Teach Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy and Stress Reduction

Train to teach the eight-week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) courses. Find out about our well-respected teacher training courses and apply below.

Teacher training for you whatever your background

Our training equips you to run the eight-week MBCT or MBSR courses, whatever your professional background. Whether you are a clinician working for the NHS, or a member of the public inspired to teach, our part-time training course is relevant to you.

The training runs from February to December each year. With three days in-person teaching, and the rest online, you don’t need to be local.

Uniquely, our training offers an opportunity to teach an MBCT or MBSR course alongside one of Sussex Mindfulness Centre’s highly experienced mindfulness teachers.

Graduates of our training, who have taught two groups of the same curriculum, are eligible to apply to the British Association for Mindfulness-based Approaches‘ (BAMBA’s) national register of mindfulness teachers.

We think you will love our training!

Find out why you should train to teach with us [LINK] and hear from previous participants.

Requirements and costs for training

Before you start your course, you need to meet the following criteria:

• Have a regular mindfulness meditation practice.
• Have taken the eight-week MBSR or MBCT or Mindfulness for Life course. If you work for SPFT you can do the eight-week course for free. If you are not entitled to a free course, you can find out about our next eight-week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy course at the bottom of this page.
• Know which population you want to teach.

Costs and bursaries

Our courses might not be the cheapest, but you will find the training is among the most comprehensive, which will significantly contribute to your confidence in becoming a teacher. We also take you further down the pathway towards registration with the British Association for Mindfulness-based Approaches‘ (BAMBA’s) national register of mindfulness teachers.

The costs and bursaries available are as follows:

• The full training costs £3,950, plus a £500 residential retreat.
• There are usually some funded or part-funded training places available for Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust staff.
• There may be some reduced cost places for people who have limited financial means and/or who come from backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in the mindfulness practitioner and teacher community.

Find out more

You can find out more about this training by downloading our 2024 teacher training handbook and/or by signing up to an information session. Information sessions will be posted at the bottom of this page. You can apply to do the teacher training using the following forms:

Applications are now open

• Application form for Sussex Partnership staff 2024 (Word document)
• Application form for external applicants 2024 (Word document)

The deadline for applications for courses starting in February 2024, is 20 November 2023. Applicants who are external to Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust are welcome to submit their application earlier, to secure an early interview date and decision, so you can plan ahead.

For further information about the training please contact smc@spft.nhs.uk or call the Sussex Mindfulness Centre administrator on 0300 304 0689.

You can also stay up to date with our training opportunities by signing up to our newsletter.

Teacher training information sessions

Find out more by attending one of our teacher training information sessions. You can see them advertised at the bottom of this page. Or if none are advertised send an email to smc@spft.nhs.uk to register an interest in the next one.

Teacher training pathway

The first step on the teacher training pathway is doing the eight-week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy course. We offer this course free to staff at the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. And we also now offer the eight-week course to people interested in learning to teach mindfulness. When we have one coming up these will be advertised below.