Course tutors: Tim Duerden and Annette Dunn

This 5 week online training course offers an experiential introduction to Mindful Resilience Enhancement (MRE), a trauma sensitive approach to safely and accessibly teach mindfulness to most individuals and groups. Around experiential practices (essentially a compressed version of an MRE course), we will develop the theoretical framework we have developed that underpins teaching mindfulness safely and accessibly to most people, including those who have experienced trauma.

We believe that a trauma sensitive approach should be the default approach to teaching mindfulness as, to do otherwise, risks the wellbeing of course participants because we cannot know who may be adversely affected by mindfulness practices mismatched to individual need. We also consider that there is no compelling clinical rationale to offer mindfulness courses that are not trauma sensitive. In our experience, teaching mindfulness in a trauma sensitive way helps everyone learn mindfulness more easily and integrate mindfulness more quickly into their lives, regardless of whether they have experienced trauma or not.

Suitable for any students, trainees, professionals and practitioners working in health, educational, social and complementary contexts.

Dates (Tuesday evening online via Zoom, 6.30pm-9pm)

• April 20th & 27th
• May 4th, 11th & 18th

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FURTHER DETAILS

The standard approaches to teaching mindfulness-based programmes tend to be based on the eight week course format of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). From the research evidence, it is clear the format of MBSR (and its adaptations like MBCT) meet the needs of many individuals.

However, there is a growing appreciation that people with previous or current experiences of trauma may struggle with the way mindfulness practices are taught within the standard curriculum of such courses.

Indeed, while cultivating mindful awareness is often an essential part of trauma recovery, mindfulness practices, if poorly matched to the person practicing them, may themselves be traumatising or re-traumatising.

In particular, body and/or breath focused, close-eyed, static and longer practice forms risk overwhelm for some people with trauma, leading to a variety of negative experiences including panic or shut-down. The experience of overwhelm can also be very shaming if the person feels they are the only one struggling in a group where everyone else appears to be benefiting from a practice (even though others may also be silently struggling).

This course will offer participants experience of a wide range of trauma sensitive approaches that are also highly accessible and safe mindfulness practices suitable for most groups whether clinical, community, corporate or educational.

The philosophical framework draws on both person-centred therapy and aspects of CBT around graded exposure and behaviour change. In our experience this approach of starting small and building and to empower participants to adapt practices to their own situation and needs results in lasting integration of mindfulness practice into people’s lives.

The underpinning philosophy of MRE emphasises accessibility and the incremental development of mindfulness and self-compassion rooted in a person-centred therapy and aspects of CBT around graded exposure and behaviour change. As such there is a focus on starting to cultivate mindfulness in a focused and structured way but, unlike many mindfulness based approaches, to do this initially in the context of existing daily routines. Once the principles of mindfulness and a framework of mindfulness in daily life are established there is a firm foundation to explore longer practices to further develop the capacity for mindfulness and self-compassion.

Around the experiential aspects we will explore the theoretical framework underpinning MRE and how mindfulness can be integrated into professional practice.

MRE is supported by an extensive set of free to access audio files (see www.resilience.plus) and information sheets. This ensures that you or your clients using these approaches are not burdened by additional expenses.

MRE TEACHER TRAINING

This course forms the first part of a professional teacher-training programme in MRE.

MRE teacher-training is in 2 levels and a pathway to a competency certificate is available after each level. Level 1 MRE teacher-training focuses on teaching clients to stabilise their attention and self-soothe. Level 2 MRE teacher-training focuses on teaching clients how to turn towards difficulty they are experiencing with self-compassion.

Please be aware that MRE training is designed for professionals with membership of a professional body that has a code or practice or ethics to provide a framework for accountable practice. If you do not belong to a professional body or are still in training please contact us to see whether you are eligible to undertake the MRE training course beyond Level 1, Part 1. Those without a membership of an appropriate professional body may still be able to do the training if you can clearly demonstrate how you will be working in an accountable way when offering MRE. We will need to discuss this on an individual basis.

So although this Part 1 course is open to any students, trainees, professionals and practitioners working in health, educational, social and complementary contexts, Workshops 2 & 3 may not be open to you if you cannot demonstrate how you would be teaching mindfulness in an accountable context.

The mindfulness-approaches you will have the opportunity to learn have been specifically developed to be integrated into both one-to-one professional practice as well as delivered as a course: they form a very safe set of approaches called Mindful Resilience Enhancement (MRE). These approaches are designed to be quickly and easily taught to clients in the session and then the client can practice them between sessions.

In our experience professionals find that when their clients start to practice mindfulness it enhances the client’s responsiveness to the other interventions being offered.

Please see www.mre.re for further details of this approach.

Can I pay by BACS transfer?

Individuals can book through Eventbrite using a credit or debit card.  Businesses and healthcare organisations requiring alternate forms of payment must contact The Integrative Therapies Training Unit: the-christie.ittu@nhs.net

Is my registration fee or ticket transferrable?

Within the terms of our Cancellation and Refunds Policy we will be happy to transfer your booking to a different course. Should that course be of a higher price we will ask you to pay the difference.

What is the Cancellation and Refunds Policy?

Cancelled by us: •  Courses will be cancelled with a minimum of 14 days’ notice •  You may request a full refund or transfer of fees to another •  Pre-booked travel and personal expenses cannot be reimbursed

Cancelled by you: •  Up to 14 days before the course you will be charged a £40 admin fee for cancellation and refund requests •  Up to 14 days before the course you may transfer your fees to another course of equal value free of charge •  Up to 14 days before the course you may transfer your fees to another course of a higher value and you will be charged the difference and a £10 admin fee •   No refunds will be given or fees transferred for cancellations with less than 14 days’ notice

Is it ok if the name on my ticket or registration doesn't match the person who attends?

No! If you would like to transfer your booking to another person please contact us to make arrangements.

Who is the awarding body for this course?

All of our CPD and diploma certificates are awarded by The Christie Integrative Therapies Training Unit as part of The Christie School of Oncology.

Privacy Policy & Data Protection

Your contact details will be held on file by The Christie ITTU and are made available to the course administration, course tutors, and for diploma students the diploma education lead.  We will never pass your details to any third party.

You can read our full Privacy Policy here: https://www.christie.nhs.uk/professionals/education/continuing-professional-development/study-days-and-conferences/school-of-oncology-events-privacy-policy/