About Mindfulness Center of Atlanta

The Mindfulness Center of Atlanta (MCA) offers a range of mindfulness programs for everyone, from non-experienced to advanced. The evidence-based programs are offered as weekly training courses, day workshops, and residential retreats. By practicing and teaching mindfulness meditation we seek to help relieve suffering in the world.

MCA was founded by Mark Dannenfelser in 2009 with the vision to assist others to work more effectively with their stress (stress being an umbrella term for the many challenges in life) so that we might live with increased health, generatively and compassion, freeing us to love more fully.

MCA is dedicated to the advancement of mindfulness science and healthcare through active participation in well-designed, randomized, controlled clinical trials and raising up new mindfulness teachers in an effort to support a diversity of voices and the ongoing growth and development of the traditions of mindfulness and contemplation.

In addition to courses, workshops, and retreats, MCA offers mindfulness teacher training, which can lead to teacher certification.

Meet the Team

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  • MA, LPC // Psychotherapist, Teacher

    Founding Director, Mindfulness Center of Atlanta

    Mark Dannenfelser, MA, LPC is a licensed psychotherapist, certified mindfulness teacher, and certified spiritual director with a passion for integrating contemplative spirituality and psychotherapy.

    He is the founding director of the Mindfulness Center of Atlanta, where he offers psychotherapy, retreats, and professional training to support individuals and communities in cultivating presence, resilience, and healing. His work brings together mindfulness, contemplative wisdom, and psychological insight in ways that are accessible, grounded, and deeply human.

    Mark is a certified teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), trained through the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He also serves as an affiliated spiritual director at Ignatius House Retreat Center and co-hosts the podcast Opening Minds, Opening Hearts, which explores the intersection of Centering Prayer, spirituality, psychology, and lived experience.

    With more than thirty years of experience in mental health, education, and contemplative practice, Mark supports individuals navigating chronic stress, grief, trauma, addiction, pain, anxiety, and depression. His approach—shaped by both professional training and personal experiences of grief and transformation—aims to foster deep healing and integration through the synergy of ancient meditation practices and modern psychology.

    Mark’s work is rooted in a reverence for nature, silence, and the arts. He believes these elements, when woven into mindfulness and psychotherapy, can ease suffering, awaken compassion, and deepen our connection to ourselves, one another, and the natural world.

    He holds advanced degrees in Counseling Psychology and Pastoral Studies and certifications in MBSR, mindfulness mentoring, and spiritual direction. Mark has completed extensive training in trauma-sensitive mindfulness, yoga therapy, mind-body medicine, and EMDR therapy.

    His research focuses on mindfulness applications for smoking cessation, chronic kidney disease, stress in emergency medicine residents, and integrating EcoAwareness into mindfulness teaching.

    Mark's work supports healing and integration across personal, societal, and environmental dimensions.

    See research published by Mark

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  • MSN, RN, RY // Teacher

    Sokari is the founder of Courageous Space Yoga and Wellness, LLC. She provides psychotherapy and therapeutic services to children, adolescents, healthcare professionals, educators, and teams dealing with grief, loss, and conflict.

    Sokari is a trauma-informed Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with certifications in Pediatric Primary Care and Psychiatry/Mental Health. She is a certified yoga teacher, teaching Skill in Action yoga, Accessible Yoga, Yoga for 12-Step Addiction Recovery, and Empowered Wisdom Yoga Nidra.

    Sokari’s practice is rooted in a healing justice framework, helping BIPOC individuals and communities. She helps individuals and teams understand the impact of trauma and helps to build resilience, safety, and connection.

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  • BSW, MSW, IMH-E® // Teacher

    Tyona McGee-Ezeilo is a seasoned clinical social worker and certified life coach with a deep passion for relationship cultivation, and fostering resilience and well-being through mindfulness. As a qualified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher, Tyona brings her personal mindfulness practice, as well as a wealth of experience from her diverse roles as a grief educator, group facilitator, and organizational consultant.

    Her background includes significant work in early intervention, group therapy, and peer support, with a special focus on mindfulness-based mental health support for the BIPOC community.

    In addition to her professional achievements, Tyona's personal life enriches her approach—she is a dedicated caregiver for adult family members, a loving wife, and a mother of four.

    With a profound commitment to integrating mindfulness into daily life, Tyona creates a supportive and transformative learning environment.

    Tyona’s website

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  • MA, CCC-SLP // Teacher

    Anita is a speech language pathologist in the Fulton County School District. She has worked with middle- school age students since 2000. Anita is a certified mindfulness teacher (Kornfield & Brach, Awareness Training Institute and the Greater Good Science Center) and has advanced training in the Mindful Schools curriculum.

    In addition to her work in speech language therapy, Anita has a professional interest in promoting mindfulness in the educational setting. She seeks to provide mindfulness training to teachers and students. She has introduced a mindfulness and gardening program in her middle school.

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  • MBA, RYT // Teacher-in-Training

    Rachel is a MBSR teacher in training, a registered yoga teacher, and a consultant. She offers Yin Yoga and Meditation classes at Yonder Yoga and teaches Yin and Restorative Yoga classes at Haven Yoga. In addition to instruction, Rachel provides program development, training, workshops, and coaching to support the well-being and development of individuals, teams, and organizations.

    Rachel holds a Masters degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Organizations Management from Georgia State University and has her Project Management Professional certificate with a concentration in Organizational Transformation. After years of helping professionals develop leadership skills and equipping teams with the knowledge and tools to work better together, her professional interests have broadened to include promoting mindfulness in diverse work settings.

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  • CSD, CE // Administrative Assistant

    Tammy first came to the Mindfulness Center of Atlanta as a retreat attendee. After a long journey of caregiving that resulted in the death of her husband, she was looking for additional tools to support her grief and recovery process. The practice of mindfulness changed her life and led her to explore other areas of well-being which she has combined with her love of spirituality and 20+ years of ministry experience.

    Since that time, she completed the two-year spiritual direction certificate training through Sustainable Faith and is a certified Enneagram Facilitator through Enneagram Atlanta.

    Now, as the administrative assistant for MCA, she works to support others in the advancement of mindfulness and contemplative spirituality.