Sussex Mindfulness Centre

Same (but different): Neurodiversity-friendly mindfulness practice
2026-04-30 09:30 - 16:30 (Europe/London) | Online
It has become increasingly obvious that there are many people who might benefit from mindfulness-based interventions who struggle to access what is currently available in the UK.

This workshop will cover ways of making mindfulness more inclusive and accessible for adults who identify as neurodivergent.

What is covered?

A stimulating morning/afternoon where we will be looking at what’s working well and what’s not working so well in four areas

The experience of mindfulness and mindful self-compassion training from a participant perspective (Hannah)

The experience of mindfulness teaching training (from a trainee perspective) (Libby)

The experience of increasing inclusion working in talking therapies in the NHS setting (Julie)

A “blue skies” approach looking from a systems level perspective on the landscape of mindfulness research and clinical practice with some case studies of really “doing mindfulness differently” (Tamara)

The format

Each facilitator will share a 30-minute talk followed by a 10-minute mindfulness practice. And for those attending the live event, there will also be 10-minutes of Q&A with each facilitator, a breakout group to explore “what stops innovation in mindfulness in the UK” and a panel discussion. There will be plenty of short breaks throughout the day as well as a lunch break. You can see the detailed timetable here

Who is this for?

This event is for anyone who is a mindfulness/mindful self-compassion teacher or working with mindfulness in adult populations in a professional capacity who wishes to know more about how to make mindfulness more inclusive.

Where?

This is an online event that will be held on the Zoom platform.

Click here to find out more about how to use Zoom.

We endeavour to make this meeting friendly to all brain types.

We kindly request

Have your camera on if you are comfortable to do so, but if not, please do keep it off. It’s helpful for you to let our moderator know you are there in a private message.

Feel free to take care of yourself in whatever way you need to – stim and wiggle – but we request that if you are making large movements that may distract others, please turn off the camera.

Please use the chat box for questions. We have a moderator to help the speakers ensure all questions are answered. If there is not sufficient time, we will collate the questions and the speakers have kindly agreed to answer them and we will circulate after the event.

Please remain on mute.

Feel free to use emojis to let us know how things are landing.

Facilitators

Robert Marx

Robert Marx

Robert Marx is co-lead for the Sussex Mindfulness Centre and leads the Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy in Talking Therapies in NHS services training centres collaboration. He is a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist and has been teaching mindfulness to patients and staff in the NHS for almost twenty years.

He teaches Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Mindful Self-Compassion and leads Compassionate Leadership Training.

Robert has been practising Buddhist meditation for over 30 years, initially in the Theravadan tradition and then in the Tibetan tradition. He is passionate about building compassionate cultures in organisations and about integrating relational and mindful approaches to work.

Tamara Russell

Tamara Russell

Tamara is the Founder and Director of the Mindfulness Centre of Excellence (UK), an innovation thinktank for secular mindfulness. She is a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist specialising in “brainwise” formulated mindfulness adaptations for groups and individuals. She has been leading a multi-disciplinary “protocol free” mindfulness teacher training in Brasil based on her Body in Mind Training approach (brainwise mindful movement) for more than fifteen years.

Tamara specialises in making mindfulness accessible to those who struggle to access “classical” mindfulness protocols for personal or systemic reasons. This includes creating many bespoke mindfulness interventions and providing supervision to those innovating in mindfulness delivery.

Julie James

Julie James

Julie is a mindfulness practitioner and Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, working within an NHS Talking Therapies service. She regularly runs Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression groups, as well as Breathworks’ mindfulness for health groups, to adults experiencing mental health difficulties. As mindfulness lead, Julie provides Supervision and CPD to qualified mindfulness teachers and trainees.

Julie trained with the Anna Freud centre and now provides training to NHS colleagues, to improve service provision when working with diagnosed and undiagnosed autistic adults in community mental health settings. As an autistic person, she has found mindfulness-based interventions and practices deeply supportive and transformative in her own self-discovery and wellbeing. Julie draws on her specialist training and lived experience to make mindfulness provisions inclusive for all neurotypes. She is passionate about the delivery of these interventions within the NHS, to ensure equity in access across populations who may otherwise miss out.

Libby Nellany

Libby Nellany

Libby is a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist and clinical supervisor within the NHS, where she leads the pathways for musculoskeletal disorders and neurodiversity. She is also a recently qualified Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) teacher.

While Libby’s professional work centres on talking therapies including CBT, ACT, and MBCT, Libby’s neurodivergent experience (autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, and dyspraxic) has shaped a deeply personal and creative connection to embodied mindfulness beyond her NHS role. This exploration led her to establish a space rooted in movement, sensory awareness, and rhythm outside of her NHS role, which enables her to share her passion for embodied mindfulness.

Hannah Rudd

Hannah Rudd

Hannah is autistic and works as an administrator for the Sussex Mindfulness Centre. She is a volunteer advocate for the Sussex Mindfulness Centre and also volunteers as a ward befriender in acute mental health wards at the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Over the past couple of years, Hannah has attended Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Mindfulness for Life and Mindful Self-Compassion eight-week courses with the Sussex Mindfulness Centre.

In between these groups, she has used piano playing and mindful self-compassion practices to work through past traumatic events. Her daily meditation practice is a loving-kindness practice.

How to book

You can book your ticket here. The standard rate for this masterclass is £75. See the different price tiers below.

As part of our equity, diversity and inclusion policy, we also have a limited number of concessionary tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. These are for people who are facing acute financial hardship and who would otherwise not be able to attend. To request a concession ticket please email spft.smc@nhs.net.

We are striving to make our courses accessible for all. If you have additional needs or learning styles, please let us know so we can support you.

Moment to pause - Free lunchtime mindfulness session
2026-05-05 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-06-11 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-07-13 13:00 - 14:00 | Online
Work and life can feel so busy that you don’t have a spare moment to think, plan or just experience the moment. Join a one-hour lunchtime session to experience how mindfulness can bring space and new perspectives.

Overview

Mindfulness offers a chance to pause. It can help you manage stress and difficulties, reflect on what’s most important to you and learn how to take better care of yourself.

This one-hour lunch-time session will give you a pause in the day to experience the benefits of practicing mindfulness. You will be guided through the basic principles of mindfulness and will sample a range of different practices. Over time these practices can help you build the capacity to experience life differently. Mindfulness can work for you as an individual and for your team or service.

Who is it for?

These sessions are for you if you are:

Would like to take a moment to pause in the middle of the day.

Are returning to mindfulness and want a refresh / reminder about what is involved.

Completely new to mindfulness and meditation and want to try it out.

Where?

Online on Zoom

For all mindfulness work, the connection between people in the group is central to the discovery and learning process. Please ensure the camera on your device is turned on during the session and try your best to join from a quiet, private space, if possible. We’re aware that the session is during lunchtime. Feel free to bring something to eat during the discussion if you’d like.

