Christopher Willard

Dr. Christopher Willard is a clinical psychologist, author and consultant who teaches mindfulness and meditation on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. He is based in Boston. He describes his passion for mindfulness as beginning in his early twenties, when he found how transformative the practice could be for his own mental health and well-being. A chance introduction to mindfulness then sparked his interest in its uses in neuroscience, mental health and communication.

He writes and speaks about what he calls the new three R's of the 21st century: resilience, regulation and relationships. His subjects include mindfulness, mental health, emotional intelligence and neuroscience. His work ranges from academic texts to children's books. He has written twenty books, among them Child's Mind (2010), Growing Up Mindful (2016), Alphabreaths (2019) and How We Grow Through What We Go Through (2022). He co-wrote the card decks Growing Mindful and Growing Happy. He also co-wrote College Mental Health 101 with Blaise Aguirre and Chelsie Green. Dan Siegel, Tara Brach and Deb Dana are among the people who have praised his books.

Willard is widely known for teaching mindfulness to children and teens. He has led workshops, trainings and consultations for individuals, schools, hospitals and organizations. He has spoken in dozens of countries, and he has given two TEDx talks. He is president of the Mindfulness in Education Network and serves on the board of directors of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. He also teaches with the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion. Beyond teaching, he coaches people on writing books, public speaking and workshop design, and he coaches therapists who are starting private practices.