Speakers List

Distinguished speakers for the 3rd International Conference on Mind & Its Potential include:

Venerable Sangye Khadro, (Kathleen McDonald), Author How to Meditate
Kathleen McDonald was born in California in 1952, and ordained as a Buddhist nun in Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in 1974. She has studied with teachers such as Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Thubten Yeshe, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. At the request of her teachers Ven Sangye Khadro began teaching in 1979 and has taught in many countries around the world, most recently at Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore, for 11 years. Her best-selling book, How to Meditate, is now in its 14th printing.

Dr Philippe Goldin, Clinical Researcher, Department of Psychology, Stanford University, USA
Philippe studied Buddhist philosophy and meditation at Namgyal Monastery and the Dialectic Institute in India, and served as an interpreter for Tibetan Buddhist lamas. He completed a Clinical Psychology PhD at Rutgers University, and is currently a research scientist at Stanford University.  He studies (a) functional neuroimaging of cognitive-affective mechanisms in adults with anxiety disorders, (b) the effects of mindfulness meditation and cognitive-behavioral therapy on brain-behavior correlates of emotional reactivity and regulation, and (c) training families in mindfulness skills.

Dr James Carmody, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Director of Research, Centre for Mindfulness, University of Massachusetts Medical School, USA
James Carmody, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Director of Research, Center for Mindfulness. He has been a vipassana and yoga practitioner for the past thirty five years, and teaches mindfulness retreats for health care practitioners. His principal research interest is in delineating the qualities of attending leading to well-being. He is a principal investigator on three National Institutes of Health funded clinical trials of mindfulness-based interventions for asthma, menopause, and bone marrow transplantation.

Dr Amishi Jha, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, USA
Amishi P. Jha, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her Ph.D. from University of California-Davis in 1998, and received her post-doctoral training in the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center at Duke University (Durham, USA) in functional neuroimaging. Her research centers on the cognitive neuroscience of attention and working memory using functional MRI, electroencephalography (EEG), and behavioral measures. She is actively conducting studies to investigate if mindfulness training may lead to improvements in these systems.

Paul Wilson, international best-selling author, The Quiet, The Little Book of Calm
Paul Wilson is described in Who’s Who as “the guru of calm”. He is a teacher, author and columnist whose focus is on meditation and peacefulness. His weekly syndicated column reaches an audience of several million. And his books (more than a dozen with “Calm” in the title, including the one that started the global “little book” phenomenon, The Little Book of Calm) are in 24 languages, with more than 8 million in sales. These days he writes more spiritually-oriented books with “Quiet” in the title.

Venerable Ajahn Brahm, Spiritual Director, Buddhist Society of Western Australia, Author Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond
Ajahn Brahmavamso was born in London in 1951 and ordained in Bangkok at the age of 23 by the Abbot of Wat Saket. Subsequently, he spent 9 years studying and training in the forest meditation tradition of the revered Venerable Ajahn Chah. He is the Abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery, a forest monastery near Perth, Western Australia and Spiritual Director of the Buddhist Society of W.A. He regularly visits prisons in WA to teach Buddhism and meditation and conducts meditation retreats in Australia and overseas.

Natasha Mitchell, Presenter, All in the Mind, ABC Radio National
Natasha Mitchell is host of 'All in the Mind' on ABC Radio National, where she is a multi-award winning science and health broadcaster and journalist. She has received international recognition for her work, including 3 Gold World Medals at the New York Radio Festivals, and a prestigious MIT Knight Journalism fellowship in 2005. She originally trained as an engineer, but now does what she really loves - chatting to people about the wonders and idiosyncrasies of the human condition.

Dr Belinda Khong, Consulting Psychologist and Lecturer, Department of Psychology, Macquarie University
Belinda Khong is a consulting psychologist and lecturer at Macquarie University, Sydney. She counsels individuals and families on relationship issues, depression, stress management and personal growth. She is a member of the editorial board of Constructivism in the Human Sciences, and served on the editorial board of The Australian Journal of Counselling Psychology. She has published articles and book chapters in Encountering Buddhism (2003) and Horizons in Buddhist Psychology: Practice, Research & Theory (2006). Belinda conducts workshops on the integration of meditation, mindfulness and psychotherapy in Australia and overseas.

Dr Chris Walsh, Psychiatrist in private practice and Turning Point Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centre 
Dr Chris Walsh is a psychiatrist in private practice in North Carlton (Melbourne, Australia) and works as a consultant at the Turning Point Drug and Alcohol Service. Chris's daily mindfulness practice began at the same time as his psychiatric practice and has been organically integrated into his work. He has a special interest in applying mindfulness meditation to psychotherapy. Chris is currently involved in a pilot project at Turning Point using a mindfulness based cognitive therapy group program for substance users with co-occurring anxiety disorders.

