Karen Holst, EdD, MSW, LCSW
Mindfulness Teacher & Consultant
Karen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and holds a doctorate degree in Human Services Administration. She served as the Director of a day treatment program for adolescents for 13 years before joining Monarch. Karen first discovered mindfulness meditation when working with at-risk youth in an Exceptional Children’s program, as an adjunct intervention to traditional therapies. After observing the benefits in the students and beginning a personal practice, she soon began advanced training in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Karen has taught a Master’s level mindfulness course at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte School of Social Work and continues to provide guidance and training for individuals, groups, corporations, and agencies. Karen is passionate about the practice of mindfulness due to the extensive benefits observed with others as well as in her own personal life.
Jude Johnson, MA, LMFT
Mindfulness Teacher & Consultant
Jude is a licensed marriage and family therapist and mindfulness meditation teacher. Jude teaches Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and other mindfulness programs designed to reduce stress, and enhance physical, emotional and cognitive health. Jude developed a passion for mindfulness after incorporating it at an alternative school for at-risk youth, and seeing students' positive transformations firsthand. Since 2011, he has been teaching regular mindfulness-meditation groups, integrating mindfulness into therapy sessions and providing training to health care providers and businesses.
