Kristin Neff, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and a pioneer in self-compassion research, having conducted the first empirical studies in the field. She is the author of Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself (William Morrow, 2011) and co-founded the nonprofit Center for Mindful Self-Compassion (CMSC).

Clifton Mark Williams (born 12 October) is a New Zealand literary scholar and editor. He co-edited the *Anthology of New Zealand Literature* (Auckland University Press, 2012) with Jane Stafford. He is also associated with works on Irish history and Celtic myths, as well as co-editing *The Mindful Way through Depression* alongside John Teasdale, Zindel Segal, and Jon Kabat-Zinn.

John D. Teasdale, PhD, held a Special Scientific Appointment with the UK Medical Research Council's Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge and was a leading researcher at Oxford University. A pioneer in cognitive therapy, he is one of the co-developers of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for depression and co-author of *Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression* and *The Mindful Way through Depression*.

Zindel V. Segal (born 1956 in Lutsk, Ukraine) is a cognitive psychologist, specialist on depression, and one of the founders of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). A professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, he co-authored works including *The Mindful Way Through Depression* (with Mark Williams, John Teasdale, and Jon Kabat-Zinn) and *Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome*.

Jon Kabat-Zinn (born June 5, 1944) is an American professor emeritus of medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, scientist, writer, and meditation teacher. He is the creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). His books include *Full Catastrophe Living* (1990) and *Wherever You Go, There You Are*, among others.

Mieshelle Nagelschneider is an American cat behaviorist, author of the eponymously titled book The Cat Whisperer and founder of The Cat Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon..