Wellbeing course for women migrants

Learn skills to manage stress and improve life. Join this free ten-week programme for women migrants. The trauma-informed and culturally sensitive course will be held outdoors in a beautiful garden. The course sessions are on Tuesdays from 6 May 2025 until 7 July 2025.

You can secure your place by filling in this short application form.

Overview

The course includes activities designed to promote wellbeing, and reduce anxiety and stress. These activies include:

• Learning simple skills to help calm the mind
• Gentle movement and stretching exercises (that can be adapted for everyone)
• Using art and and creativity (no experience needed)
• An opportunity to practice English. The course is taught in plain simple English using visual prompts (fluency is not necessary)

The benefits of doing the course include:

• Understanding how the mind works
• Being able to cope better in difficult situations
• Shared sense of solidarity and community

Location

The location is a gorgeous and secluded garden in Kemptown. You’ll be sent details of how to get there once you enrol. We will be able to supply bus passes for people who need to travel.

Background to the course

This course enables women to access the benefits of mindfulness in a way that is is a trauma-informed and culturally sensitive. The Mindfulness Across Borders curriculum was created by Ariana Faris and Sheila Webb with funding from the Oxford Mindfulness Foundation. The design is based on a project piloting courses in trauma-adapted and culturally-sensitive Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for refugee and asylum-seeking communities in London, Cardiff and Brighton. The curriculum was co-produced with refugees in these cities. It is therefore sensitive to the experience and traumas that individuals may have faced.

The Sussex Mindfulness Centre is offering this course free, as part of its efforts to reach underrepresented communities. We are partnering with the Network of International Women for Brighton and Hove.

Teachers

Lana Jackson

Lana is a senior clinical psychologist, yoga therapist, and mindfulness teacher with Sussex Mindfulness Centre. She has a special interest in nature-connection and trauma-informed therapy and practice with children, young people and adults.

Julia Powell

Julia trained to be a mindfulness teacher in 2017, after a career in international development, social justice and human rights, including refugee rights. Julia runs trauma-informed mindfulness courses and coaching for the public and for refugees and asylum seekers.

Course format

The session provides a range of activities and each session is different. Generally, they start with some gentle movement or stretching exercises. The first four sessions are designed so participants can get an idea of what happens, and decide if the course is for them. From session five, the course is closed to newcomers to create a more intimate and safe space.

There is a tea break in the middle of the sessions.

How to apply

The course is free. Please fill in this short form, or email Lara at spft.smc@nhs.net.