Mindfulness based stress reduction 8-week course

Description

Are you chased by thoughts and the to-do list? Do you spend a lot of time re-living or pre-living your experiences? Are you caught up in thoughts memories and plans? 

Mindfulness can help you come back from the cinema of the mind to learn new ways of being. Mindfulness is a very pragmatic way of training your mind, which results in stress reduction, and mental resilience to face the realities of day to day life. You will unclutter and freshen the mind and gain focus.  Resulting in improved relationships with yourself and others.

The course

The classes will be experiential and practical. The programme enables participants to become familiar with the full range of core practices, and to establish their own personal practice. The key practices will be introduced, and there will be opportunities to reflect on and inquire into what we notice as we practice together, and alone. As the programme progresses, participants will have the opportunity to learn more about recognising and responding to problems and difficulties, and bringing mindfulness skills into daily life. 

The sessions are developmental, and participants are provided with full learning support, in the form of a course handbook and guided practice CDs. The course requires its participants to commit to 45 minutes of home practice each day outside of the course. The practice CDs and hand book are for this purpose. The once a weekly sessions will last for two hours at the Quaker centre in Peterborough, this is a peaceful and relaxing setting where your personal mindfulness practice can develop.

Who the course is for

Mindfulness has been heavily researched and its use is wide ranging. People attend the eight-week course for a wide variety of reasons, possibly just wanting to learn more, following a period of stress, or illness, seeking pain relief or because of a work interest. Your reason for joining the course is personal to you; the course will provide you with the space, support and knowledge to build your own practice for a less stressful life.

This course blends together the skills from Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) as taught by Professor Mark Williams at the centre of mindfulness in Oxford University. It also incorporates self-compassion and kindness to the practices.

About mindfulness

Mindfulness is an ancient practise with its roots in Buddhism and eastern philosophy and has been around for thousands of years. In more recent years Jon Kabat Zinn was one of the early pioneers of mindfulness.

Mindfulness can help us create a pause between stimulus and response and this, in turn, gives us more choice in how we respond to events, people, our thoughts, emotions and feelings. It can enable a different perspective or relationship to what is going on in our actual experience and in our behaviour by bringing us back to our direct experience and the present moment we are in. It can help us to examine our relationship with day to day life and how we cope with stress when it arises. Practicing mindfulness can improve the quality of our life and enables us to be better equipped when we have stress. Mindfulness emphasises to the individual the thinking and feeling patterns that accompany depression, anxiety, physical pain, anger, eating disorders and mental and physical conditions.

Course dates and times

The course is developmental, and attendance at all sessions is needed in order to really derive benefit from the programme. The dates are:

• Induction and week one* - Thursday 16th of February 2017.
• Week two - Thursday 23rd of February.
• Week three - Thursday 2nd of March.
• Week four - Thursday 9th of March.
• Week five - Thursday 16th of March.
• Week six - Thursday 23rd of March.
• Week seven - Thursday 30th of March.
• Week eight - Thursday 6th of April.
• Plus half a day practice workshop on Saturday 25th of March.

The weekly class runs from 18.30-20.30 (6.30pm -8.30pm) from week two onwards on Thursdays.

*Week one includes induction and so commences at 6pm - 8.30pm.

Location

Peterborough Quaker House

21 Thorpe Road,

Crescent Bridge,

Peterborough,

PE3 6AB.

It is a short walk from both the rail and bus stations. There is a small car park to the front of the building.

Fees

£240.00

We are offering the course at an early bird fee of £230.00 until 14th of January 2017.

The fee includes tuition, handouts and three practice CDs (also available in download form*).  In addition please note that no refunds are available, this is due to room fees being paid in advance.

Tutors

This eight-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course (MBSR) is a structured training programme taught by teachers that have their own mindfulness practice and have been trained to meet the requirements of the UK Network of mindfulness teacher’s guidelines.

http://mindfulnessteachersuk.org.uk/pdf/UK%20MB%20teacher%20GPG%202015%20final%202.pdf

The NICE guidelines approve the use of mindfulness based approaches within the NHS and much research has now been done to know that it is effective for mental health and well-being.

Registering for a place

Please reserve your place by contacting me at katiehamptoncounselling@gmail.com. Once you have reserved your place and paid in full, a personal information form will be forward to you (see below).

Please also note the following when making your booking:

- All participants will be required to complete a personal information form before starting the course.

- The minimum class size is six people. It has never been necessary, but if we receive fewer than six registrations, we reserve the right to reschedule the class to start at a later date. If the rescheduled dates do not suit you, we will refund the course fee in full.

- *The course uses audio learning materials which are available on CD, or they may be streamed on a computer, or downloaded in MP3 or WAV format for you to  play on iPod, phone, or mp3 player. (CDs may also be played on a CD player or on a computer.) Please ensure you have the means to access and play these materials, It is your responsibility to do this before the course begins.

Further questions/more information

Please contact Katie katiehamptoncounselling@gmail.com

Organiser of eight-week mindfulness based stress reduction programme

Katie Hampton is an accredited counsellor working in private practice and GP settings. Hobbies and interests include meditation, horse riding and walking.

Belinda Coaten is a qualified performance coach and trainer working within organisations and privately with clients. Hobbies and interests include exploring the countryside with her labradors.