As BAMBA has grown, so too has the diversity and complexity of applications to the Register. Alongside many applicants who meet our established criteria, we also receive applications that sit outside standard pathways or require more nuanced consideration.

To support fair, inclusive, and consistent decision-making in these cases, we have established the Professional Standards Advisory Board (PSAB).

The Board:

• Reviews applications that require additional consideration or fall outside usual criteria
• Provides guidance on the application of BAMBA’s Professional Standards and Good Practice Guidelines
• Contributes diverse perspectives to ensure decisions reflect the breadth of the mindfulness field 

The Board meets regularly and operates within a clear framework, ensuring consistency, transparency, and timely decision-making.

While final decisions remain with BAMBA’s Register Manager, the PSAB plays a vital advisory role, strengthening the robustness of the process. 

The introduction of the PSAB represents an important step in the ongoing development of BAMBA as a professional body.

It ensures that:

• Decisions are consistent and well-evidenced through shared review and structured discussion
• Fairness and inclusivity are strengthened, recognising varied professional backgrounds and pathways
• Complex cases are handled with care and expertise, rather than relying on a single perspective
• Governance is clearer and more transparent, with defined roles, processes, and accountability

Board members are selected for their depth of experience, alignment with BAMBA’s values, and commitment to integrity, confidentiality, and collaborative decision-making. 

The PSAB reflects BAMBA’s continued commitment to:

• Upholding high professional standards
• Supporting a diverse and evolving field
• Making thoughtful, transparent decisions in the best interests of the public and the profession

Drawing on 15 years of experience as a senior manager for a global corporation, Jacky is a leader, educator, and communications specialist dedicated to the intersection of mindfulness and holistic well-being. As the Communications Manager and a member of the Core Management Team for the Mindfulness Association, she plays a key role in the organisation’s strategic direction and outreach. She is also a lead tutor on the Mindfulness and Compassion (Levels 1 and 2) courses, as well as the Teacher Training Pathway.

With an MSc in Mindfulness Studies (2018), Jacky’s research explored the transformative impact of mindfulness and compassion for family caregivers. Her work also extends into the profound space of end-of-life care, where she has been instrumental in developing and delivering the Living Well to Die Well curriculum.

Jacky’s approach is deeply somatic; a trained teacher in Yoga, Qigong, and Tai Chi, she created the Mindful Body course to bridge the gap between contemplative practice and physical movement. She lives on the North Yorkshire coast with her husband, where she enjoys wildlife photography and year-round swimming in the North Sea.

Dr. Jamie Brown (MBBS, MSc, BSc) is a physician and NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the University of Bristol. A mindfulness teacher and supervisor with over 25 years of practice, Jamie has trained with many organisations including Mindfulness Association, the Mindfulness in Schools Project, the Oxford Mindfulness Foundation, and through the MA in Mindfulness-Based Approaches at the University of Bangor and is qualified in a wide range of protocols, including MBCT, MBSR, and Paws b. Her teaching experience is vast, ranging from supporting healthcare professionals and running courses for The Mindfulness Project to delivering compassion-focused interventions in the community.

Her clinical expertise in mental health services and community paediatrics offers a unique systemic lens on professional standards, particularly regarding statutory safeguarding and multi-agency risk management. Jamie specializes in neuro-affirming care, leading the “INCLUDE Project” to co-adapt mindfulness for neurodivergent young people.

Beyond the clinic, Jamie is a Lecturer at the University of Bristol, and a 500-hour qualified yoga teacher specializing in trauma-informed and adaptive practices. A dedicated advocate for equity, she has co-founded two national health equality advocacy organisations.

Karen Atkinson is the CEO and founder of MindfulnessUK, specialising in accredited mindfulness and compassion training. Karen has over three decades of experience across health, social care, yoga, and mindfulness-based training. She is a recognised specialist in mindfulness and compassion, known for her safe and trauma-informed approach to supporting individuals, professionals, and organisations. Karen is the author of Compassionate Mindful Inquiry in Therapeutic Practice (2020), with a second book due later this year. She is also an Honorary Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast and the creator of the internationally recognised Compassionate Mindful Resilience (CMR) programme.

Maureen O’Callaghan is a mindfulness practitioner. She obtained an MSc in Mindfulness-Based Approaches from Bangor University in 2017, with research investigating the role of mindfulness in supporting unpaid caregivers. Since then, her work has focused on ensuring that mindfulness is both relevant and accessible to those experiencing disadvantage, such as the long-term unemployed. Her PhD thesis examined the role of mindfulness in fostering prosocial values and behaviours in business, and she has used the research findings to set up a social enterprise, Beyond Money Education and Training CIC. Outside of academic and professional activities, Maureen enjoys spending time with her family and gardening.

Michael Atkinson is a BAMBA-registered mindfulness teacher, Senior Lecturer in Medical Education at the University of Sunderland, writer, and podcaster whose scholarship explores the intersection of mindfulness, education, and philosophy. With over 25 years of personal practice, he is both MBSR and CMR trained, delivering mindfulness courses and retreats to the public, as well as serving as an external teacher for MindfulnessUK. He also lectures on mindfulness academically to undergraduate medical and Masters-level students.

At a national level, Michael serves as Co-Chair of the Mindfulness in Medical Education (MiME) Special Interest Group for the Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME). He is a strong advocate for the Medical Humanities, a commitment highlighted by a recent publication in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) which reframes physician self-care as a fundamental moral obligation, and a recent invitation to speak at the Humanism in Medicine Summer School at the University of Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona.

Through his podcast, ‘On the Cushion: The Mindfulness Educators Podcast’, Michael extends this inquiry by exploring the unique pedagogies of mindfulness practitioners, fostering a deeper dialogue on how contemplative wisdom can be effectively shared to navigate the complexities of modern life.