Susan Mickel
Susan Mickel, M.D. Susan has been meditating for twenty years, first in the Christian tradition, then in the Burmese mindfulness tradition, and for nine years now in the Tibetan Mahamudra and Dzogchen traditions. She learned Burmese mindfulness meditation from teachers at Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, and other centers. In 2001 she completed a certificate in ecumenically oriented Christian spiritual guidance from Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. Daniel Brown has been her main teacher of Mahamudra. More recently she is also studying Dzogchen with Rahob Tulku, Thupten Kalsang Rinpoche. For twelve years she has been teaching retreats first in the Burmese mindfulness tradition, including Christian-Buddhist retreats, and for the past eight years in Indo-Tibetan Mahamudra. Her personal practice and orientation is Buddhist, and she is interested in interfaith discussion and exploration. Interested in the mind since she can remember, Susan's college major was comparative religions. She worked as a behavioral neurologist and ran a memory disorders clinic for 25 years at a large nonprofit multispecialty clinic. Six years ago she returned to school for a clinical psychology Ph.D. with the intention of learning psychotherapy and exploring her interest in the mind from a somewhat different perspective. Currently she is completing her postdoctoral work at a clinic that serves a wide range of patients, many from populations that are underserved. A current research interest is in the impact of adult attachment style on relationships, health, and happiness. She plans to continue work at the interfaces of neurology, psychology, and spirituality, with the guiding interest being in how one can influence people to help them decrease their suffering and increase happiness.