Trauma-informed and effective mindfulness teaching
2026-05-22 09:00 - 17:00 | Online
This workshop draws on clinical research and lived experience to work with trauma in mindfulness-based work.

What is covered?

This training will enable you to identify signs of trauma in your participants and provide practical ways of helping participants manage it. It will help you understand what challenges and adaptations you may need to make to your standard teaching to help support people with trauma histories.

We approach the training from different perspectives: clinicians working in the field of trauma, researchers discussing the evidence base for what we know is effective, and service users sharing their experience of what worked and what didn’t work.

Who is this for?

This masterclass is for those people working in the field of mindfulness. It is part of the core teacher training programmes. It is open to anybody who is trained or training to be mindfulness or mindful self-compassion teachers.

Please note, current trainees on our teacher training courses (Foundation and Adapted Mindfulness Based Interventions) are automatically on the attendance list for this masterclass, as it forms part of the syllabus. If this is you, you do not need to book a place.

The facilitators

Robert Marx

Robert Marx

Robert Marx is a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist and has been teaching mindfulness to patients and staff in the NHS for 18 years. He teaches Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindful Self-Compassion. He has been practising meditation for over 30 years. He is passionate about building compassionate cultures in organisations and about integrating relational and mindful approaches to work.

Clara Strauss

Robert Marx

Clara is co-lead (Research) for the Sussex Mindfulness Centre. She is a consultant clinical psychologist, mindfulness teacher and clinical researcher. In her research, Clara is particularly interested in developing and evaluating new forms of mindfulness-based intervention (MBI), especially for those people who may not be willing or able to access MBCT. Along with other members of her research team, Clara has been evaluating MBIs for people experiencing depression, for people distressed by hearing voices and for people experiencing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This research has also included research with NHS staff, university students and the wider population.

Richard Gilpin

Richard Gilpin

Richard is a mindfulness teacher, counsellor and cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist. He has trained extensively in mindfulness-based practices since the 1990s and has been facilitating MBCT courses since 2007. He is the author of two self-help books: Mindfulness for Black Dogs and Blue Days (2012) and Mindfulness for Unravelling Anxiety (2016). His Masters research on MBCT was published in 2008.

Certificates

If you would like a certificate of attendance, you can request this after the event.

Booking

The cost of the masterclass is £99. Please see the different options available in the booking form below.

As part of our equity, diversity and inclusion policy, we also have a limited number of concessionary tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. These are for people who are facing acute financial hardship and who would otherwise not be able to attend. To request a concession ticket please email spft.smc@nhs.net.

We are striving to make our courses accessible for all. If you have additional needs or learning styles, please let us know so we can support you.

Free mindfulness taster
2026-05-26 18:00 - 19:00, 2026-06-25 18:00 - 19:00, 2026-07-27 18:00 - 19:00 | Online
Are you considering whether mindfulness is for you? Join our free online taster session. This one-hour taster session will introduce you to the benefits of mindfulness. Benefits include improved wellbeing and ability to manage stress.

Is your mind over active? Do you find you can’t turn off? Are you running on empty, unable to appreciate things that previously made you happy? Are relationships more fraught than they were?

Perhaps it’s time to try mindfulness.

Brief overview

In this informative one-hour online session, you will:

Learn what mindfulness is

Meet one of our teachers

Try short-guided meditations

Discover the benefits of mindfulness

Find out about our short introductory mindfulness and beginner courses

Ask any questions about mindfulness and what your next step might be

This session is for you if:

You are completely new to mindfulness and meditation and want to try it out.

Are returning to mindfulness and want a refresh / reminder about what is involved.

Are wondering how mindfulness might help your team and colleagues at work.

Are familiar with mindfulness but keen to know what the Sussex Mindfulness Centre can offer.

Where?

Online on Zoom

For all mindfulness work, the connection between people in the group is central to the discovery and learning process. Please ensure the camera on your device is turned on during the session and try your best to join from a quiet, private space. Thank you.

Deeper Mindfulness: Frame by Frame
2026-05-27 17:30 - 19:30
‘Deeper Mindfulness: exploring feeling tone Frame by Frame‘ is a new eight-week course developed for people who want to explore mindfulness more deeply. The online course runs on Wednesday evenings from 27 May 2026 and includes an optional one-day retreat on 20 June 2026.

Overview​

This course allows people to explore an aspect of mindfulness that isn’t covered explicitly in other courses: ‘feeling tone.’ Feeling tone is a sense of the positive or negative that every human experiences and is the tipping point for our mood.

Deeper Mindfulness is informed by recent psychological findings that reveal that every waking moment, our understanding of the world is dominated by imagining how we can take action within it, coloured by what is called ‘feeling tone.’ Feeling tone is the moment-by-moment ‘read-out’ of how much a sensation, thought, or emotion feels pleasant, unpleasant, or neither. Based on this moment-by-moment ‘read out,’ the body allocates its resources as it gears up for real or imagined action. This can prepare us well for action, but it can also put us at risk of becoming exhausted without our realising it.

During the eight weekly sessions, you will learn meditations that help you tune into feeling tone moment by moment, frame by frame. This provides an opportunity to see more clearly both the tipping points for distress and exhaustion, and also how to flourish by freeing yourself to appreciate life again, even in the midst of difficulty.

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for those who have already completed an eight-week mindfulness-based programme and want to explore mindfulness more deeply. Please note, this courses is designed for the general public and may not be suitable for everyone. If you are experiencing serious mental health issues, you should talk to your GP about being referred to the appropriate clinical service.

When?

Wednesdays, 5.30pm to 7.30pm, starting 27 May and running until 15 July 2026. (3, 10, 17, 24 June, 1, 8 July)

Where?

Online. The zoom link will be sent closer to the time of the course.

The format of the course

The course is delivered over eight weekly sessions, each lasting two hours. Each session builds on what’s been introduced before, so it’s important to attend all the sessions if possible. (If you know you’re going to miss a session, please let your teacher know).

You’ll be in a group of up to 16 people, led by one of our experienced mindfulness teachers.

Each session begins with a short, guided meditation, then (with the exception of the first session) there’s a review and inquiry into the past week. The second half of the session introduces the theme for the week and includes a meditation. There’ll be space to review what you and others experienced or discovered during the practice. The sessions are followed by suggestions for home-based personal practice of around 20 minutes per day. This includes both recommended guided practices for the week, and also ways to cultivate mindfulness in everyday life.

You’ll have access to guided practices and written materials to support each session.

Facilitators

We have two experienced teachers leading this course. Apart from being experienced in many aspect of teaching mindfulness, Taravajra and Bethan Roberts are supervisors and are key members of our team of teacher trainers, leading courses for others who want to become teachers themselves.

Taravajra

Taravajra has been teaching mindfulness in Sussex since 2005 to community groups, carers, teachers and NHS staff. Taravajra gained a Masters degree in mindfulness-based approaches in 2010 at Bangor University. Since 2011, he has been part of the core training team at Bangor, teaching on the Masters programme and teacher training pathway in the English and Spanish speaking worlds. He holds a British Wheel of Yoga teaching diploma and is a Focusing practitioner. Since 2011 he has been one of the main trainers on the Sussex Mindfulness Centre’s teacher training programme.

