OUR TEAM

Zayda Vallejo

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Delia graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree with a Major in Psychology from Mercy College in New York City, NY. She is a Florida Board Certified Addiction Counselor, and a Certified Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills trainer and has worked with Chemical abusing/mentally ill patients since 1996. Delia is a Habit Change Facilitator, trained by Mindscience, an evidence-based mindfulness organization developed by Dr Judson Brewer MD PhD, Director of Research and Innovation at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center. Delia is a Qualified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher, trained at the Oasis Institute at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine Healthcare, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She is a certified Mindfulness Ambassador through Mindfulness Without Borders, sponsored by the University of Toronto, Canada. Delia has been teaching meditation and Hatha Yoga for more than 30 years. Currently, she works as a Behavior Change Facilitator for Mindsciences, guiding and coaching online worldwide participants, using app-based interventions: Eat Right Now (ERN) and Unwinding Anxiety (UA). Delia also facilitates mindfulness courses and workshops in person and online in English and in Spanish. Delia’s commitment is to continue studying evidence-based treatments and Ancient contemplative practices such as meditation, compassion and body work. She is mentored on a weekly basis by Dr. Judson Brewer and the Mindsciences team. She attends retreats and workshops sponsored by Brown University, and other organizations dedicated to healing. Delia believes that mindfulness is a way of living, not just a technique or a methodology. She aspires to continuing to share the practice of mindfulness as a way to face life with equanimity, even in times of adversity.



Co-Founder & Faculty

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Bob Lenhardt

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Bob has worked in the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) field for 25 years as a clinician and as a director, where he focuses primarily on substance abuse and on workplace crisis response. He is a Certified Employee Assistance Professional and a U.S. DOT Qualified Substance Abuse Professional. He oversees EAP services provided to organizations following traumas or critical incidents, and manages cases in which safety-sensitive employees test positive for drugs. Bob’s career was varied from the time he graduated with a BA at Penn State in 1972, until 1988 when he graduated from Boston College Graduate School of Social Work. Much of that time was spent working in restaurants and then learning to build acoustic guitars. He began studying about meditation while in graduate school to learn how meditation might be used as a tool in recovery from addictions. His interest was boosted after visiting the Kripalu Center in Western Massachusetts for the first time in 1989, and progressed significantly after meeting (and then marrying!) Zayda in 2004. He completed the Practicum for Mindfulness Base Stress Reduction from the UMass Center for Mindfulness in 2005.He has maintained a part-time private practice in psychotherapy in Worcester since 1998, specializing in addictions.



Co-Founder & Faculty

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Billie Kasapakis

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Billie has been supporting the community of Worcester, MA as a Social Worker since 2009. She found her passion for cultural exploration and advocacy at a young age, growing up in an immigrant Greek family in Chicago, IL. In 2009, Billie moved to Worcester and started working with YOU INC, supporting youth and families as a Therapeutic Mentor. This role inspired her to pursue a career in mental health. She went on to study at the Boston College School of Social Work and completed her Masters Degree in 2012. Upon graduating, Billie transitioned from community based Social Work roles into Medical Social Work. The following years working with the VNA of Boston and Reliant Medical Group brought great emphasis on how deeply ones physical health and mental wellbeing are fundamentally linked. This led to Billie’s exploration of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and its positive impact on a patients' mental and physical health. She began studying and practicing MBSR at UMASS Medical School in 2018. Since then, Billie has been dedicated to incorporating Mindfulness into her clinical work and personal growth. In 2019, she started working with the HeartWell Institute promoting access to contemplative practices and educational programs surrounding mental and physical health. As Program Director, Billie is committed to cultivating a supportive community surrounding individuals personal growth and our collective wellbeing.



Program Director

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Juan Carreon Granados

Special Events Coordinator

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Bob has worked in the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) field for 25 years as a clinician and as a director, where he focuses primarily on substance abuse and on workplace crisis response. He is a Certified Employee Assistance Professional and a U.S. DOT Qualified Substance Abuse Professional. He oversees EAP services provided to organizations following traumas or critical incidents, and manages cases in which safety-sensitive employees test positive for drugs. Bob’s career was varied from the time he graduated with a BA at Penn State in 1972, until 1988 when he graduated from Boston College Graduate School of Social Work. Much of that time was spent working in restaurants and then learning to build acoustic guitars. He began studying about meditation while in graduate school to learn how meditation might be used as a tool in recovery from addictions. His interest was boosted after visiting the Kripalu Center in Western Massachusetts for the first time in 1989, and progressed significantly after meeting (and then marrying!) Zayda in 2004. He completed the Practicum for Mindfulness Base Stress Reduction from the UMass Center for Mindfulness in 2005.He has maintained a part-time private practice in psychotherapy in Worcester since 1998, specializing in addictions.



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Delia Calixtro

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Delia graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree with a Major in Psychology from Mercy College in New York City, NY. She is a Florida Board Certified Addiction Counselor, and a Certified Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills trainer and has worked with Chemical abusing/mentally ill patients since 1996. Delia is a Habit Change Facilitator, trained by Mindscience, an evidence-based mindfulness organization developed by Dr Judson Brewer MD PhD, Director of Research and Innovation at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center. Delia is a Qualified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher, trained at the Oasis Institute at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine Healthcare, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She is a certified Mindfulness Ambassador through Mindfulness Without Borders, sponsored by the University of Toronto, Canada. Delia has been teaching meditation and Hatha Yoga for more than 30 years. Currently, she works as a Behavior Change Facilitator for Mindsciences, guiding and coaching online worldwide participants, using app-based interventions: Eat Right Now (ERN) and Unwinding Anxiety (UA). Delia also facilitates mindfulness courses and workshops in person and online in English and in Spanish. Delia’s commitment is to continue studying evidence-based treatments and Ancient contemplative practices such as meditation, compassion and body work. She is mentored on a weekly basis by Dr. Judson Brewer and the Mindsciences team. She attends retreats and workshops sponsored by Brown University, and other organizations dedicated to healing. Delia believes that mindfulness is a way of living, not just a technique or a methodology. She aspires to continuing to share the practice of mindfulness as a way to face life with equanimity, even in times of adversity.



Faculty

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Zixiang Wang

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Delia graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree with a Major in Psychology from Mercy College in New York City, NY. She is a Florida Board Certified Addiction Counselor, and a Certified Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills trainer and has worked with Chemical abusing/mentally ill patients since 1996. Delia is a Habit Change Facilitator, trained by Mindscience, an evidence-based mindfulness organization developed by Dr Judson Brewer MD PhD, Director of Research and Innovation at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center. Delia is a Qualified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher, trained at the Oasis Institute at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine Healthcare, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She is a certified Mindfulness Ambassador through Mindfulness Without Borders, sponsored by the University of Toronto, Canada. Delia has been teaching meditation and Hatha Yoga for more than 30 years. Currently, she works as a Behavior Change Facilitator for Mindsciences, guiding and coaching online worldwide participants, using app-based interventions: Eat Right Now (ERN) and Unwinding Anxiety (UA). Delia also facilitates mindfulness courses and workshops in person and online in English and in Spanish. Delia’s commitment is to continue studying evidence-based treatments and Ancient contemplative practices such as meditation, compassion and body work. She is mentored on a weekly basis by Dr. Judson Brewer and the Mindsciences team. She attends retreats and workshops sponsored by Brown University, and other organizations dedicated to healing. Delia believes that mindfulness is a way of living, not just a technique or a methodology. She aspires to continuing to share the practice of mindfulness as a way to face life with equanimity, even in times of adversity.



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