Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy

What Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy does

The Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy (IMP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded circa 2003 and based in Newton, Massachusetts, dedicated to the education and training of mental health professionals in the integration of mindfulness meditation and psychotherapy. IMP positions itself as the only organization of its type focused on this integration, bridging ancient Buddhist psychology with modern Western clinical science. Its primary customer segment is licensed mental health professionals—therapists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers—seeking to incorporate mindfulness-based approaches into clinical practice, with secondary segments including graduate students and individual mindfulness practitioners.

IMP's core offerings center on a multi-year Certificate Program in Mindfulness & Psychotherapy, supplemented by structured eight-week courses in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), workshops, daylong retreats, conversation series, peer discussion groups, and continuing education credits. Recurring engagement is driven by a membership model that grants access to a quarterly e-journal (Cushion & Couch), guided meditation recordings, a member directory, and community events such as President's Tea and Community Tea. Content assets include the Noble Mind podcast, video webcasts, and member-authored blog articles.

The organization has no proprietary technology platform; programs are delivered via Zoom for virtual attendees and through partner venues such as Lesley University and The Arlington Center in Massachusetts. Revenue is generated through three diversified streams: recurring membership fees, per-program course and workshop fees (ranging from $10 to $650 per event with member discounts), and voluntary donations and dāna contributions. Marketing is conducted through content marketing (website, blog, podcast), email newsletters, organic social media, webinars, and in-person events, targeting mental health professionals through thought leadership and community building. IMP is supported by strategic partnerships with Harvard Medical School, Lesley University, and the Center for Mindfulness & Compassion, with leadership drawn from senior figures in MBSR and MBCT.

Name

Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy

Legal name

The Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy

Website

https://meditationandpsychotherapy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that educates and trains mental health professionals in integrating mindfulness meditation with psychotherapy through a certificate program, workshops, retreats, and a membership community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Mental Health Education

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Mindfulness, Meditation & Stress Management Education (EDAAAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mindfulness-Based Coaching & Training (MBSR/MBCT-style) (HSADAJAB), Meditation Apps, Digital Courses & Online Communities (HSADAJAH), Meditation Retreats, Workshops & Immersive Programs (HSADAJAF), Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group) (HSADAJAA)

Keywords

• Mindfulness psychotherapy training
• Continuing education courses
• Mental health professional development
• Meditation workshops retreats
• Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Newton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership program providing access to member-only pricing, resources, and community events
2. Course and Workshop Fees: Fees charged for certificate programs, workshops, retreats, and educational courses ranging from $10-$650 per program
3. Donations and Dāna: Voluntary donations and dāna (generosity-based) contributions supporting educational programs and scholarships

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that delivers education and training programs integrating mindfulness meditation and psychotherapy for mental health professionals. Core offerings include a multi-year Certificate Program in Mindfulness & Psychotherapy, eight-week MBCT and MSC courses, workshops, daylong retreats, a quarterly e-journal, a podcast, and guided meditation recordings, supported by an annual membership and donation/dāna contributions.

Product overview

The Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy is a non-profit educational organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs for mental health professionals seeking to integrate mindfulness meditation and psychotherapy. The core offerings include a Certificate Program in Mindfulness & Psychotherapy, alongside structured eight-week courses in Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). The organization provides ongoing learning through workshops, retreats, conversation series, board AMA sessions, and practice discussion groups. Members receive access to the Cushion & Couch quarterly e-journal, guided meditation recordings, and the Noble Mind podcast. The organization also offers free and low-cost benefit programs including webinars and community tea events, and maintains a therapist directory for public use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Certificate Program in Mindfulness & Psychotherapy Intensive multi-year program of study and training in the integration of mindfulness and psychotherapy for mental health professionals, covering the convergence of Buddhist psychology with Western scientific psychological inquiry. Sold as a standalone certificate offering with perpetual/multi-year enrollment.
• Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Courses Eight-week structured courses combining cognitive-behavioral therapy concepts with mindfulness principles to help prevent relapse from recurrent depression, delivered as a standalone course offering for clinicians and interested participants.
• Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Courses Eight-week and six-week programs combining mindfulness and self-compassion skills to enhance emotional well-being, co-developed with the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion and offered to clinicians and mindfulness practitioners.
• Workshops and Retreats Standalone educational workshops and daylong retreats on meditation and psychotherapy topics offering continuing-education credits, including themed events with featured instructors (e.g., Sarah Lazar, Andrew Olendzki, Henry Shukman, Jud Brewer, Polly Young-Eisendrath, Paul Fulton, Doug Baker).

