Professor brings mindfulness home

Jamie Derrick grew up on the banks of the Clearwater River, but her path forward, after high school graduation, lacked the clarity for which her home river is named.

Derrick lived in a trailer house in a working-class Orofino neighborhood, rode a bus to school and had decided that life after high school would include whatever employment came along.

I loved people, and I wanted to work with people and find a way to give back to my community.

— Jamie Derrick, professor

Her path, however, like the river near her Orofino home, unfolded in an unanticipated fashion. She didn’t foresee years of travel, living in large cities, attending an elite university, and eventually returning to Idaho to establish a flourishing reputation as a teacher, mentor, psychologist and mindfulness instructor.

Best known for her mindfulness and stress reduction workshops and her weekly  mindfulness drop-in sessions, at noon each Wednesday online, Derrick has accumulated a stream of accolades and awards for her mindfulness programming and for teaching her undergraduate and graduate courses, which are among the most popular in the Psychology Department.

Derrick’s mindfulness meditations became part of the University of Idaho campus’ regular programming a decade ago. Since then, hundreds of students, faculty and community members have taken advantage of Derrick’s engaging, homespun and down-to-earth meditations.

“It’s kind of a mix of self-reflection, deep contemplation and humor,” Derrick said.

“Mindfulness can be challenging but its inherently playful and expansive.”

Surprises around the river bend

Growing up in Orofino where her stepfather was a construction worker, and her mother was a stay-at-home mom, Derrick said she did not envision attending college and becoming a professor. Her parents and grandparents were hard working Idahoans but did not understand the path to higher education.

“I didn’t think college was a good fit for me,” she said. “Even though I was a top student, I didn’t understand what I needed to do to attend college and just hadn’t considered it.”

She enjoyed summers floating on the river with friends without focusing a lot on the future. But, one day in a high school study hall, Derrick was caught up in the activity of her peers. They were filling out scholarship applications for college, and she followed suit.

“I had completed my homework, so I just started doing what they did,” Derrick said.

Those applications landed two scholarships to U of I, and Derrick became the first person in her family to attend college. After four years, Derrick finished at the top of her class with a business degree.

She immediately received five job offers.

“Just based on my GPA,” she said. “That random act in study hall my senior year changed my life.”

But it wouldn’t be an isolated incident.

Instead of accepting employment that could launch a lucrative post-college career, Derrick packed up and drove to Yosemite National Park where she spent three years working and learning how to rock and mountain climb on some of North America’s premier granite.

“I knew that business wasn’t something I wanted to do,” she said. “I loved people, and I wanted to work with people and find a way to give back to my community.”

Yosemite is a climber’s mecca, and Derrick was on a journey of self-discovery.

“It was magical and beautiful, plus it helped me find my path,” Derrick said.

A mindful twist

From Yosemite, she moved to Stanford University earning master’s and doctorate degrees in counseling and social psychology, then lived in Los Angeles where she completed post doctorate work at UCLA. It was here she became a serious student of mindfulness — a practice that involves being aware of your current thoughts, feelings and surroundings without judgment or interpretation. It can help you feel calmer, reduce stress and improve your mental well-being.

She adopted the practice and learned how to build a program around the mental healing sessions that she eventually brought to Idaho where university administrators agreed to officially implement her program on campus.

“I basically imported what I learned at UCLA,” she said.

Derrick advertised her first mindfulness session at U of I by stapling fliers to Moscow campus cork boards.

“I didn’t know if anyone would even show up,” she said.

Expecting maybe a handful of participants, her first drop-in session drew a standing-room-only crowd.

“The room was packed,” she said.

For the past decade, Derrick, a licensed psychologist who keeps a small Moscow practice in addition to her role as professor, has provided students and employees with free once per week mindfulness drop-in online sessions.

“The program bloomed,” she said.

Derrick makes participants welcome, learns their names and interacts with them to ensure they have a warm and enriching experience.

“It’s a nourishing, guided meditation session that lets people recharge midweek,” she said.

Everyone is welcome, and no meditation experience is necessary.

“There are no prerequisites,” she said. “Come as you are.”

The program has grown so popular that regular attendees sometimes bring families and friends. Weekly attendance is usually around 25.

“My focus is to reduce stress and build self-compassion,” she said.

She adds poetry too and ends each 20-minute session with a personal touch, thanks people for coming, responds to chat messages and encourages attendees to visit her other resources.

“Every meditation is friendly and unique,” she said. “I don’t do re-runs, so you always get something new. It helps with the engagement.”

Article by Ralph Bartholdt, University Communications.

Photos by Garrett Britton, University Visual Productions.

Published in September, 2024.