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.
- Next dates to be confirmed soon
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.
Online dates
- 13 May – 8 July 2025, Tuesdays 10am – 12.15pm, plus an online Day of Mindfulness on 24 June 2025, 10am – 3pm.
In person dates
- 14 May – 9 July 2025, Wednesdays 10.30am – 12.45pm, Grove Hill Community Hub and Library, Bishopton Road, Middlesbrough, TS4 2RP, plus Day of Mindfulness on 25 June 2025, 10am – 4pm at Swainby Church Hall, Northallerton, DL6 3EA.
- 15 May – 10 July 2025, Thursdays 12.45pm – 3pm, Ripon Community House, Sharow View, 75 Allhallowgate, Ripon HG4 1LE, plus Day of Mindfulness on 26 June 2025, 10am – 4pm, at Sawley Village Hall, Sawley, Ripon, HG4 3EQ.
Cancelled dates
- Course cancelled due to low numbers – In-person in Malton from 13 May to 08 July 2025, Tuesdays 10.30am – 12.45pm.
- Course cancelled due to low numbers – Online from 14 May to 09 July 2025, Wednesdays 10am – 12.15pm.
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 for course graduates
Our days of mindfulness practice sessions are included in the eight-week course, and previous course 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.
- ONLINE: Tuesday 24 June, 10am to 3pm (Microsoft Teams)
- ONLINE: Wednesday 25 June, 10am to 3pm (Microsoft Teams)
- IN-PERSON: Wednesday 25 June, 10am to 4pm (Swainby Church Hall, Swainby, Northallerton)
- IN-PERSON: Thursday 26 June, 10am to 4pm (Sawley Village Hall, Sawley, Ripon)
- ONLINE: Friday 27 June, Friday 10am to 3pm (Microsoft Teams)
- ONLINE: Monday 30 June, Monday 10am to 3pm (Microsoft Teams)
- IN-PERSON: Tuesday 29 July, Tuesday 10am to 4pm, (North Stainley Village Hall, North Stainley, Ripon)
The next days of mindfulness will be in the autumn 2025.
If you have attended one of our eight-week or six-week courses in the past and are interested in joining us for a day of mindfulness, please complete a Day of Mindfulness booking form (June and July 2025).
If you are one of our previous course graduates who would like to be added to our graduate contact list to receive occasional email updates promoting new dates and opportunities for graduates, please complete a consent to keep in touch form.
You can also contact us on [email protected] or telephone: 01325 552017 with any queries.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) course adapted for people with fatiguing physical health conditions
We’re piloting an adapted version of the 8-week course described above for people with fatiguing physical health conditions, such as ME/CFS or post-Covid syndrome (long Covid). With shorter sessions and mindfulness practices the course aims to be more accessible for people experiencing fatigue. This free online course is eleven weeks long and each weekly session is 1.5 hours with a break part way through each session. The course explores how the skills and attitudes of mindfulness combined with cognitive behavioural therapy can provide support in the midst of difficulty and help us navigate through challenging times. It can be a great way to understand our thought patterns and how to work with these in more helpful ways.
Who is this course for?
It is for people aged 18+ who are registered with a GP in County Durham, Darlington, Teesside and (most of) North Yorkshire, York and Selby. It may be suitable for you if you have a fatiguing physical health condition and if any of the following 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
Dates:
- ONLINE: 15 September – 24 November 2025, Mondays 10.30am – 12pm
How do I take part?
If you think this course may be suitable for you and would like to find out more, please attend a bespoke taster session as detailed below, or alternatively you can attend one of our standard two-hour taster sessions detailed above. After this you may choose to apply for the course itself and we will then arrange a telephone assessment with you.
Taster session date:
- ONLINE: 16 June 2025, Monday 10.30am – 12pm (Microsoft Teams)
You are also welcome to contact us on [email protected] or Telephone: 01325 552017 with any queries.
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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