Bethan Roberts

Bethan is one of the core trainers at the Mindfulness Network (MN) and Bangor University’s Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice running teacher training retreats and offering supervision since 2015. She has also taught on the Masters programme in Mindfulness-based Approaches at Bangor University. She has been teaching eight-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction courses since 2008 and has taught mindfulness in a variety of organisations including the NHS, the Office for National Statistics, the Intellectual Property Office, the National Museum of Wales, the Welsh Parliament, Families First Projects and Marie Curie Hospice. She has also been teaching one-to one mindfulness courses on behalf of the MN and Bangor University since 2010. Bethan is also a Mental Health First Aid Instructor (approved in 2008) and has taught courses on mental health at Cardiff University, as well running training sessions on mental health and wellbeing for a wide range of organisations across England and Wales.

How to book

Please note, we ask all those who book a place on this course to fill in an application form that will be sent to the facilitators.

The eight-week course is £250, with different options listed in the form below.

As part of our equity, diversity and inclusion policy, we also have a limited number of concessionary tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. These are for people who are facing acute financial hardship and who would otherwise not be able to attend. To request a concession ticket please email spft.smc@nhs.net.

We are striving to make our courses accessible for all. If you have additional needs or learning styles, please let us know so we can support you.

One-day mindfulness retreat
2026-06-06 10:00 - 16:00 | Sussex Education Centre, Hove, West Sussex, United Kingdom
A one-day mindfulness retreat offers an opportunity to extend your practice, within a supportive environment. It is also an important part of the eight-week mindfulness course.

Content of the day

The day will be facilitated by our experienced teachers and will include a series of different mindfulness and compassion practices. It will be held mostly in silence as a way of supporting your practice. We will aim to provide tea and coffee, but please bring your own food for lunch. There will be chairs and maybe some cushions, but please bring what you need to be comfortable, if you can.

Please note, you’ll need to attend for the whole day. It’s not possible to only come for a portion of the day.

Why a one-day retreat?

A one-day mindfulness retreat is an important part of the eight-week mindfulness course. It also offers an opportunity to extend your practice within a supportive environment. For people who meditate regularly the retreat offers a great way to deepen and refresh your practice. Read more about the benefits of a day long retreat.

Who’s it for?

This day is right for you if you have attended an eight-week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Mindfulness for Life, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction or Finding Peace course and are:

a current or previous Sussex Partnership service user,

a current Sussex Partnership staff member

a current or previous participant of an eight-week mindfulness course run by the Sussex Mindfulness Centre,

a current or previous trainee teacher with the Sussex Mindfulness Centre or MBCT in NHS Talking Therapies

Please note, this is not a clinical intervention and it is not advisable to do this day in the heat of a crisis, when it would be important to access your GP or your designated mental health clinician.

Certificate of attendance

This all-day retreat counts towards the requirement to attend silent retreats as part your BAMBA registration as a mindfulness teacher. Certificates of attendance can be supplied on completion of the day’s training, if requested.

Where?

The retreat will be at the Sussex Education Centre, Hove.

Reserving your place

This retreat is free to attend. When you sign up, you’ll have the option to make a donation if you would like to and feel able. A suggested donation of £20 (or any amount you can afford) helps us offer mindfulness courses to communities who otherwise face barriers to taking part.

Mindful Self-Compassion: Freeing the heart for joy
2026-06-13 10:00 - 17:00
Workshop: Exploring the power of tender and fierce mindful self-compassion to let in beneficial experiences more fully

This experiential workshop explores how joy and pleasure can strengthen resilience and wellbeing.

What is covered?

Research consistently highlights the crucial role of joy and pleasure in building inner resilience and overall wellbeing. Positive experiences are vital for counteracting chronic stress and promoting feelings of safety, connection, and satisfaction. However, numerous internal and external barriers often prevent us from embracing these nourishing experiences. The rising rates of burnout at work and at home underscore the urgent need to address this. Maybe this is true for you, the people you care for or care about? Drawing upon the principles of Mindful Self-Compassion and the insights of Rick Hanson, this experiential workshop will provide practical exercises, meditations, and contemplations designed to foster joy, prioritise self-care, and unlock inherent wisdom and wellbeing.

Workshop objectives

To cultivate a deeper sense of connection, wisdom, and understanding through an enhanced capacity for joy.

To understand and address the common blocks that prevent us from experiencing joy e.g. Fear of vulnerability and loss, fear of addiction, habits, internalised culture, perfectionism and misunderstandings about mindfulness and Buddhist psychology with regard to aversion and clinging.

To learn mindful self-compassion informal practices that support letting in positive experience and ‘hardwiring happiness’ (ie. sense and savour, self-compassion in daily life, gratitude, mindful eating) and working towards greater fulfillment and providing for one’s own needs (the Compassionate Friend, Fierce Self-Compassion gestures, the Providing Self-compassion Break, core values exercise).

Participants will leave with a greater understanding of the importance of joy in their lives, practical tools for cultivating it, an increased awareness of what gets in the way and approaches to encourage more openness to positive experience.

The format

The workshop will be interactive and practice-based, incorporating discussions, reflections, and experiential exercises. The aim is to create a supportive and nurturing environment for participants to explore their relationship with pleasure and delight, and leave with tools and skills they can weave into their existing meditation practice or informally into daily life.

The workshop will last six hours:

Morning session from 10am to 1pm

Lunch break

Afternoon session from 2pm to 5pm

Who is this for?

This workshop is suitable for those who have some experience of mindfulness or Mindful Self-Compassion, as well as teachers and trainee teachers.

The facilitator

Zoe Shobbrook-Fisher

Zoe Shobbrook-Fisher

Zoe is an accredited counsellor/psychotherapist, Certified Mindfulness and Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher, Trainer and Supervisor. She has been delivering beginner and deeper-dive mindfulness-based programmes and popular retreats since 2009. She is a teacher trainer and mentor at the Centre for Mindful Self-Compassion and a retreat lead and supervisor for the Mindfulness Network. Based in south-west London she specialises in trainings that are accessible, inclusive and creative in the workplace, community settings, mental health charities and the NHS. She has always been dedicated to paths of the heart and authenticity and her own practice includes wild swimming and conscious dance.

Certificates

This masterclass is valid for ongoing personal development in mindfulness or as part of the Sussex Mindfulness Centre teacher training pathway. Certificates of attendance can be supplied on completion of the day’s training, if requested.

Where?

The workshop will take place at the Sussex Education Centre, Neville Avenue, Hove, BN3 7HZ. The buses 5a, 16,16a, 3X and 93 go there. There is free parking on the grounds.

How to book

This masterclass is now fully booked. If you would like to be added to the waiting list, please email us.

