted mindfulness facilitator. I hope she continues with this work.
— March 2021
Joan DeHovitz is a calm, reassuring, inspiring instructor. She integrates real-life experience with philosophical wisdom to facilitate developing skills.
— March 2021
Joan was wonderful. So kind, pleasant, knowledgable, and helpful.
— March 2021
Excellent, she was extremely organized. The material she presented was very meaningful to the practice at hand. I really enjoyed and resonated with the poetry.
— June 2021
Joan goes beyond teaching meditation and mindfulness. Joan’s warm and caring nature makes you feel she’s invested in your well being. I’ve taken Joan’s class twice. The first time it helped me through a very challenging time in my life. Joan helped support me get through those tough few months. Later I wanted a refresher course, which was an unexpectedly different experience. The material spoke to me differently the second time around. I look forward to continuing my mindfulness journey and am grateful to have found Joan and her course.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
— December 2021
Joan- I love your super energy, kindness and support with your students. If I didn’t love this about you before, I really especially do now. Thank you for all that you do in this insecure time.
— September, 2020
Joan is wonderful. Very caring and compassionate
— November, 2020
Joan was appropriate and professional. She communicated punctually, clearly and consistently, and she accommodated her students’ needs. Joan was also kind and compassionate, and had an open, understanding, and reassuring demeanor as she shared poems, discussed skills and guided practice meditation sessions. She routinely checked for understanding of the information she presented and demonstrated active listening with her students.
— March 2021
Joan is a deeply caring and knowledgeable meditation instructor.
— March 2021
Joan is outstanding, above and beyond, caring and clearly passionate.
— June 2021
Joan is awesome and teaches with heart and soul.
— November 2021
Very supportive, authentic and calming
— November 2021