Address
West Park Hospital
Edward Pease Way
Darlington
Co.Durham
DL2 2TS
Tel: 01325 552017
Email: [email protected]
Lead contact: Jo Cromarty, mindfulness team manager
Do you experience depression?
Are you stressed by caring for, or parenting, someone with mental ill health or a learning disability?
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 can help…
What is mindfulness?
This short animation film explains what mindfulness is.
Mindfulness 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.
Mindfulness helps us 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 steady
- feel less overwhelmed
- respond more wisely to difficulties and stress.
Mindfulness 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.
Members of the Trust mindfulness team explain a little more in this short film clip.
The following audio clip will take you through a brief mindfulness meditation which may help you to understand more about mindfulness. It’s best to do this meditation sitting in a chair, at a time when you know you won’t be interrupted.
Our courses
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) combines two great approaches; mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy. Our MBCT courses are a great way to understand thought patterns and how to work with these in more helpful ways. We deliver these courses both online and in-person.
You will learn and practise simple meditations and other activities that can help you to:
- be more aware of your thoughts and feelings
- be kinder to yourself
- respond more wisely to difficulties and stress
The following film shares the personal experiences of some who have attended courses at a different NHS centre and the benefits they have experienced.
Who can take part?
Our service is for people aged 18+ who are registered with a GP in County Durham, Darlington, Teesside and (most of) North Yorkshire, York and Selby.
The course may be suitable for you if any of these apply:
- You are currently experiencing an episode of depression
- You have had episodes of depression in the past and wish to reduce the chances of future episodes
- You are stressed by parenting or caring for someone with mental ill health or a learning disability
What is a mindfulness course like?
The course includes eight sessions lasting two and a quarter hours and one longer session. 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.
What is the evidence?
MBCT has been thoroughly researched and is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
How do I take part?
To find out more about mindfulness and the course we offer you can attend a two-hour taster session. After this you can apply for the eight-week course and we will discuss this in more detail with you during a telephone assessment.
To book a place on a taster session see the link below.
Two-hour taster sessions
These taster sessions are specifically for people with experience of depression and stressed carers/parents of someone with mental ill health or learning disabilities. If you work in the health and social care sector, we encourage you to attend a staff mindfulness taster session which will provide you with information about all our course options. The staff taster dates can be found on our Staff Mindfulness Service Webpage.
- ONLINE Tuesday, 03 September 2024, 6pm – 8pm (Microsoft Teams)
- IN-PERSON Wednesday, 04 September 2024, 10am – 12pm Chester-Le-Street
- IN-PERSON Tuesday, 10 September 2024, 10.30am – 12.30pm Knaresborough
- ONLINE Tuesday, 10 September 2024, 10am – 12pm (Microsoft Teams)
- IN-PERSON Wednesday, 11 September 2024, 10am – 12pm Darlington
- More dates to be confirmed
You can also contact us on [email protected] or Tel: 01325 552017 with any queries.
Eight-week courses
The course includes eight sessions each lasting two and a quarter hours, plus one longer day of practice later in the course.
Dates:
- ONLINE: 24 September – 19 November 2024, Tuesdays 6pm – 8.15pm, plus online Day of Mindfulness on 05 November 2024 (COURSE FULL, WAITING LIST ONLY)
- IN-PERSON: 25 September – 20 November 2024, Wednesdays 9.45am – 12pm, plus Day of Mindfulness on 06 November 2024. Course venue: Bullion Hall, Chester-Le-Street, DH2 2DW
- ONLINE: 14 October – 09 December 2024, Mondays 10am – 12.15pm, plus online Day of Mindfulness on 25 November 2024
- ONLINE: 15 October – 17 December 2024, Tuesdays 10am – 12.15pm, plus online Day of Mindfulness on 03 December 2024. No session on 12 November.
- IN-PERSON: 15 October – 10 December 2024, Tuesdays 10.30am – 12.45pm, plus Day of Mindfulness on 26 November 2024. Course venue: Gracious Street Methodist Church, Knaresborough
- IN-PERSON: 16 October – 18 December 2024, Wednesdays 10am – 12.15pm, plus Day of Mindfulness on 04 December 2024. No session on 13 November. Course venue: Elm Ridge Methodist Hall, Darlington DL3 8DJ
If you are interested in taking part in one of our free courses, please email us at [email protected] or Tel: 01325 552017
Day of mindfulness
These sessions are included in the 8-week course and previous graduates are also invited to support their ongoing mindfulness practice and sense of wellbeing. The day is spent engaging in a variety of mindfulness practices with limited talking and space for reflection.
Dates:
- ONLINE Tuesday, 25 June 2024, 10am – 3pm (Microsoft Teams)
- IN-PERSON Wednesday, 26 June 2024, 10am – 4pm, Tunstall Village Hall, Richmond, DL10 7QR
- IN-PERSON Monday, 01 July 2024, 10am – 4pm, Acaster Malbis Memorial Hall, York, YO23 2UJ
- ONLINE Tuesday, 02 July 2024, 10am – 3pm (Microsoft Teams)
- IN-PERSON Tuesday,16 July 2024, 10am – 4pm, Ingleby Greenhow Village Hall, Middlesbrough, TS9 6LX
- ONLINE Wednesday, 24 July 2024, 10am – 3pm (Microsoft Teams)
- IN-PERSON Thursday, 25 July 2024, 10am – 4pm, Bishop Auckland Methodist Church, Bishop Auckland DL14 6EN
- ONLINE Tuesday, 20 August 2024, 10am – 3pm (Microsoft Teams) PLACES STILL AVAILABLE
The next days of mindfulness will be in November/December 2024.
If you have attended one of our 8-week courses in the past and are interested in joining us for a day of mindfulness, please follow this link to complete a booking form: Day of Mindfulness Booking Form – June/July/August 2024
Mindful Wellbeing Course for Post-Covid Syndrome (Long Covid)
We run a free six-week course for people living with Post-Covid in the area covered by our trust. This introductory course explores how coming into the present moment and developing the skills and attitudes of mindfulness can help support the wellbeing of people living with the many challenges of Post-Covid. With shorter sessions and mindfulness practices the course aims to be more accessible for people experiencing symptoms such as fatigue.
How do I take part?
The online Mindful Wellbeing for Post-Covid course will run 10am – 11am on Wednesdays from November 6th to December 11th 2024. To apply for the course or to find out more please contact [email protected] or Tel: 01325 552017.
Online practice group
If you have attended one of our courses in the past, you would be very welcome to join our online ‘practice group’ sessions that take place by Microsoft Teams. These regular 45-minute sessions are an opportunity to do some practice with other people and to re-visit some themes of the course. Everyone will be very welcome, including people who haven’t done any practice for years! The sessions will be led by members of the mindfulness team.
If you have completed an eight-week course previously and are interested in registering for the practice group, please email us at [email protected] with ‘practice group’ as the subject heading.
Contact us
To apply to attend any of our sessions or courses, or any queries, please email us on [email protected] or Tel: 01325 552017.
Useful resources
You may find some of the following resources helpful:
Headspace
Headspace is a very popular and high quality app.
Oxford Mindfulness Centre
The Oxford Mindfulness Centre site has many useful resources including audios of practices and a free online practice group
Free mindfulness
Free mindfulness includes many useful resources including practices, poetry and links to other sites
The Mindfulness Network
The Mindfulness Network site includes links to other free online practice groups
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