Lynne Bousfield, Clinical Psychologist, Meditation Teacher
Lynne Bousfield has been studying and practicing Buddhist meditation in India and Burma for 30 years.  She secured the position of clinical psychologist at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Pain Clinic in 1992 and introduced insight meditation into the pain education program.  She is also in private practice.  She incorporates meditation into her general clinical work with clients with a range of problems including anxiety and depression.  Lynne also teaches traditional Buddhist meditation in Australia and overseas.

Bruno Cayoun, Psychologist, Psychology Centre and University of Tasmania
Bruno is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice at the Psychology Centre in Hobart, Tasmania, and a consultant in mindfulness research. During the last 18 years, he has practised Mindfulness meditation and undergone intensive training in Mindfulness centres in France, Nepal, India, and Australia. Bruno has developed a therapy model that integrates mindfulness with the principles of traditional Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, which is used successfully as a crisis intervention and relapse prevention method across a range of acute and chronic conditions.

Cynthia Morton, Chief Executive Officer, Emotional Fitness Foundation
Cynthia Morton is a best selling Australian author, painter, public speaker, single mother of two teenage sons and Chief Executive Officer and founder of the Emotional Fitness Foundation. She has worked with over 7000 Australians facing emotionally challenging life issues such as addiction, abuse and depression. Her groundbreaking Emotional Fitness Program has been recognised with awards from the Child Protection Committee, the Australian Medical Association and the 2006 Prime Minister’s Award of Excellence for Outstanding Contribution in Drug and Alcohol Endeavours.

Timothea Goddard, Openground Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program
Timothea works as a psychotherapist, educator and workplace trainer, having trained in humanistic, body-oriented, and psychodynamic therapeutic orientations.   Her interest in mindfulness has been deepened by being a long-time student of Aikido, yoga, and meditation.  She is an accredited MBSR teacher and has strong professional links with the Center for Mindfulness, UMass, Worcester, USA.  She is the Director of Openground - a group which offers MBSR in health and workplace contexts in Australia.

Dr. Timothy J Sharp (a.k.a. Dr. Happy) Chief Happiness Officer, The Happiness Institute
Dr. Sharp has three degrees in psychology (including a Ph.D.) and an impressive record as an academic, clinician and coach.  He runs Sydney’s largest clinical psychology practice, a highly regarded Executive Coaching practice, and is the founder & CHO (Chief Happiness Officer) of The Happiness Institute, Australia’s first organisation devoted solely to enhancing happiness in individuals, couples, families and organizations. Dr. Sharp is also a best selling author, sought after public speaker, and makes frequent appearances in the local and international media.

Dr Eng Kong Tan, Chairman, Metta Clinic
Dr Eng-Kong Tan is a Medical Doctor, Consultant Psychiatrist and Analytical Psychotherapist.  He is the Founder and Chairman of Metta Clinic, a group practice of psychiatrists and psychologists in the upper north shore of  Sydney.  He is a Fellow and former Councillor of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP). He is a well known speaker and workshop presenter on the subject of Buddhism and Psychotherapy.  He presents with clarity and a sense of humour when sharing his thirty years of clinical experience.

Renate Ogilvie, Psychotherapist, Senior Teacher, Vajrayana Institute
Renate Ogilvie is a registered psychotherapist trained in the UK and currently practising in Sydney. Renate has taught Tibetan Buddhism for over 15 years. She is an inspirational teacher, who uses both western psychological approaches and Tibetan Buddhist traditions to provide a unique synthesis for the modern, enquiring mind. Her teachings are clear and insightful (as well as entertaining!), showing how to apply Buddhist practices to ordinary, daily life. Renate is a senior western teacher at Vajrayana Institute.

Dr Susan Murphy, Zen Roshi, Author, founding teacher, Zen Open Circle, Sydney
Susan Murphy is a lineage-holder in the Diamond Sangha (Robert Aitken) and Pacific Zen (John Tarrant), and founding teacher for Zen Open Circle in Sydney, teaching also in Melbourne and the US. She is a film writer and award-winning director. She recently held a five-year Queen Elizabeth II Research Fellowship and is the author of several books on Australian film as well as a regular freelance radio documentary producer for ABC Radio National.  Her most recent book is Upside Down Zen.

Ernie Christie, Assistant Director, Catholic Education Office, Townsville
Ernie Christie is currently the Deputy Director of the Townsville Catholic Education Office, following 28 years of teaching, including two principalships in Catholic schools. Ernie is passionate about the benefits of Christian Meditation and has developed a world-first program for children which is now being practised in all Catholic schools in the Townsville Diocese. In his book, Coming Home: Teaching Christian Meditation to Children, Ernie has provided a guide to training teachers in delivering Christian Meditation in the classroom.