Meet Our Teachers

IMCC's teachers are revered for their depth of practice, breadth of understanding, and compassionate hearts. Keenly attuned to our participants, they consistently deliver invaluable teachings reflecting their unique perspective and personal style. They also continue as students themselves, dedicated to ongoing study and dharma practice and to deepening their understanding and embodiment of the Buddha's teachings.

Teacher consultations are available for meditation students interested in receiving one-on-one assistance with their spiritual practice and developing a more compassionate and wise perspective on their life and relationships. The consultation provides a forum to discuss current practical and ethical issues and also may include helping students find meditation techniques that suit them individually. Use the Contact Us from to send a message to a teacher.

Our teachers adhere to a code of ethics reflecting their belief that as dharma teachers they become stewards of the trust students place in them. Read the code of ethics to learn more about their commitment to personal integrity and clear teacher-student boundaries.

Their training has been at respected programs such as: Spirit Rock Meditation Center and its Community Dharma Leaders Program, the Meditation Teacher Training Institute, and the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program.

A Guiding Teachers' Council (GTC) meets monthly to plan and oversee all aspect of teaching at IMCC from weekly dharma teaching, periodic classes and retreats,  guest teachers, support for teacher development, identifying and mentoring new teachers, establishing and monitoring teacher criteria and ethical guidelines. Members of the GTC are Sharon Beckman-Brindley (co-chair), Teresa Miller (co-chair), Marylouise Kelley, Liz Reynolds, and Bill Detmer (Board ombudsman). To reach a member of the teachers' council or direct an inquiry to any teacher, you may use the Contact Us form.

IMCC Teachers

Sharon Beckman-Brindley, (she/her) a clinical psychologist, is an IMCC co-founder and a current IMCC teacher.  Her offerings blend deep inquiry into the Dhamma with practical insights from modern western psychology.  She is also a senior teacher of the relational meditation practice of Insight Dialogue. (www.metta.org) Sharon enjoys developing programs for mental health professionals and she writes a blog (sharonbb.org) whose aim is to integrate western psychological understandings with the wisdom teachings of Buddhist psychology. She is a graduate of the Community Dharma Leaders Program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, Calif. Sharon is a stepmother, and a grandmother and she lives with her husband in Charlottesville. 

Pat Coffey began his meditation practice over 40 years ago and has taught meditation since 1996. He studied with numerous Asian and Western teachers in the Theravada, Tibetan, and Zen traditions. Pat was selected and trained as a meditation teacher in the joint teacher training program of the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts and Spirit Rock Meditation Center under the tutelage of Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein. He is a founder of IMCC and the Blue Ridge Prison Project, and co-founder of the Meditation Teacher Training Institute. Currently Pat has partnered with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield in establishing The Awareness Training Institute.

Down-to-earth, real-world, practical dharma is the hallmark of his teaching. The father of two children, owner of several businesses, and holder of several patents, he draws on his varied and rich life experience to articulate the dharma.