Our Mindfulness Course
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) 8 Week Programme
About Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
MBCT combines traditional cognitive behavioural therapy with mindfulness techniques and meditation. Our MBCT course teaches you how to pay attention to the present moment, rather than continually getting caught-up stressing about the past or worrying about the future. MBCT allows you to learn new skills to recognise and let go of distressing negative thoughts.
What is MBCT useful for?
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) combines strategies to help individuals better understand and manage their thoughts, emotions, and body sensations, to achieve relief from feelings of distress. Though originally developed to address recurrent depression, many mental health professionals have incorporated mindfulness within therapy sessions, and/or recommend an 8-week course as part of relapse prevention. Mindfulness activities have shown improvements in anxiety, depression, sleep and pain scores.
Course Structure and Practice
This mindfulness course is two hours per week for eight weeks. It is for both complete beginners as well as for those who have had some experience of meditation or mindfulness. Like any skill, mindfulness takes time to practice, and we recommend you set time aside each day for daily home practice to be able to make good use of what you learn each week.
How is MBCT therapy delivered?
We have courses delivered face to face as well as courses delivered online.
Online course: This therapy is delivered online as a weekly group treatment program. Your identity remains confidential and there is no interaction with other participants, although during the live session you can raise questions. Each session is recorded, and the link is then available for three days, allowing flexibility to fit the course around your busy schedule or to access the course from the comfort of your own home.
Face-to-face course: The mindfulness course is also available in a face-to-face group format, where members meet each week to practice together, learn skills together and talk about their experiences of learning and practicing mindfulness over the course of eight weeks. Each group consists of 12 to 16 participants, regular attendance at each session is essential as each session builds on the previous session.
Each weekly session lasts for two hours. We provide email reminders each week, a comprehensive session workbook and free access to our audio recordings. To get the most from attending a course, either online or face-to-face, it is beneficial to practice every day for 20-40 minutes.
Evidence for implementation for MBCT
MBCT is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence – NICE (2004, 2009, 2022), for the treatment of mild to moderate depression and to reduce the risk of relapse. There is also research evidence to show mindfulness courses offer significant benefit to people who experience anxiety or insomnia, as well as offering benefits for those who have a long-term health condition (for example; chronic pain, diabetes, chronic fatigue).
Learning mindfulness can also be preventative in maintaining our health and wellbeing. Carers can also benefit from mindfulness as well as parents, to better manage the pressures of caring for others in a busy and demanding world.
Blackpool Talking Therapies is not able to provide reports for compensation, legal or benefits claims or prescribe medication. Blackpool Talking Therapies does not offer 24-hour or weekend access, crisis or urgent treatment, treatment for alcohol or drug problems or treatment for severe and enduring mental illness. Please discuss these needs with your GP.