Marie Bloomfield- Gold Coast

Clinical Psychologist and Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher
B.Sc(Psych.), M.Clin. Psych(UNSW), MAPS(Coll.Clin.Psych.)
Founder of Mindful Path

Marie Bloomfield is a leader in teaching Mindfulness and Self-Compassion in Australia. She is a warm, experienced, engaging group facilitator, clinical psychologist, and teacher.  Marie was one of the first psychologist in Australia (and the world) to attend the first Teacher Training in Mindful Self-Compassion presented by the designers of the program Kristin Neff and Christopher in 2014 in the US.  She is a senior certified teacher in Mindful Self-Compassion. She has also received extensive training in Compassion-Focused Therapy and Compassion Mind Training with Paul Gilbert and others. Marie has conducted over fifty Mindfulness and Self-Compassion programs for the general public as well as presenting workshops and retreats for professionals in the last fourteen years.

When Marie started working as a psychologist in 1980, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy(CBT) was the new evidence-based approach. Over the following 35 years, the field of psychology has evolved considerably and she has kept up with the advances made in neuroscience. Following her own personal meditation practice of 30 years, Marie began working with Mindfulness and Self-Compassion in her professional work in her private practice. She believed that this approach was key to promoting well-being and healing for herself and for others. She designed and presented her own Mindfulness and Self-Compassion group training programs (based on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction- MBSR and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy- MBCT) in Canberra in 2011. She was keen to join Kristin Neff and Chris Germer when they co-created their program in Mindful Self-Compassion in the US. So in June 2014, Marie attended the first public residential Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher Training program presented by Kristin Neff and Chris Germer in California. Marie is one of the first registered and certified Mindful Self-Compassion trained teacher in Australia.

Marie has worked as a Clinical Psychologist in a wide range of mental health settings in public, private and corporate sectors. In her clinical work, she uses Cognitive Behaviour Therapy as well as Mindfulness, Compassion and Positive Psychology. Marie is committed to pursuing the new applications of mindfulness, compassion, and neuroscience in her work as a clinical psychologist and teacher.

Over time, her role has evolved in providing for the patients/clients/consumers to also support health professionals. As well as running a private practice, she is conducting training programs for various corporate, private businesses, public and health provider services.

Marie is a registered psychologist and Medicare provider since 1990 and offers private counselling sessions as well as provides private coaching and supervision in mindfulness, self-compassion and Compassion-Focused Therapy. She is approved by AHPRA as a supervisor for psychologists and other healthcare professionals.

Professional background

• Completing a B.SC and a Master in Clinical Psychology at the University of NSW-1980
• Registered with AHPRA as a Clinical Psychologist since 1990
• Medicare Provider as a Clinical Psychologist-1990
• Member of the College of Clinical Psychology- Australian Psychologist Association
• Registered and accreditated Trained Teacher in Mindful Self-Compassion (formal training and mentoring by Kristin Neff, Chris Germer, Michelle Becker and Steve Hickman)--2014-2016
• Event Coordinator for the Buddhism and Psychology Interest Group- the Australian Psychological Society(APS)
• Adjunct Professional Associate- Master in Clinical Psychology-University of Canberra
• Conducting a private practice for individuals referred by their psychiatrist or GP
• Conducting Programs to various corporate, private businesses as well as public and health services.

My personal journey

My initial personal search for a happier way of living led me to study and become a Clinical Psychologist in the 1970’s. Initially, I was practising Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in my professional practice and also applied it to my personal life, to start changing my own mind and thinking for the better. It worked for a while, I became calmer, better able to manage stress and other difficult emotions. However, in the mid-1980s, my life took a turn for the worse (so I thought then!). First, I experienced a very painful divorce and then shortly after, my best friend at 30 years of age, was diagnosed with cancer of the ovaries and lost the battle 18 months later. Those major events led me to re-think psychology and started me on a new quest for greater wisdom. So in between, re-marrying and bringing up 1 stepson and 4 children of my own, I had the opportunity to study and practice "A Course in Miracles",  Hinduism, and Buddhism which all included the practice of meditation.

Over the years, I became kinder to myself and discovered that many of my existing practices were part of the concept of self-compassion. Exploring the writing of Paul Gilbert, Kristen Neff and Chris Germer consolidated my existing practices. This came at a time in my life when I needed some extra emotional coping skills to deal with very painful personal situations and a severe health issue. I have experienced how personally strengthening and uplifting those mindfulness and self-compassion practices can be, allowing me to handle stressful events with more resilience, easing the difficult moments that life inevitably brings. I know that even if my life is not perfect, I can still embrace it, with an attitude of gratitude and be present to appreciate the good times.

Living mindfully, meditating and practising self-compassion has greatly empowered me, adding a new level of awareness, vitality and joy. My life is still challenging and there are still difficult moments of stress, anxiety and pain but I can relate to those times, differently, adding more understanding and compassion, to lighten up the load. I know for myself that mindfulness and self-compassion are powerful tools that can change a life and I would like to share their benefits, so others can also transform their life for the better.

As a consequence of Mindful Self-Compassion, my life has become more vibrant and fulfilling. I feel so fortunate to live at a time when mindfulness and self-compassion can offer tools that provide inner strengths, to cultivate the mind and open the heart so that we can respond more skillfully to our struggles, to promote inner peace and joy as well as being able to engage with others more deeply. I feel very privileged to be able to teach the various practical gifts of mindfulness and self-compassion. It is very satisfying to witness the participants over the course of the program to be transformed; to see them become more accepting and compassionate to themselves and others; to see them becoming calmer, happier; and to see them thrive with their newly acquired skills in mindfulness and self-compassion.

May you be kind to yourself!

May you be well!

May you flourish!

Marie Bloomfield

Visit Marie's website