MBCT group
Do you experience depression, want to find ways to stay well having had talking treatments before? Do you live with a live with a long-term health condition that gets you down?
Many of us spend a lot of time brooding about the past, worrying about the future, and being hard on ourselves. These habits of mind are difficult to control and often leave us feeling stressed and low.
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) can help.
What is MBCT?
MBCT is a particular way of paying attention to the present moment. When we’re tuned in to the present moment, the mind is less likely to get caught up in unhelpful patterns of thinking and feeling.
The therapy helps us to become more aware of our thoughts and emotions and relate to them in a different way. We learn skills that can help us to:
- become more focussed and steadier.
- feel less overwhelmed.
- respond more wisely to difficulties and stress.
MBCT can also help us learn to be kinder to ourselves and more accepting of how things are.
‘Staying present’ is not easy– especially when we’re feeling stressed, or miserable. With patience and practice we can all learn to be more mindful more often.
The MBCT group program for depression is suitable for anyone 18 and over, who have had talking therapies treatment for depression or Low Self-Esteem. This program builds upon previous treatment and helps prevent low mood coming back again.
The MBCT group programme for long term health conditions is for people with physical health issues and associated depression/anxiety. This program helps manage the condition and related emotional challenges, focusing on coping rather than getting rid of the physical problem.
The program includes 9 sessions lasting two and a quarter hours and one follow up appointment. Sessions normally take place over consecutive weeks.
In the sessions you will learn and practise some fairly simple meditations, for example focusing attention on your breathing for periods of time. The teacher will be a qualified mental health professional who is also experienced in teaching mindfulness.
The course takes a lot of time and effort and involves practising the meditations at home on a daily basis. It is important to attend regularly and to practise the approach at home every day.
To find out what treatments NHS Oxfordshire Talking Therapies can offer that will best help you, then please click here or call 01865 901222.
Published: 27 August 2024
