Train to teach mindfulness

Photo by Lance Bellers

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Sussex Mindfulness Centre has been offering mindfulness training since 2011. We have 47 members of staff trained in mindfulness, who are themselves connected to a large network of skilled local teachers and a thriving team of researchers producing cutting-edge research into mindfulness interventions. Sussex Mindfulness Centre is a member of the UK Network of Teacher Training Organisations which includes training programmes deemed to meet certain agreed national minimum standards.

Training programme in adapted mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs)

An ever growing number of people are drawing on mindfulness in their work and using adapted mindfulness based approaches that are not the standard eight week programmes, such as MBCT or MBSR.

This training course is for people who wish to train to deliver mindfulness based interventions that are not the eight week programme. It is intended for those who don't need to complete the extensive training required to deliver MBCT/MBSR but who wish to be equipped to use adapted mindfulness based approaches safely and effectively.

This training is part-time and in 2019 lasts for 10 months from the first teaching day on 1 Feb to the last teaching day on 19th Nov 2019. Fees for the 2019 Adapted MBI training are £1,900. Applications for 2019 training are now open. 20 places are available, up to five of these are expected to be funded by Sussex Partnership. The closing date for applications is Friday 16th November 2018. The course handbook below gives a good idea of the curriculum and training requirements.

Find out more and apply:

Course handbook

Foundation training in mindfulness-based approaches (MBCT/MBSR)

This course is designed for people wishing to teach the eight-week MBCT/MBSR programmes. The training uses an apprenticeship approach with a strong emphasis on supervised group facilitation, resting on a firm foundation of theory, regular feedback on teaching practice and daily personal mindfulness practice. The training model we use has been described in greater detail in the following publication: Marx, R., Strauss, C., Williamson, C. (2014). Mindfulness apprenticeships: a new model of NHS-based MBCT teacher-training. Mindfulness, DOI: 10.1007/s12671-013-0254-2. Graduates of the training, who have taught two groups, are eligible to apply for the national listing of teachers. The 2019 training is part-time and lasts a year from the orientation day (am) on 25 Jan to December 2019. The cost of training is £5,500. Applications for next year's training are now open. The closing date for applications has been extended to 26th October 2018. The course handbook below outlines the curriculum and training requirements.

Teacher training in Mindful Self-Compassion

17 February – 23 February 2019

Led by Steve Hickman and Vanessa Hope

MSC: Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher Training at the beautiful Ammerdown retreat centre near Bath.

Total payments before 29 June (early bird rate):
Single occupancy room: £1,500pp
shared (twin or double) occupancy: £1,400pp

After 30 June (balances must be paid in full by 1 December 2018):
Single occupancy room: £1,600pp
shared (twin or double) occupancy: £1,500pp

To register, please complete the registration form. On completion, you will be invoiced for the £300 non-refundable deposit. Once the deposit is paid, you will be provided with a link to complete an online MSC Teacher Training Application including a 200-word essay where you can share your reasons for taking the training. Once the application has been approved by the teachers, you will be asked to pay the balance of payment and when this is received, you will receive confirmation of your place.

Closing date: 30th November 2018

Registration form
Supporting information
Course pre requisites include attendance at at least one 5-day silent teacher-led meditation retreat and participation in a 5-day or 8-week MSC training: S upporting information about Mindfulness Network retreats
Supporting information about Mindfulness Network MSC training

The UK Mindfulness Centres collaboration training in delivering MBCT in IAPT

We are delighted to announce another fantastic training opportunity for staff in Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services to train as Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) teachers. The training is being delivered at two sites across England from March 2019 up to the end of March 2020 by a collaboration of UK Mindfulness Centres. The teaching and supervision are funded by Health Education England and are provided free of charge to IAPT staff, who, on successful completion of the training, will be able to deliver this NICE approved evidence-based therapeutic approach for people with recurrent depression within IAPT services.

This training is for High Intensity CBT therapists with at least one year’s post-qualification experience, working in IAPT Services. IAPT services are invited to apply to a training course in their assigned locality. IAPT services should work with interested staff to identify their preferred applicants for the training. The service application form and trainee application form(s) with Equality Monitoring form(s) should all be electronically submitted together to the geographically relevant training centre by 5pm on Wednesday 21st November. Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed (usually by Zoom or Skype) between 4th and 20th December 2018. For more information, contact:

Pippa Menzies (pippa.menzies@sussexpartnership.nhs.uk) for the South site (covering London, South East, Wessex and South West)

Tim Sweeney (tim.sweeney@nottshc.nhs.uk) for North site (covering Midlands, East of England, North East and North West)

Application materials:

For further information about the training, please contact smc@sussexpartnership.nhs.uk or call Caroline Windley, Sussex Mindfulness Centre Administrator on 0300 304 2057.