Therapy & Meditation with Noel Coakley, MEd, LMHC

Serving Greater Boston & Beyond

Wake Up Sleepy Buddha

For those seeking an alternative to traditional psychotherapy, Noel offers a unique approach rooted in Buddhist psychology and meditation practices.

Noel works with individuals and couples around issues including (but not limited to) anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, relationships, career changes, and spirituality.

For those seeking support in their meditation practice, Noel offers an approach established in lineage traditions that is balanced with trauma-informed Western psychology. His support style balances tradition with modern contextualization.

Meet Noel
Meet Noel

Wake Up Sleepy Buddha the BOOK is coming!

For a long time this project has lived on the cushion and behind the scenes. Now it’s evolving into something you can hold in your hands.

Explore a 650 page, fully illustrated guide that distills my 25 years of practicing and teaching into an accessible tool to connect your meditation practice to your real life.

It’s written to bridge the gap between ancient traditions and modern culture— without the jargon or the barriers.

This is a community-funded passion project. To bring this book into it’s final phase with it’s integrity and vision intact, I’m inviting you to join the Kickstarter campaign. Your support will directly fund the final editing, original artwork and very first printing.

Learn more
Learn more

Upcoming Courses & Retreats

Featured
“A Path of Compassion for Everyday Life”
Feb 2
“A Path of Compassion for Everyday Life”

Mondays 7-830p ET
Live at JP Centre Yoga, via Zoom, or recording
2/2-5/18


This 12 session course is a practical exploration of what it means to live a compassionate, awake, and grounded life in the modern world. Together, we will study The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, a beloved Tibetan Buddhist text that offers clear, usable roadmap for meeting life’s challenges with wisdom and an open heart. 

We’ll explore this teachings in a relatable, down-to-earth way. Together,  Lama Tsering and Noel will weave the traditional meaning of each verse as well as modern psychological and contemplative perspectives in order to work with them in life - relationships, family, work, and the internal landscapes we all carry. 

This course is not just a study - it’s a living practice. Each session will include practicing meditations that help soften reactivity, open the heart, and clarify intention. We’ll practice and engage in discussions together as a mutually supportive community. 

This course is appropriate for new and experienced practitioners alike - anyone wishing to deepen their understanding of the bodhisattva path (the path of the awakened heart warrior). 

As with our previous program, this course will offer an optional opportunity to take (or re-affirm) refuge and bodhisattva vows - a personal commitment to cultivating awareness and compassionate action. (This is approached not as a commitment to any particular teacher or lineage, but to one’s own practice.)

Fundamentals of Stillness: Mindfulness Practices and Yin Yoga
May 9
Fundamentals of Stillness: Mindfulness Practices and Yin Yoga

”Fundamentals of Stillness: Mindfulness Practices & Yin Yoga”

Online and In Person @ JP Centre Yoga
Saturday May 9th
6:30PM-9PM

with Emily Peterson and Noel Coakley

Mindfulness invites us into direct, moment-to-moment presence — meeting each breath, sensation, and thought with curiosity and kindness. To begin, Noel will offer an accessible introduction to mindfulness, and from there Emily will guide a grounding Yin Yoga sequence. Together, these practices highlight the inseparable nature of mind and body — awareness expressed through form, feeling, and breath.

"Meditation Foundations: Intro to Mindful Awareness, Compassion, and Insight”
May 10
"Meditation Foundations: Intro to Mindful Awareness, Compassion, and Insight”

In Person @ Krigsman Yoga, Hingham, MA
Sundays: 5/10, 5/17, 5/31, 6/7 and 6/14
6PM-8PM

This five-session series offers a grounded, experiential introduction to meditation beyond basic mindfulness. Together we’ll explore several core categories of practice found across the Buddhist tradition — including concentration, compassion, and insight — presented in clear, accessible language without requiring any particular belief system.

Each session includes guided meditation, practical instruction, and interpersonal discussion to help integrate practice into daily life. This course is well-suited for beginners looking for structure and clarity, as well as experienced practitioners who want to reconnect with foundational practices in a fresh way.

Meditation here isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about becoming more familiar with the awareness and capacity that are already present within you.

2026 Meditation Retreat in Costa Rica
Dec 4
2026 Meditation Retreat in Costa Rica

Join Noel Coakley for a meditation retreat, nestled in the lush mountains and vibrant jungles of La Fortuna, Costa Rica.  At the foot of the volcano, on the shore of Lake Arenal, explore local activities and enjoy nourishing food, while starting and ending the day with meditation sessions.

All are welcome, with a gentle suggestion for those new to meditation to have a basic introduction beforehand.

  • -" with warmth, humor and practical wisdom, Noel makes meditation and Buddhist insights approachable for true beginners. His introductory classes were just what I needed to get started on the path to mindfulness."

    Paula, Chicago

  • I first met Noel Coakley at a music festival where he was conducting guided meditation sessions. Since then I have participated in several of his on-line meditation courses. In a heaving sea of information (and misinformation) and 24/7 cultural and sensory input, Noel effectively teaches us how to seek (and hopefully find) that calm and open place we each have within ourselves to better help us to get on in our tumultuous world. He is a very kind, warm and egalitarian being. His teachings are very practical, understandable and free of any off-putting vibe or jargon. In his classes, we're all open, free and supported by the community that Noel fosters. I look forward to more of Noel's presence and teachings.

    Karl, Retired veterinarian, husband of 40 years

  • Noel's presence is calm, centered, supportive and non-judgemental - a perfect combination for those new to the practice as well as long-time devotees.

    Robert, Acupuncturist

  • Noel is a compassionate, direct and attuned healing guide and psychotherapist. His knowledge of Dharma and mindfulness, as well as deep training in theory and body-based practices allow him to meet me where I am at, respond thoughtfully, and hold the space for me to arrive at my own wisdom. With his support I have thrived through some very dark times.

    E., Yoga Teacher, Reiki Practitioner

  • These programs were truly great. They were thoughtfully organized, well presented, and interactive in a very comfortable way. Noel is a wonderful teacher and relates easily to a broad range of people and explains the concepts behind Buddhist meditation in a very tangible way. I have really benefited from my new practice and plan to continue.

    Course Participant

  • I’ve been working with Noel for the better part of a decade and have found his insights, guidance and wisdom truly transformative both in navigating my meditation practice as well as my life as a whole.

    Robert, Writer

  • I very much enjoyed the class and miss having that on my Mondays. I've been pretty consistent with my meditation but this helped deepen it. I liked getting walked through a lot of major ideas and practices all at once. It helped me put things in context. I enjoyed the detours into western psychology because the meetpoint between that and the Buddhist/Eastern concept of mind, etc. is very interesting to me as two very different approaches to the challenges of life. I could have gone for more of that but that may not be for everyone. And overall I liked the way you handled the class!

    Dan