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Arlington CenterminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 May 2025Host venue for community events including the Chris Germer and Susan Gitau fundraiser evening. Physical location in Arlington, MA used for in-person programming.
• Lesley UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2025Host venue for daylong retreats and workshops including the Henry Shukman retreat at Washburn Auditorium. IMP Founding President Susan Pollak is associated with the university, and Buddhist scholar Andrew Olendzki serves as professor at Lesley's Mindfulness Studies graduate program.
• Harvard Medical SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2025Co-sponsor of retreats including the Henry Shukman daylong retreat. IMP has strong connections to Harvard Medical School faculty through its leadership and speaker programs, including Paul Fulton who directs Harvard's Certificate Program in Mindfulness & Psychotherapy.
• Center for Mindfulness & CompassioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2024Collaborative partner for the Mindfulness & Psychotherapy Exploratory Conversations Series. The Center for Mindfulness & Compassion co-develops educational programming supporting IMP's Certificate Program, featuring renowned researchers and practitioners discussing mindfulness and psychotherapy integration.
• Noble Mind PodcastminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured podcast partner providing multimedia content featuring interviews on mindfulness, meditation and psychology. IMP promotes the podcast as a resource for members and prospective community members.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Mindful Schools: Nonprofit providing mindfulness training for educators and youth-serving professionals. Less direct overlap with IMP's therapist focus but shares the nonprofit mindfulness-training-for-professionals model and digital course delivery approach.
• Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute: Born from Google's mindfulness program, SIY offers mindfulness and emotional intelligence training with corporate and professional audiences. Less direct overlap with the psychotherapy integration focus but shares the mindfulness-training-for-professionals business model.

Broad incumbents

• Mind & Life Institute: Nonprofit organization convening dialogue between contemplative practitioners and scientists, supporting research on meditation and mental health. Comparable as a mission-driven nonprofit advancing the science and practice of contemplative approaches relevant to clinical application.
• Omega Institute for Holistic Studies: Large educational retreat center offering workshops, professional training, and certifications across holistic and contemplative practices including mindfulness-based therapy. Comparable as a nonprofit offering CE-eligible workshops and certificate-style training for helping professionals.
• Insight Meditation Society: Long-established retreat center in Barre, MA offering meditation retreats and teacher training. Broader than IMP — emphasizes intensive retreat practice rather than clinical integration — but shares Massachusetts base and Buddhist-psychology lineage informing IMP's curriculum.

Direct peers

• Palouse Mindfulness: Offers MBSR teacher training and online mindfulness courses to a global audience. Comparable as a digitally-delivered mindfulness training organization serving both clinicians and the broader public, with similar workshop-and-retreat programming.
• Mindsight Institute: Founded by Dan Siegel, Mindsight Institute offers online educational programs, courses, and clinical training integrating mindfulness and neuroscience for mental health professionals — closely overlapping IMP's mission and clinician audience.
• Center for Mindful Self-Compassion: Originating organization of the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program co-developed by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer. IMP explicitly co-delivers MSC courses with this organization, making them direct programmatic partners and the closest curriculum peer.
• Oxford Mindfulness Centre: Originating institution of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), co-developed by Mark Williams and colleagues. Directly comparable as an academic-affiliated training center for mental health professionals seeking certification in MBCT and related contemplative therapies.
• UMass Center for Mindfulness: Originating institution of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Most direct comparable as a clinical/professional mindfulness training organization serving mental health practitioners, though operating inside a hospital system rather than as a standalone nonprofit.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IMPmindfulness
• Facebookfacebook.com/MeditationAndPsychotherapy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-institute-for-meditation-and-psychotherapy/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/meditationandpsychotherapy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy