MBCT for Helping Professionals

This is an interactive, online experience of mindfulness and meditation for wellbeing. It is suitable for those who wish to improve their general physical and mental wellbeing through the cultivation of mindful awareness.    

Facilitators  Connie Au-Yeung & Dr. Yasmin Gunaratnam

When     Tuesdays, 9.30am - 11.30am

On       June: 04, 11, 25, July: 02, 09, 16, 23, 30 Plus day of practice: Sat. 13 July, 10am - 4pm

The course aims to address stress, anxiety, low mood and reactivity and to enhance overall physical and mental wellbeing. MBCT is a therapeutic approach that combines the idea of cognitive behavioural therapy with mindfulness practices. The benefits of MBCT can include:

• Increased self-awareness and self-confidence
• Raised ability to handle stressful situations
• Learning how to handle your thoughts, moods and emotions more effectively
• Improved cognitive effectiveness and capacity for decision-making
• Enhanced focus and attention

This course includes:

• Meditation practices
• Short talks
• Discussion groups
• Links to audio recordings for home use

Following the initial orientation session, each two-hour online weekly session comprises mindfulness meditation and cognitive therapy exercises. These exercises are crafted to enhance body and mind awareness, fostering the ability to detach from automatic reactivity and counter unhelpful habits of thought such as rumination, worry, and self-criticism.

Who will benefit from this course?

If you're grappling with stress, anxiety, low spirits, or simply feeling discontented with life, this course provides you with the tools to navigate these challenges effectively. We give preference to enrolling mental health professionals based or in training in the London Borough of Ealing, aiming to cultivate peer support and local interdisciplinary connections. Open to adults aged 18 and over.

Is this the right time for you to take this programme?

Connie and Yasmin are trained, trauma-informed Mindfulness instructors. They are not therapists or medically qualified professionals. This programme is unsuitable for people currently experiencing severe mental health issues or emotional disruptions. It's advisable not to enroll if you have experienced bereavement, trauma or significant life events in the past six months. Please read 'Is This Course Right For Me' before registering.

ABOUT THE FACILITATORS

 

Connie Au-Yeung, MA, MBCT & Deeper Mindfulness Teacher is a British Hongkonger committed to introducing secular mindfulness practices to diverse communities. With a background in language teaching, medical communication, and science research, she has worked in London, Tokyo, Doha, and Cairo while raising a bilingual family in Devon. Connie believes in mindfulness's power to foster belonging and enhance presence.

- Masters Degrees in Applied Linguistics and TESOL (Leicester) and Neuroscience and Developmental Biology (Cambridge).

- Practitioner of Insight meditation since 2011, compassion, Insight Dialogue, pilates, and Qigong.

- Teacher Training undertaken at The Mindfulness Network, Sussex Mindfulness Centre, and Oxford Mindfulness Foundation.

Yasmin Gunaratnam, MSc, PhD, Yoga and Mindfulness Teacher is a Professor in Social Justice at the Centre for Public Policy Research, Kings College (London) researching health, migration, loss, and healing. Originally from Sri Lanka, she is an academic with over 25 years of experience in teaching and training in non-profit sectors,  including university lecturing since 2008.  Yasmin is committed to inclusive mindfulness and addressing social injustices. She explores simple mindfulness practices to awaken awareness, drawing from her research on health, migration, and healing. 'The beauty of mindfulness is that this type of 'falling awake' can happen through small practices that can be easily learnt.'

- MSc Sociology with special reference to medicine (Royal Holloway), PhD Social Policy and Administration (LSE).

- Interests in contemplative social justice, embodied pedagogies, mindfulness and neurodiversity, and the effects of living with social injustice."

- Teacher Training undertaken at The Mindfulness Network (Level One) and Oxford Mindfulness Foundation.

SCHEDULE

Orientation Week  - Tue, 04 Jun, 09:30 – 11:30

Session 1: Automatic Pilot - Tue, 11 Jun, 09:30 – 11:30

Session 2: Living in our Heads - Tue, 16 Jun, 09:30 – 11:30

Session 3: Gathering the Scattered Mind - Tue, 25 Jun, 09:30 – 11:30

Session 4: Recognising Reactivity - Tue, 02 Jul, 09:30 – 11:30

Session 5: Gently Being with the Difficult - Tue, 09 Jul, 09:30 – 11:30

Session 6: Thoughts are not Necessarily Facts - Tue, 16 Jul, 09:30 – 11:30

Day of Practice - Sat, 13 Jul, 10:00 - 16:00

Session 7: How can I Best Take Care of Myself? - Tue, 23 Jul, 09:30 – 11:30

Session 8: Mindfulness for Life -  Tue, 30 Jul, 09:30 – 11:30

SUBSIDY FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

While this programme is offered at £300 elsewhere online, we're pleased to provide a significant discount for mental health and helping professionals in the London Borough of Ealing. Take advantage of our subsidised ticket rate of £200, available to all professionals currently training or working in the borough.