As part of our equity, diversity and inclusion policy, we also have a limited number of concessionary tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. These are for people who are facing acute financial hardship and who would otherwise not be able to attend. To request a concession ticket please email spft.smc@nhs.net.

We are striving to make our courses accessible for all. If you have additional needs or learning styles, please let us know so we can support you.

Teaching Presence in Relationship; teacher training information session
2026-07-04 10:00 - 11:30 | Online
Are you interested in teaching the eight-week Interpersonal Mindfulness Programme? This programme offers participants a systematic method for cultivating mindfulness within the context of their relational lives. Join this free session to find out what’s involved.

What’s included

This session will provide all you need to know about the steps to becoming a teacher of the Interpersonal Mindfulness Programme. Rosalie Dores and Kevin Fong, trainers on the teacher training course, will be leading the session. The session will provide an comprehensive overview, after which there will be an opportunity to ask questions.

Book your place

Book your place by emailing spft.smc@nhs.net and you will be sent a joining link.

Foundations of mindfulness: Five-day retreat
2026-09-20 17:00 - 2026-09-25 14:00 | Ammerdown Retreat Centre, Ammerdown Retreat Centre, Radstock, Somerset, BA3 5SW, United Kingdom
Drawing on Buddhist conceptualisations of the nature of experience, suffering and the self, the retreat will offer a bridge into contemporary secular mindfulness practice, teaching and life. The five-day retreat takes place Amerdown Retreat Centre, near Bath. It is led by Ruth Sequeira, Chris Barker, Jo Cromarty and Robert Marx.

The retreat

This retreat will support a deepening of participants’ mindfulness practice using the framework of the four Foundations of Mindfulness (satipatthana) and the Four Divine Abidings (brahma vihara). Drawing on Buddhist conceptualisations of the nature of experience, suffering and the self, the retreat will offer a bridge into contemporary secular mindfulness practice, teaching and life. The retreat will use a traditional retreat structure which allows us to simplify our life in order to see more clearly how we relate to ourselves and the world, and to respond with kindness and compassion. There will be periods of teaching, guided and unguided practice, dialogue and unstructured time. Most of the week will be held in silence with opportunities to for a one-to-one meeting with a retreat leader and for optional peer sharing groups.

Where and when is it?

The retreat is at the beautiful Ammerdown Retreat Centre, near Bath. The retreat starts on Sunday, 20 September and finishes at 2pm on Friday, 25 September 2026. You can arrive between 5pm and 6pm on the Sunday.

Who is the retreat for?

The retreat is suitable for mindfulness teachers in training, qualified mindfulness teachers and those simply wanting to deepen their practice and bridge contemplative wisdom traditions and secular practice and teaching. The retreat will count as their retreat for those training in mindfulness-based approaches with the Sussex Mindfulness Centre MC or NHS Talking Therapies; and for those applying to, or renewing their membership on the BAMBA Register, this retreat meets the requirement for mindfulness teachers to do an annual, mostly silent retreat.

What requirements are there to attend?

Completion of an eight-week mindfulness course (MBCT/MBSR), or similar eight-week programme, and participation in at least a day of guided silent mindfulness practice. Please ensure you are able to attend the entire event. If this is not possible, please contact us at spft.smc@nhs.net to discuss before submitting an application.

How should I prepare?

We will offer a short online orientation meeting a few weeks before the retreat to help you think about the optimal conditions to support you in the retreat. A zoom link will be sent nearer to the start date for this.

Retreat leaders

As with all Sussex Mindfulness Centre retreats, events and training, we have an exceptionally experienced group of mindfulness teachers supporting you at this retreat. Find out more about your teachers below.

Robert Marx

Robert Marx is co-lead for the Sussex Mindfulness Centre, lead for the MBCT in NHS TT training centres collaboration. He is a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist and has been teaching mindfulness groups to patients and staff in the NHS for over 20 years. He teaches MBCT and Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC). He is a longstanding Buddhist practitioner, initially in the Theravadan tradition and then in the Tibetan tradition. He is passionate about compassionate culture-building in organisations

Chris Barker

Chris Barker leads mindfulness for the National Centre for Integrative Medicine, based in Bristol, as well as the BAMBA MBCT-Cancer Special Interest Group. His main mindfulness work is with those living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis. Originally a PE teacher, Chris discovered in 2012 how transformative mindfulness can be when he was a stressed Head of Department in a large secondary school. Seeing how much it had changed his life he now teaches school children mindfulness and leads international training courses for other schoolteachers to do likewise. He also teaches mindfulness to health and social care staff.

Ruth Sequeira

Ruth Sequeira is a senior trainer, supervisor and mindfulness teacher for the Sussex Mindfulness Centre. She is also a psychological therapist and the Mindfulness and Compassion Training and Retreat Lead at the Mindfulness Network. Ruth has a history of working in mental health services and until recently worked as a Clinical Lead in the Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in Sussex. Ruth has a longstanding interest in mindfulness, meditation and movement, and is passionate about increasing access to mindfulness courses in different populations.

Jo Cromarty

Jo Cromarty is an Occupational Therapist by training and has worked in various mental health settings within the NHS for many years. She has developed a meditation practice from within the contemplative tradition since her teenage years. She was first introduced to Mindfulness in 2010 and was privileged to be trained as an MBCT teacher by Prof Mark Williams and Dr Paul Bernard in 2011. ‘It’s been a joy to integrate my personal and professional interests’. Jo leads the training in one of the sites of the MBCT TT training and is a supervisor and MBCT teacher.

How much does it cost?

The prices below are inclusive of accommodation, meals and guidance.

Early bird rates

If you book by 1 June 2026, the cost is £700 for a single occupancy en-suite room.

Standard rates

From 2 June 2026 the cost is £800 – single occupancy en-suite room.

There is limited availabilty of single rooms with a shared bathroom offered at £600.

How do I apply?

Your place is confirmed once we receive full payment. If there are financial barriers to attendance, please let us know. If you are unable to pay the full fee now, we can offer you the chance to pay in up to three instalments. To secure your spot, please complete your payment using the form at the bottom of the page. Once we have received the booking and payment, we will send you the application form to complete.

Please note the terms below for refunds.

What is the cancellation policy?

You may withdraw your application up to three months prior to the event start date at which point you will be offered a full refund, minus £50 admin fee.

If you cancel your place less than three months before the event start date, no refund will be available. If you received an NHS England funded place and you cancel less than three months before the start, you will be liable for the full payment.

In the unlikely event that the event has to be cancelled by us, we will offer an alternative retreat, either residential or online, or a refund. Our liability is limited to crediting only our event fees, and not any personal expenses you may have incurred.

Five-day silent mindfulness retreat in person
2026-09-28 17:00 - 2026-10-02 11:00 | Rivendell Retreat Centre, Chillies Lane, High Hurstwood, East Sussex, TN22 4AB, United Kingdom
Opening to the fruits of mindfulness exploring the awakening factors of energy, joy and peace.

A five-day mindfulness retreat at the lovely Rivendell retreat centre, with Taravajra, Karunavira, Kate Gooch and Dharmavasita.

Brief overview

The retreat theme will be based on the traditional framework called the ‘Four Foundations of Mindfulness’ and in particular the ‘Awakening’ or ‘Responsive’ factors outlined in the 4th Foundation. In addition, the evening practices will explore the heart qualities of friendliness, sympathetic joy and compassion. We will practise together in the context of a silent retreat with inputs and guidance from the teachers. There will also be opportunities to speak about your practice in optional small mentoring groups and also one-to one. There will be an emphasis on integrating the formal and informal aspects of retreat life and also on integrating movement practice with the ‘sitting’ practices.

This retreat meets the retreat requirement for the BAMBA register.

The practical details

Rivendell is situated in the village of High Hurstwood, East Sussex. The nearest train stations are Buxted and Uckfield. Rivendell is a 45 minute drive from Brighton and the 28 bus (between Tunbridge Wells and Brighton) passes nearby.

Please arrive at the venue from 5pm on the Monday and the retreat will finish at 11am on the Friday.

The house is an old rectory and accommodation is in mainly 2-3 bedded rooms. Camping will be available. The food will be vegan (with some dairy options). We will have a cook with us who will need help chopping, serving and washing up (opportunities for everyday mindfulness!)

Who is the retreat for?

The retreat is suitable for teachers training in mindfulness-based approaches as well as more experienced teachers and also those not teaching who have an established mindfulness practice. The retreat will count towards the annual retreat requirement for teachers and supervisors on the BAMBA Register.

Retreat leaders

Taravajra

Taravajra has been teaching mindfulness in Sussex since 2005 to community groups, carers, teachers and NHS staff. Taravajra gained a Masters degree in mindfulness-based approaches in 2010 at Bangor University. Since 2011, he has been part of the core training team at Bangor, teaching on the Masters programme and teacher training pathway in the English and Spanish speaking worlds. He holds a British Wheel of Yoga teaching diploma and is a Focusing practitioner. Since 2011 he has been one of the main trainers on the Sussex Mindfulness Centre’s teacher training programme.

Kate Gooch

Kate Gooch holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Mindfulness Based Approaches from Bangor University (2012) and has taught Mindfulness since 2007. She teaches the general population, clinical populations, and carers, as well as delivering courses in educational settings and the workplace. She’s trained in .b, .b Foundations, and MYRIAD, in addition to being a Mindfulness supervisor for the Mindfulness Network. She also has a Speech and Language Therapy background.

Karunavira

Karunavira left his initial career as head teacher in primary education in 1982 to pursue Buddhist studies. From 1990 he taught meditation and Buddhist studies, and between 2000 and 2010 was the spiritual director of the Brighton Buddhist Centre. He gained his MSc through Bangor University in mindfulness-based approaches in 2010. He has taught mindfulness-based courses and trained mindfulness teachers since 2005, specialising in working with Carers, Young People, NHS Staff and traditional Arab communities. He is also trained as a Psychotherapeutic Counsellor specialising in working with parents of children with complex needs as a Mindfulness Therapist.

Where is it?

Cost/How to book

The cost is £480 (£400 concessions and camping). It is being organised by Taravajra, so to book and find out more please see the event page on his website.

Interpersonal Mindfulness: Eight-week course
2026-10-01 18:45 - 2026-11-19 21:15 | Online
This eight-week Interpersonal Mindfulness programme was developed to support people in integrating their mindfulness practice into their relationships with others.

Overview​

Relating to others is a fundamental aspect of our everyday lives, with family, friends, in the workplace and in our wider community. For some of us, it is at the core of our professional practice. Our relationships can be a source of well-being where we feel connected to others and also a source of stress when miscommunication and disconnection inevitably happens.

The Interpersonal Mindfulness Program (IMP) has been developed by the Centre for Mindfulness and the Metta Foundation in the US. It has been designed to teach those with prior mindfulness/ meditation training to integrate the benefits of their personal meditation practice into the context of their relational lives: deepening presence, empathy and compassion. Click here for a first feasibility study on IMP.

Who is this course for?

This course is developed for the general public and will be of particular interest to health care professionals wishing to deepen their presence in their working relationships. It also fulfils the pre-requisite for professional teacher training in Interpersonal Mindfulness Programme Teacher Training (IMPTT) offered by the Sussex Mindfulness Centre in October 2027.

When?

Thursday evenings 6.45pm to 9.15pm (GMT). The eight-week course starts on 1 October and runs until 19 November 2026 with a full day (10am-4pm) on 24 October.

Where?

Online. You will get Zoom log-in details when your place is confirmed.

The format of the course?

Eight weekly two-and-a-half-hour sessions and a full day session where you will learn and practice six relational meditation guidelines.

We will work with carefully guided and timed contemplations drawn from Eastern and Western wisdom traditions to support the development of insight and self-understanding. We will do this in pairs or in small groups, as well as engage in group conversations.

Daily meditation home practice of between 20-40 minutes.

Facilitator

Rosalie Dores

Rosalie Dores is a mindfulness teacher, supervisor and trainer. She completed a five-year masters degree in teaching mindfulness at Bangor University, with distinction as well as holding a Certificate of Teacher Competency. She teaches general and workplace populations, as well as one-to-one Distance Learning Programmes. She offers supervision and personal practice mentoring for The Mindfulness Network CIC, as well as conducting MBI-TAC assessments. She has been practicing mindfulness and yoga since 1992. She also teaches Insight Dialogue retreats and Interpersonal Mindfulness courses. Her website is www.optimalliving.co.uk.

How to book

Please email spft.smc@nhs.net to request an application form. As soon as your application has been accepted, you will be sent a booking link.

The cost of the eight-week course is £300. We also offer a choice of two other options:

£325 – Supporting rate. You can support other participants to attend who are on a low income.

£275 – Supported rate, if you are on a low income and can’t afford the general admission price.

As part of our equity, diversity and inclusion policy, we also have a limited number of concessionary tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. These are for people who are facing acute financial hardship and who would otherwise not be able to attend. To request a concession ticket please email spft.smc@nhs.net.

We are striving to make our courses accessible for all. If you have additional needs or learning styles, please let us know so we can support you.

Compassionate Leadership Training course for health and social care leaders -Thursday afternoon
2026-10-08 15:00 - 17:00 | Online
Compassionate Leadership Training for health and social care leaders. Compassionate leadership is linked with improved learning and innovation, and reduced staff stress, injuries and absenteeism, and even reduced patient mortality.

Six online weekly two-hour sessions from 8 October until 19 November (no session on 29 October). Following this, there will be monthly follow-up sessions to review our learning and practice. The dates for these are currently being organised.

Overview

At the heart of compassion is the notion that everyone experiences difficulty, and that we can all play a role in alleviating our own difficulties and those of others. Whether this is compassion for ourselves or the people we lead, people who lead us, colleagues or service users. We won’t always feel like helping and will sometimes be tired or overwhelmed or unable to connect.

Although it helps to have positive feelings, we do not have to feel compassion to be compassionate. We can recognise our physical and mental state, resource ourselves as best we can, and respond from our firm compassionate intention, rather than from impulse or intense emotion.

How does this translate into compassion in health, social care and other organisations? How might we think about compassionate leadership, working with colleagues, service users and their friends and families? Prof Michael West has spent his career answering this question, pointing to research that shows how compassionate leadership is linked with improved learning and innovation, and reduced staff stress, injuries and absenteeism, and even reduced patient mortality. In short, compassion is essential to high quality healthcare.

Who is the course for?

The course is for anyone in a leadership role within Health and Social Care and will combine experiential practice and reflection, as well as home practice to help cultivate compassion for ourselves and the people we lead.

What is the format of the course?

The course combines in-session mindfulness and compassion practice with reflection and discussion, as well as an invitation for home mindfulness and compassion practice to help cultivate compassion for ourselves and the people we lead and work with.

Facilitators

Robert Marx

Robert is Co-Lead (Training) for the Sussex Mindfulness Centre. He is a consultant clinical psychologist and has been involved in running mindfulness groups for staff and patients since 2006. He also trains and supervises others doing mindfulness work. He is interested in relational mindfulness and in adaptations of Mindfulness-based Interventions using compassion practices.

Julia Powell

Julia is a mindfulness teacher and coach. She leads mindfulness courses to help people find more balance in their lives, improve their wellbeing and flourish. While caring for her mother who lived with dementia, Julia used her mindfulness practice to help navigate the challenging times. She now draws on that experience in the training she offers to both carers of people living with dementia and people with mild to moderate dementia. Having trained to teach with Oxford Mindfulness Centre, and taught with Sussex Mindfulness Centre, Julia is registered with the British Association of Mindfulness Based Approaches. Julia runs three mindfulness courses for the general population: Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Mindfulness for Life and Finding Peace in a Frantic World.

Booking

You can book this event starting in March. In the meantime, if you would like to receive a reminder about this event, please email us spft.smc@nhs.net

Buddhist Foundations of Mindfulness
2026-10-09 09:30 - 16:30
This workshop explores the Buddhist origins and intentions of mindfulness practice.

What is covered?

Even though it is common to deliver secular mindfulness-based programmes, many of the ideas in these programmes make more sense when we understand their origins and intentions.

John Peacock is one of the few people who can expertly make this bridge and we are delighted to welcome him back again.

Who is this for?

This masterclass is suitable for anyone involved in teaching, or training to teach, mindfulness; or anyone with a particular interest in the Buddhist underpinnings of mindfulness practice.

You can join this online workshop from anywhere, as long as you have a stable internet connection.

Please note, current trainees on our teacher training courses (Foundation and Adapted Mindfulness Based Interventions) are automatically on the attendance list for this masterclass, as it forms part of the syllabus. If this is you, you do not need to book a place.

The facilitator

John Peacock

John Peacock is an academic and a Buddhist practitioner of nearly fifty years. Trained initially in the Tibetan Gelukpa tradition in India, he then spent time in Sri Lanka studying Theravāda. Following a doctorate in philosophy, he taught Buddhist and Western philosophy as well as Buddhist studies at the University of Bristol. He went on to be an Associate Director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre and co-direct the Master of Studies programme in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy at the University of Oxford. John is now retired from academia and continues to teach meditation and courses on Buddhism and Western philosophy internationally.

Certificates

This is valid for ongoing personal development in mindfulness or as part of the Sussex Mindfulness Centre teacher training pathway. Certificates of attendance can be supplied on completion of the day’s training, if requested.

Booking

The cost of this masterclass is £75. We also offer a choice of two other options:

£100 – Supporting rate. You can support other participants to attend who are on a low income.

£50 – Supported rate, if you are on a low income and can’t afford the general admission price.

As part of our equity, diversity and inclusion policy, we also have a limited number of concessionary tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. These are for people who are facing acute financial hardship and who would otherwise not be able to attend. To request a concession ticket please email spft.smc@nhs.net.

We are striving to make our courses accessible for all. If you have additional needs or learning styles, please let us know so we can support you.

Mindful creative all-day retreat
2026-10-10 10:00 - 17:00 | Sussex Education Centre, Hove, West Sussex, United Kingdom
A one-day mindfulness retreat, including meditation practices, creative expression and journaling, that will be held mostly in silence. Experience of creative expression is not necessary.

Background to the day

This day builds on the positive responses from offering a similar event last year. We realised from last year’s experience that there was a real hunger, both for connecting with our creativity and also for engaging with mindfulness and compassion practices in ways that keep us freshly discovering ourselves. We found last time that for some people, creative practices really deepened places inside that they could access in a way that was both different from, and also complementary to, the mindfulness practice.

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the great Tibetan meditation teacher, saw art as a direct extension of meditation practice. He believed that art naturally arises from the clarity of the settled mind. Trungpa emphasized a “Dharma art” that was simple, immediate and unembellished, not an ego-based, “self-expression”: “Dharma art is simply the activity of nonaggression. It is the expression of basic sanity. When you are free from aggression, your perception becomes clear and precise. Then whatever you do – whether arranging flowers, painting, writing poetry, or making a cup of tea – can become an expression of that sanity.”

Content of the day

This day will be held as a mostly silent retreat day with mindfulness practices interspersed with creativity, using clay, drawing/painting and journaling. Some meditation experience (such as having done an 8 week course) is required but no experience of artistic work is needed. Materials will be supplied. The day will be held at the Sussex Education Centre on the Millview hospital site.

Why a one-day retreat?

A one-day mindfulness retreat is an important part of the eight-week mindfulness course. It also offers an opportunity to extend your practice within a supportive environment. For people who meditate regularly the retreat offers a great way to deepen and refresh your practice. Read more about the benefits of a day long retreat.

This day retreat counts towards the requirement to attend silent retreats as part your BAMBA registration as a mindfulness teacher.

Who is it for?

This day is right for you if you have attended an eight-week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Mindfulness for Life or Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course, or have an established mindfulness practice. No artistic experience is required. Please note, this is not a clinical intervention and it is not advisable to do this day in the heat of a crisis, when it would be important to access your GP or your designated mental health clinician.

Retreat leaders

Robert Marx

Robert Marx is Co-Lead for the Sussex Mindfulness Centre. He is a consultant clinical psychologist and Cognitive-Analytic psychotherapist, mindfulness (MBCT) and compassion-based (MSC) teacher. He has been co-running day retreats in Sussex Partnership twice a year for around 15 years and more recently, five-day residential mindfulness retreats. Painting and writing have also been important to him and he has incorporated both into his own personal retreats.

Sarah Marx

Sarah Marx has been working therapeutically with adults, children and families for the past 20 years. Originally trained as an adult therapist and then as a Child and Adolescent psychotherapist, Sarah has worked in the NHS, university counselling services, schools, colleges and private practice. She has trained in multiple therapy modalities, including psychodynamic, Cognitive-Analytic and mindfulness (MBCT), Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), EMDR and Theraplay. Wanting to incorporate the transformative nature of creativity into her clinical work, Sarah qualified at the Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education (IATE) where she went on to teach. She has worked as a trainer for Trauma Informed Schools UK and is part of the leadership team at Beacon House. She is also a ceramicist and has exhibited locally.

Certificate of attendance

Certificates of attendance can be supplied on completion of the day, if requested. Please note, you’ll need to attend for the whole day. It’s not possible to only come for a portion of the day. The retreats run from 10am to 5pm, and we ask people to join from 9.45am to ensure a prompt start.

Ticket price

The cost for the day is £75. We also offer a choice of two other options:

£100 – Supporting rate. You can support other participants to attend who are on a low income.

£50 – Supported rate, if you are on a low income and can’t afford the general admission price.

As part of our equity, diversity and inclusion policy, we also have a limited number of concessionary tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. These are for people who are facing acute financial hardship and who would otherwise not be able to attend. To request a concession ticket please email spft.smc@nhs.net.

We are striving to make our courses accessible for all. If you have additional needs or learning styles, please let us know so we can support you.

Booking

You can secure your place using the form below. Should you have any question, please email us at spft.smc@nhs.net.

Can we heal healthcare? Caring for doctors with evidence-based practice
2026-11-06 09:00 - 17:00 | Friends Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton, Sussex, BN1 1AF, United Kingdom
Medical mindfulness conference

A one‑day conference bringing doctors together to explore wellbeing, leadership, and evidence‑based mindfulness in healthcare in Brighton.

Keynote speaker: Professor Gwen Adshead (BBC Reith Lecturer)

Overview

The event will explore how evidence‑based mindfulness and compassion can support doctors working under increasing pressure in healthcare systems.

Hosted by the Sussex Mindfulness Centre, the programme brings together doctors, medical leaders, and educators to reflect on individual and systemic approaches to wellbeing.

Keynote speaker Dr Gwen Adshead, forensic psychiatrist and former BBC Reith Lecturer, will share reflections from over 30 years of clinical practice, including her experience of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. She is joined by national and international leaders in medical wellbeing, mindfulness, and system‑level change.

The day combines keynote talks, personal perspectives, and experiential workshops, offering space for reflection, learning, and connection with colleagues.

Held at the Friends Meeting House in Brighton, the conference offers a supportive environment to pause, think, and engage with others committed to caring for those who care for patients.

Who is this for?

This conference is for doctors and managers working in the NHS, whether you have an interest in improving wellbeing for your organisation, team or for yourself it promises to be an inspiring, informative and nourishing day.

Speakers

Keynote speakers include Dr Gwen Adshead who will discuss her experience of training as a therapist and what she has learned about changing minds after thirty years of working as a therapist. She will focus especially on her experience of training in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, and what she has learned and is still learning from patients and colleagues.

Gwen is a consultant forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist with over 30 years’ experience in offender rehabilitation and therapy with people who have committed serious violence. She has published widely on ethics, trauma, and personal change, co-authoring The Devil You Know and Unspeakable. Her work emphasises compassion, reflection, and lasting change.

Other speakers include international and national leaders in medical wellbeing, mindfulness and system level change: Dr Umakant Dave MBE, Consultant Gastroenterologist, Swansea; Dr Florian Ruths, Consultant Psychiatrist, Clinical Lead, Maudsley Medical Psychotherapy Service; Dr Manuel Villareal, GP, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire; Dr Carter Lebares, Associate Professor of Surgery University of California, San Francisco; Director, UCSF Center for Mindfulness in Surgery, Co-Founder/-Director UCSF UCLA Wellbeing In Surgery (WISe) Collaborative.

Programme

You can download the full programme with all the talks and workshops. It includes the names and biographies of all the national and international speakers. Download your programme here.

Tickets

Early Bird tickets are £80 and available for a limited time. Once these are sold out, the standard ticket price of £99 will apply. You can book your tickets by clicking on this link.

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy: The evolving story
2026-11-20 09:30 - 16:30 | Online
This masterclass will explore the story behind Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, its research and practice, as well as dilemmas that practitioners may face today.

What is covered?

The day will chart the unfolding of the story of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) research and practice, interweaving presentations with practice and dialogue.

Participants will be supported to situate themselves within the evolving story and invited to inquire into the role we are all playing – how is our MBCT practice situated? What are the questions and dilemmas we are experiencing?

Who is this for?

This workshop is suitable for anyone involved in teaching, or training to teach, mindfulness.

You can join this online workshop from anywhere, as long as you have a stable internet connection.

Please note, current trainees on our teacher training courses (Foundation and Adapted Mindfulness Based Interventions) are automatically on the attendance list for this masterclass, as it forms part of the syllabus. If this is you, you do not need to book a place.

The facilitators

Professor Clara Strauss

Professor Clara Strauss

Clara Strauss is a consultant clinical psychologist, mindfulness teacher and clinical researcher. In her research, Clara is particularly interested in developing and evaluating new forms of mindfulness-based intervention (MBI), especially for those people who may not be willing or able to access MBCT. Along with other members of her research team, Clara has been evaluating MBIs for people experiencing depression, for people distressed by hearing voices and for people experiencing obsessive-compulsive disorder. This research has also included research with NHS staff, university students and the wider population.

Taravajra

Taravajra

Taravajra has been teaching mindfulness in Sussex since 2005 to community groups, carers, teachers and NHS staff. Taravajra gained a Masters degree in mindfulness-based approaches in 2010 at Bangor University. Since 2011, he has been part of the core training team at Bangor, teaching on the Masters programme and teacher training pathway in the English and Spanish speaking worlds.

Since 2011 he has been one of the main trainers on the Sussex Mindfulness Centre’s teacher training programme.

Certificates

This masterclass is valid for ongoing personal development in mindfulness or as part of the Sussex Mindfulness Centre teacher training pathway. Certificates of attendance can be supplied on completion of the day’s training, if requested.

Booking

You will be able to book this event from 5 May 2026. If you would like to receive a reminder when bookings open, please email us to spft.smc@nhs.net.

The cost of the eight-week course is £75. We also offer a choice of two other options:

£100 – Supporting rate. You can support other participants to attend who are on a low income.

£50 – Supported rate, if you are on a low income and can’t afford the basic rate.

As part of our equity, diversity and inclusion policy, we also have a limited number of concessionary tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis. These are for people who are facing acute financial hardship and who would otherwise not be able to attend. To request a concession ticket please email spft.smc@nhs.net.

We are striving to make our courses accessible for all. If you have additional needs or learning styles, please let us know so we can support you.

Mindful Self-Compassion residential teacher training
2027-03-14 15:00 - 2027-03-20 12:00
This week-long Mindful Self-Compassion teacher training course is the first step of the teacher training that will enable you to run the eight-week Mindful Self-Compassion course. You’ll learn how to present the Mindful Self-Compassion curriculum and develop your own teaching presence. This is the start of your training journey to teach Mindful Self-Compassion.

The six-day intensive training is held at Sharpham House, in Devon from 14 March 2027.

The practical details

The training runs from Sunday 14 March to Saturday 20 March 2027. It will take place at the peaceful and beautiful Sharpham House residential retreat, near Totnes, in Devon. It is 2.5 hours away by direct train from London Paddington. Arrival on Sunday 14 March is from 3pm and orientation day formally starts at 4.30pm. On Saturday 20 March we end at 12pm. It is essential that you are able to complete the training in full.

Brief overview

The residential training is Step 3 on the pathway to becoming a recognised trained teacher of the eight-week Mindful Self-Compassion programme. The teacher training is built around the eight weekly sessions of the foundational Mindful Self-Compassion programme. Each half day is dedicated to a condensed, experiential review of one of the weekly sessions. These are followed by small group activities designed to give trainees opportunities to practice teaching, guiding meditations and facilitating discussion, with the close consultation of one of the teacher trainers. In addition, the training includes short talks, group exercises, discussion, and periods of silence which contribute to a retreat feel at times. Progression on the pathway is to Step 4. However, it is possible that during the training, members of the teaching training team may ask you to strengthen various personal or professional skills prior to your enrolling in the Teacher Training Practicum.

Who is the training for?

This six-day residential teacher training is intended for those who wish to teach the Mindful Self-Compassion programme, those who would like to integrate mindfulness and self-compassion in their ongoing professional activities (i.e., psychotherapy, coaching, nursing, teaching, etc.), and individuals who have a professional interest in the field (i.e., researchers etc.).

The teacher training team

Ali Lambie

Ali Lambie has a Masters degree in teaching Mindfulness-Based Approaches from the University of Bangor. Prior to training as a mindfulness teacher she was a counsellor for many years and spent eight years as manager of a counselling service within the NHS.

Ali lives in the south of England and set up Mindfulness Hampshire in 2011. Since that time she has offered regular courses, workshops and retreats locally and further afield. In 2013, Ali came across the work of Dr Chris Germer and Dr Kristin Neff in the form of Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC). This made a huge impact and she immersed herself in this field, gradually becoming a certified teacher and then teacher trainer of MSC: this work is her passion. These days Ali is fully self-employed teaching MSC and supervising and training others both in the UK and internationally with the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion in the USA. Ali enjoys supporting other teachers in her various roles and often has newer teachers working alongside her too. She has a deep love of the countryside and part of her practice is mindful walking in the woods each day.

Zoe Shobbrook-Fisher

Zoe has been an MSC teacher trainer since 2019. For the last 16 years, after a decade working as a student/staff counsellor and group facilitator in higher education, she set up her own company in southwest London, offering beginner and deepening practice Mindful Based Stress Reduction and MSC courses, residential retreats and self-compassion informed therapy. She is a director at The Mindfulness Project and co-founded the thriving In Good Company practice community. She delivers programmes to a wide range of groups, reflecting her commitment to making these approaches accessible to diverse populations; in the workplace, charity and clinical settings. A lifelong yoga and meditation practitioner she has always been dedicated to paths of the heart and authenticity. Her practice includes her love of singing and conscious dance.

How to apply

Firstly, please make sure you meet all the pre-requisites below. You are invited to attend a free information session Monday 20th April 5-6pm, where the teacher will be available to answer your questions.

You will be asked to complete a thorough application form, which will be carefully reviewed by the teacher training team. Acceptance decisions are made with care to ensure participants are well-prepared and the training space remains safe, supportive, and effective for everyone involved. Sometimes this involves a follow up call to talk the training process through a bit further and make sure it’s the right training at the right time for you. If you are also interested in Step 4, the online Teacher Training Practicum (TTP) that follows Step 3, we’ll send you the TTP application form once you’ve been accepted for the Residential Teacher Training. Or if you’re not sure you can commit to those TTP dates yet you can simply express interest via spft.smc@nhs.net.

Teacher training application pre-requisites

You must have:

Completed a full-length or intensive MSC course

A five-day or multiple shorter silent teacher-led meditation retreats

A six-month gap between your MSC course and the teacher training

Have an established ongoing, daily, mindfulness meditation practice

Have an established ongoing practice of loving-kindness and self-compassion formally and informally

You do not have to be a mental health professional to participate in the MSC teacher training.

Please note: You are expected to allow a six month gap between completing your MSC course and beginning the teacher training. This is to deepen your personal practice, integrating what you’ve learned and ensure you’re truly ready for the time, energy, and financial commitment of teacher training. However, you may register for teacher training at any time after you complete the MSC course.

Cost of residential teacher training

Early bird rates

Below are the early bird rates (which include full board for six nights and all tuition fees and materials) if you pay your non-refundable deposit before 1 Aug 2026. Please indicate your room type preferences on your application form.

Room types will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and will also take into account any accessibility or support needs.

Single occupancy ensuite room: £1800

Single occupancy room with a bathroom shared between two rooms: £1700

Shared ensuite twin room (with another trainee): £1600

Standard rates

Standard rates (which include full board for six nights and all tuition fees and materials) if you pay your non-refundable deposit between 1 Aug and 14 Nov 2026. Please indicate your room type preferences on your application form

Single occupancy ensuite room: £1950

Single occupancy room with a bathroom shared between two rooms: £1850

Shared ensuite twin room (with another trainee): £1750

Application process

Submit your registration form and pay the £500 non-refundable deposit as soon as possible to request your preferred room type, and by 1 August 2026 to secure an early bird rate.

Once your application has been received, you will receive a confirmation email which will include a longer online MSC Teacher Training Application This application includes a brief 200-word statement where you can share your reasons for taking the teacher training and your reflections.

If your application is not accepted, a full refund will be granted. If your application is approved, the relevant balance of your payment will need to be made. The amount depends on the date you apply (before or after the early bird rate).

Bursary places

We would like to make this training available to as many people as possible and there are limited number of bursaries. In the past, it has been possible to give a discount of around £300 to most people who needed it but the decision about how much discount can be offered is dependent on how many applicants we have and is made shortly before the start of the training.

People applying for the bursaries are asked to register for the training, pay the deposit as soon as possible to request their preferred room type (i.e. stage 1 above) and at the same time complete and return a Bursary Application Form to the Sussex Mindfulness Centre at spft.smc@nhs.net which should address the following questions:

Why do you wish to attend this training, and what are the specific financial or other barriers to your attending?

How do you imagine implementing or integrating MSC into your life / teaching?

Please contact spft.smc@nhs.net for a bursary application form and to request the link to pay your £500 deposit.

Teaching Presence in Relationship: an Interpersonal Mindfulness teacher training retreat
2027-10-21 15:00 - 2027-10-30 16:00
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