Pre-Conference Workshops

The Pre-Conference Workshops will be run as half-day workshops on the morning of Tuesday 11th July 2023 from 9.30 – 12.45.
All pre-conference workshops will be run for in person attendance only
Workshops One and Two will also be available for both in-person attendance and live online viewing.

Workshop One

The nature and treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents

Ron Rapee, Macquarie University, Australia

For some years we have been conducting the Cool Kids treatment programs for anxious children and adolescents at Macquarie University. Treatment is conducted over approximately 10 sessions and both parents and children attend all sessions for children. A similar but slightly different program, involving some parental input is run for adolescents.  The treatment components include education, cognitive restructuring, parent management strategies, approach to feared situations, and rewards.  Data from these and similar programs indicate a high degree of success with most children showing moderate to marked change and results maintaining for several years.

In this workshop we will discuss the identification, nature, and treatment of child and adolescent anxiety disorders.  Discussion will cover diagnostic criteria, demographic information, interview and psychometric assessment, psychopathology, treatment, and treatment difficulties. We will go over each component of the Cool Kids treatment program and discuss difficulties in application.

Key learning objectives:

At the conclusion of the workshop, participants should be able to:

  • Have a broad appreciation for the recognition and psychopathology of child anxiety disorders
  • Have a general understanding of treatment programs for the management of child and adolescent anxiety (eg Cool Kids)
  • Understand some of the key strategies and techniques to help manage anxiety disorders in young people.

Ron Rapee is Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Macquarie University and Director of the Centre for Emotional Health. Professor Rapee specializes in mental health, especially in anxiety and related disorders across the lifespan. He has developed a number of empirically supported treatment programs that are used across the world. Professor Rapee has been honoured by awards from both scientific and consumer groups, including the Distinguished Career Award from the Australian Association for CBT and the Distinguished Contribution to Science Award from the Australian Psychological Society; and he was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 2012 for his contributions to clinical psychology, especially among young people.

References:

Rapee, R. M., Schniering, C. A., & Hudson, J. L. (2009). Anxiety disorders during childhood and adolescence: Origins and treatment. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 5, 311-341. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.032408.153628

Rapee, R. M., Wignall, A., Spence, S. H., Cobham, V. E., & Lyneham, H. (2008). Helping your anxious child: A step-by-step guide for parents (2nd ed.). New Harbinger

Mychailyszyn, M. P. (2017). “Cool” Youth: A systematic review and comprehensive meta-analytic synthesis of data from the Cool Kids family of intervention programs. Canadian Psychology, 58(2), 105-115. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000101

Workshop Two

Working with memories in cognitive therapy for PTSD

Nick Grey, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and University of Sussex, UK

This workshop presents the some of the ways that traumatic memories can be addressed within Cognitive Therapy for PTSD (Ehlers & Clark, 2000). This is not limited to ‘reliving’, but also includes the use of written narratives, timelines/lifelines, imagery rescripting, stimulus discrimination (‘deactivating’ triggers), and site visits. This work is integrated with focusing on the meanings people have taken from traumatic experiences, to ‘update’ the memories.  The workshop will consider which tool may be best used in which circumstances, and how to adapt these for remote delivery. These tools are important across the range of presentations including Complex PTSD, and for all populations with PTSD including children and young people. The timing of such techniques within treatment will be discussed, including when not to use them.

Key learning objectives:

To know HOW to be memory focused in Cognitive Therapy for PTSD

To know WHEN to be memory focused in Cognitive Therapy for PTSD

Nick Grey is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SPFT) and University of Sussex. He has worked clinically across primary, secondary and tertiary care. He is a member of the Wellcome Trust Anxiety Disorders Group led by Anke Ehlers and David Clark. He is a Fellow of the BABCP and is an accredited CBT practitioner, supervisor and trainer.

References

www.oxcadatresources.com for free training videos, papers, chapters, worksheets and other resources relevant for this workshop.

Workshop Three

Using imagery rescripting and autobiographical memory to change negative and build positive selves

Lusia Stopa, University of Southampton, UK.

Cognitive therapy has recognized the role of negative views of self in maintaining distress since its inception (Beck, 1979, 1985). However, traditional verbal techniques aimed at challenging negative self-beliefs do not always effect change at an emotional or implicational level (Teasdale, 1999). To intervene effectively, we need a conceptual model that does justice to the complexity of the self as well as recognizing the intimate connection between the self and autobiographical memory, described by Conway (2005) as the database for the self. The links between autobiographical memory and the self are often manifest as images and we can use these to work therapeutically with the self.

This workshop will examine two imagery-based interventions: imagery rescripting and how to access positive views of self through autobiographical memories. Both are trans-diagnostic techniques. Imagery rescripting is a technique that focuses on an early memory to change its implications and meanings for the self. It is effective for a range of disorders (Morina, Lancee and Arntz, 2016) and describes a family of techniques rather than a single method of intervention. In this workshop we will focus on rescripting early memories of bullying using Arntz and Weertman’s (1999) three-stage protocol, but we will also discuss other variants.  We will also examine how to integrate experimental methods of accessing positive views of the self through autobiographical memories and incorporating these into clinical work.

Key learning objectives

  • Understand different ways of conceptualising the self within CBT
  • Be aware of the relationship between memory, images and the self
  • Know how and when to use imagery rescripting to reduce negative and increase positive views of the self
  • Understand how autobiographical memories can be used to activate positive views of self and integrated into therapy

Lusia Stopa is Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Southampton, UK. She established cognitive therapy training in Southampton in 2000 and is an active CBT practitioner. Her research investigates the ways in which negative views of self, often represented by mental images, maintain clinical disorders, and how they can be changed in treatment. Her book Imagery in cognitive behavioural therapy (2021) is a leading text for practitioners on how to use imagery therapeutically.

References

Arntz, A., & Weertman, A. (1999). Treatment of childhood memories: Theory and practice. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 37, 715-740.

Morina, N., Lancee, J., & Arntz, A. (2017). Imagery rescripting as a clinical intervention for aversive memories: A meta-analysis. Journal of Behaviour Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 55, 6-15.
Stopa, L (2021) Imagery in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Workshop Four

Exposure therapy for eating disorders: Using inhibitory learning methods to get better results, faster

Glenn Waller, University of Sheffield, UK

Exposure therapy has been a relatively overlooked approach in cognitive-behavioural therapy for eating disorders (CBT-ED). However, more recent CBT-ED protocols have been built around exposure therapy, and have shown rapid, positive outcomes. This has been accomplished using more modern approaches to exposure therapy, based on the inhibitory learning model. Inhibitory learning is still not widely known or adopted. However, it is clearly relevant to the need to facilitate early behavioural change, resulting in substantially better outcomes.

This workshop will begin by explaining the role of exposure in treating eating disorders, and particularly the inhibitory learning model. It will then explain and demonstrate how inhibitory learning can enhance our treatment of a wide range of eating disorder symptoms. It will consider why clinicians so rarely use exposure effectively in treating eating disorders, as well as in treating other conditions.

Based on case material, role plays will be used to show how we can use exposure therapy and behavioural experiments based on inhibitory learning principles in order to address:

  • changing patterns of eating in order to overcome anxiety and beliefs about weight gain
  • overcoming emotional and interpersonal triggers to eating, restricting and other weight control behaviours
  • using cue exposure to reduce ‘habit’-based binge-eating
  • reducing body image disturbance and associated distress

Attendees will be encouraged to bring cases to discuss, to illustrate the flexibility of exposure therapy to the individual case. This can include individuals with common comorbidities (e.g., anxiety disorders, impulsive and compulsive personality traits).

Key learning objectives

  1. Explain the central role of exposure therapy in treating key eating disorder symptoms
  2. Understanding the difference between traditional and contemporary models of exposure therapy
  3. Understanding why clinicians tend not to use exposure therapy
  4. Ability to implement the competences and meta-competences needed to deliver exposure therapy based on inhibitory learning principles as a core part of CBT-ED, and more broadly in eating disorders services

Glenn Waller is a Professor of Clinical Psychology. His clinical and academic specialisms are evidence-based CBT for eating disorders, and why clinicians drift from effective treatment. He has published over 330 peer-reviewed papers, 20 book chapters and five books in the field. He regularly presents workshops at national and international meetings. He is past Chair of the BABCP Scientific Committee, past President of the international Academy for Eating Disorders, and current President of the Eating Disorders Research Society. He is on the editorial board of several journals, including Behaviour Research and Therapy. He was a member of the NICE Eating Disorders Guideline Development Group, responsible for the 2017 update to the eating disorders guideline. He is Director of the HEE-funded training course for CBT-ED practitioners in the north of England.

References

Becker, C. B., Farrell, N., & Waller, G. (2019). Exposure therapy for eating disorders. Oxford, UK: Springer.

Waller, G., Turner, H. M., Tatham, M., Mountford, V. A., & Wade, T. D. (2019). Brief cognitive behavioural therapy for non-underweight patients: CBT-T for eating disorders. Hove, UK: Routledge.

Workshop Five

Treating mild to moderate PTSD using web-based guided self-help (“Spring” programme)

Neil Kitchiner, Veterans’ NHS Wales and Cardiff University, UK

The Nice guidelines (2005) suggested that researchers develop and test a novel guided self-help (GSH) intervention to treat people with mild to moderate PTSD. Our team at Cardiff University, Traumatic Stress Research Group developed a GSH intervention via a PhD candidate (Catrin Lewis). This workshop will describe the methodological framework used for the PhD and present the phase I results. Following the successful PhD (phase I) we collaborated with a healthcare technological web designer who built a prototype GSH website called “Spring” and a “Spring App” and a web based clinician dashboard. The prototype was tested in a phase II randomised controlled trial (RCT) with 40 participants in Cardiff and Vale NHS university health board. The results will be presented and our learning from this study. We developed a final phase III RCT based on a multi-centre design with sites in Wales, England and Scotland with a total of 196 participants taking part in a pragmatic, multicenter non-inferiority trial (RAPID) which compared Spring with CT-PTSD (Ehlers & Clark, 2000) model. The results of this trial will be discussed. The workshop will conclude with our current model for rolling our “Spring” via group online training of psychological therapists across the seven NHS health boards in Wales and fortnight online group supervision of two completed PTSD cases before being signed off as competent to deliver “Spring”. The workshop will demonstrate the eight steps

Key learning objectives

  • Improve the understanding of the methodological steps required from a phase I to phase III RCT for a complex intervention
  • Highlight the partnership needed to take a PhD prototype intervention to a technology company and the development of a novel web based/App
  • Understand the complexities of taking results from RCTs to rolling out a novel GSH intervention for mild to moderate PTSD training and supervision programme with NHS psychological therapists

 

Neil Kitchiner, PhD is the Director & Clinical Lead for Veterans’ NHS Wales and a Senior Research Fellow at Cardiff University. He completed training as a registered mental health nurse 1988, Bedfordshire, England. He has worked as an accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist (BABCP) since 1999. Neil has 37-year experience of working in various NHS mental health settings within the UK, (mainly South Wales) and Melbourne, Australia. Neil has worked in the private sector (Priory Hospital, Bristol) and for the past 22 years in the NHS at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, within the Departments of Liaison Psychiatry, Traumatic Stress Service and currently Veterans’ NHS Wales. Neil served as a Capt. in the British Army Reserves, with 203 (Welsh) Field Hospital for 5 years.  He deployed to Afghanistan (HERRICK 19a), October 2013 – January 2014, as part of the Army Field Mental Health Team.  

References

Lewis C.E, Farewell D, Groves V, Kitchiner N.J., Roberts N.P., Vick T, & Bisson J.I. (2017) Internet-based guided self-help for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): randomised controlled trial.

Nollett C, Lewis C, Kitchiner NJ, Roberts NP, Addison K, Brookes-Howell L, Cosgrove S, Cullen K, Ehlers A, Heke S, Kelson M, Lovell K, Madden K, McEwan K, McNamara R, Phillips C, Pickles T, Simon N, Bisson J. (2018). Pragmatic RAndomised controlled trial of a trauma-focused guided self-help Programme versus InDividual trauma-focused cognitive Behavioural therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (RAPID): trial protocol. BMC Psychiatry. 2018 Mar 27;18(1):77. doi: 10.1186/s12888-018-1665-3.

Bisson J I, Ariti C, Cullen K, Kitchiner N, Lewis C, Roberts N P et al. Guided, internet based, cognitive behavioural therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: pragmatic, multicentre, randomised controlled non-inferiority trial (RAPID) BMJ 2022; 377: e069405 doi:10.1136/bmj-2021-069405.

Workshop Six

Lisa Wood

Adapting CBT for psychosis to use in acute inpatient settings 

Lisa Wood, University College London and North East London NHS Foundation Trust, UK

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is recommended by NICE guidelines for people with psychosis and can be offered in the acute phase.  However, there is less guidance on how to offer CBTp when people are in acute crisis and receiving care from inpatient settings.  The acute crisis is an important time to offer psychological therapy as this is when people are in the most need of psychological support; are often as risk to themselves, to or from others, and are experiencing high levels of distress.  The average stay on an acute inpatient ward is a month which offers an opportunity to offer a brief, targeted CBTp intervention to focus on supporting the person to manage their crisis, reduce distress, and improve wider inpatient care delivery.  To address this need, a culturally competent coproduced CBTp intervention was developed to be used in the inpatient setting drawing upon several sources of information including systematic reviews, relevant psychological theory, core competency frameworks for working with people with psychosis, qualitative interview studies and Delphi studies. This resulted in a modularised CBTp protocol which has been tested in a pilot Randomised Controlled Trial.  The goal of this workshop is to give an overview of this protocol and describe its underlying theory.

Key learning objectives

Improve understanding about how CBTp theory can be applied to people experiencing an acute crisis and receiving inpatient care

Improve the ability to assess and formulate acute psychosis, including risk of harm

Consider how a CBTp formulation can be used to inform wider system change and inpatient care delivery

Improve understanding of how CBTp strategies can be used or adapted in an acute inpatient environment

Lisa Wood is a Clinical Associate Professor at University College London (UCL), and a Clinical Psychologist and Researcher in North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT).  She currently holds a National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Lectureship where she is undertaking research examining how to adapt CBTp for acute inpatient settings.  She has practiced as a clinical psychologist in acute services, including crisis home treatment team and inpatient care, for the last 10 years.  Her research interests include improving psychological therapies for people experiencing psychosis, understanding and improving stigma and discrimination relating to psychosis, and developing and evaluating psychosocial interventions for people in mental health crisis. 

References

Wood L, Williams C, Pinfold V, Nolan F, Morrison AP, Morant N, Lloyd-Evans B, Lewis G, Lay B, Jones R, Greenwood K, Johnson S. (2022) Crisis-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for psychosis (CBTp) in acute mental health inpatient settings (the CRISIS study): protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial. Pilot Feasibility Studies 10;8(1):205. doi: 10.1186/s40814-022-01160-7. PMID: 36088373

Wood, L., Jacobsen, P., Ovin, F., & Morrison, A.P. (2022) Key Components for the Delivery of Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for Psychosis in Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Settings: A Delphi Study of Therapists’ Views, Schizophrenia Bulletin Open, Volume 3, Issue 1,  https://doi.org/10.1093/schizbullopen/sgac005

Wood L, Williams C, Billings J, Johnson S. (2019) Psychologists’ Perspectives on the implementation of Psychological Therapy for Psychosis in the Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Setting. Qualitative Health Research. 29(14):2048-2056. doi:10.1177/1049732319843499

Workshop Seven

Philippe Goldin

Integration of emotion regulation and contemplative techniques into psychotherapy

Philippe Goldin, University of California Davis, USA

While Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy and other psychotherapy interventions have  been highly successful in treating mood and anxiety disorders. However, there is still room and need to enhance the effectiveness and creativity of how we train awareness of (adaptive and maladaptive) emotions, thoughts and behaviours; set up exposure to feared people and situations and mental states (e.g., uncertainty, physical and emotional pain); expand the scope and depth of emotion regulation skills; and strengthen emotion regulation self-efficacy across intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships. Using a variety of techniques from the Buddhist contemplative repertoire, we will explore and experience how distinct types of meditation practices can be integrated into psychotherapy with individual, couples and group settings to increase the (a) vividness and salience of emotion awareness, (b) learning of a variety of emotion regulation skills, (c) self-efficacy of emotion regulation skills, and (d) courage to approach (rather than avoid) challenging negative self-beliefs, emotions and situations.

The goal of this workshop is to explore the use and integration of contemplative practices to enhance emotion regulation skills, especially in the context of psychotherapy and in vivo exposure to enhance the effectiveness of our clinical interventions.

Key learning objectives

  • Improve emotion awareness and emotion regulation skills in psychotherapy
  • Consider how to integrate different contemplative practices into psychotherapy in a culturally and trauma-informed manner
  • Improve ability and self-efficacy in implementing emotion regulation skills in order to face difficult emotions more effectively

Philippe Goldin, PhD is a Professor at UC Davis and leads the Clinically Applied Affective Neuroscience Laboratory. His team is currently engaged in (a) basic research on the brain networks that differentiate different types of emotion regulation strategies; (b) clinical research on the neural bases of psychopathology; and (c) clinical intervention research examining the brain and behavioral mechanisms of therapeutic change during Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy​, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and Compassion Cultivation Training in adults with anxiety, depression and chronic pain disorders; (b) clinical research on the neural bases of psychopathology; and (c) clinical intervention research examining the brain and behavioral mechanisms of therapeutic change during Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy​, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and Compassion Cultivation Training in adults with anxiety, depression and chronic pain disorders.

Key References

Goldin, PR, Morrison, AS, Jazaeiri, H, Brozovich, FA, Heimberg, RG, & Gross, JJ (2016). Group CBT versus MBSR for social anxiety disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 84, 427-37. doi: 10.1037/ccp0000092. PMID: 26950097

Goldin PR, Thurston M, Allende S, Moodie C, Dixon ML, Heimberg RG, Gross JJ. Evaluation of cognitive behavioral therapy vs mindfulness meditation in brain changes during reappraisal and acceptance among patients with social anxiety disorder: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2021 Oct 1;78(10):1134-1142. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.

Goldin PR, Moodie, C, & Gross JJ. (2019). Acceptance versus reappraisal: behavioral, autonomic, and neural effects. Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience. 19(4):927-944. doi: 10.3758/s13415-019-00690-7. PMID: 30656602

Jazaieri H, McGonigal K, Lee IA, Jinpa T, Doty J, Gross JJ, & Goldin PR (2017). Altering the trajectory of affect and affect regulation: the impact of compassion training. Mindfulness, doi: 10.1007/s12671-017-0773-3

Goldin, P & Jazaieri, H (2016). Scientific Investigations of Compassion Cultivation Training. In  Seppala, E (ed), Oxford Handbook on Compassion Science, Oxford University Press.

Workshop Eight

A practical introduction to becoming a culturally sensitive supervisor

Margo Ononaiye, University of Southampton, UK

The research focusing on positive outcomes in supervision consistently highlights the importance of the quality of the supervisory relationship (e.g., Holloway, 2016).  The supervisory relationship is a significant predictor of supervisee satisfaction, developing an effective learning context, improving rapport, supervisee safety and professional development (Holloway, 2016).  Clinicians from ethnically diverse backgrounds are under-represented within psychological services (Turpin & Coleman, 2010) and have reported experiencing racism, feeling guarded, unvalued, and unable to display their true emotions in supervision, which is often with white supervisors (e.g., Davis, 2017).  In support, Verkaria, Ononaiye and Phiri (2022) found that culturally responsive supervision was not generally experienced by supervisees from ethnically diverse backgrounds.  The results suggested that supervisees felt that their supervision lacked reflection and collaborative discussions on cultural identity which in turn negatively impacted upon the supervisory relationship.  This workshop therefore aims to address this imbalance by providing skills to enable the development of culturally competent supervision, which will in turn improve the supervisory relationship and clinical care.

Key learning objectives

 

By the end of the workshop participants will be able to:

  1. Understand the concept of culturally unresponsive supervision and its impact on the supervisory relationship
  2. Personally reflect on one’s own cultural identity and biases within a safe, learning environment
  3. Experience techniques and strategies that will promote cultural responsivity that can be applied in the supervision relationship to build collaboration, rapport, safety, and trust
  4. Supervise using the principles of culturally responsive supervision

A Clinical Psychologist by background, Margo is the first Black woman to be promoted to the role of Programme Director on a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology programme in the UK. She is also seconded into the part-time role of Widening Participation Lead for the Psychological Professions Network Southeast providing a strategic overview to the equality, diversity and inclusion work that is being done, and needs to be done, within the psychology professions. Margo has an active interest in helping the world of psychology to become more inclusive and representative of the multicultural nation where we live and work.

Workshop Nine

Treating distress and persistent symptoms in people with physical health conditions: a process focused approach

Trudie Chalder, King’s College London, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust

Around 15 million people in the UK have a physical health condition which is long lasting ie. diabetes and inflammatory disease.  Other serious health problems such as cancer can be treated with curative intent, but patients may be left with poor quality of life due to fear of recurrence and uncertainty.

Anxiety and depression are common and can be associated with difficulties with adjustment and / or may be linked to pre-existing difficulties such as low self-esteem.  Impairment (degree of pathology) is not correlated with disability and multi-morbidity is common.

A transdiagnostic model of understanding common, physiological, cognitive, attentional and behavioural responses often perpetuate distress, symptoms, poor functioning and low quality of life.

This workshop focuses on how, illness behaviour, attentional, physiological and cognitive processes can be targeted in therapy to enable people to lead more fulfilled lives.

Key learning objectives:

  1. To develop an understanding of the transdiagnostic model
  2. To draw on a suite of interventions to target transdiagnostic processes

Trudie Chalder is Professor of Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy at King’s College London. She has worked as a clinician and a researcher in the area of long-term conditions and functional symptoms for about 30 years. She develops specific cognitive behavioural models for understanding and treating symptoms and distress in these conditions and evaluates the approaches within the context of randomised controlled trials in primary and secondary care. The primary focus is always on improving people’s quality of life. Her research involves investigating not only whether treatment works in the context of gold standard randomised controlled trials but how and for whom it works. Her work spans adolescents and adults.

Key references

Armes J, Chalder T, Addington-Hall J, Richardson A, Hotopf M.  (2007) A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief, behaviorally oriented intervention for cancer-related fatigue. Cancer. 110(6):1385-95. doi.org/10.1002/cncr.22923

Chalder T, Patel M, James K, Hotopf M, Moss-Morris R, Ashworth M, Watts K, David AS, Husain M. PRINCE Secondary: Transdiagnostic cognitive behaviour therapy for persistent physical symptoms. Psychol Med. 2021 Sept 7. doi.org/10.1017/S0033291721003615

James K, Patel M, Goldsmith K, Moss-Morris R, Ashworth M, Landau S, Chalder T. Transdiagnostic therapy for persistent physical symptoms: a mediation analysis of the PRINCE secondary trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 2022 Dec;159. doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2022.104224

Matcham FAE, Ali S, Irving K, Hotopf MH, Chalder T. (2016) Are depression and anxiety associated with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis? A prospective study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2016;17(1):155. doi.org/10.1186/s12891-016-1011-1.

Workshop Ten

Finding space in tight corners: resourcing ourselves and our clients through mindfulness

Bridgette O’Neill and Pamela Duckerin, Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor University.

In NICE’s 2022 guidelines for depression in adults, mindfulness features in a menu of psychological and psychosocial alternatives to antidepressants to be offered to people experiencing a new episode of ‘less severe depression’ and for relapse prevention, with MBCT being presented as an exemplar. NICE also recommends in the workplace that employers should offer all employees (or help them to access) mindfulness, yoga or meditation on an ongoing basis, and where employees have or are at risk of poor mental health and want further support, employers should offer mindfulness training as one option.

This workshop will provide an opportunity to learn about Mindfulness Based Programmes (MBPs) and their relationship to mindfulness informed approaches such as dialectical behaviour therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy. We will provide an overview of the evidence base and share best practice regarding the implementation of MBPs within clinical services and as a support for practitioner wellbeing. A defining feature of MBPs is that the clinician or teacher practises mindfulness themselves and this workshop will provide an opportunity to explore mindfulness experientially and to consider how to continue with mindfulness as a resource for personal wellbeing as well as how to train as a teacher of MBPs.

Key learning objectives:

Participants will:

  • Learn about the development of mindfulness based programmes (MBPs) and their relationship to mindfulness informed interventions.
  • Gain an understanding of the current evidence base for MBPs and the potential for bringing mindfulness into clinical work.
  • Engage in an experiential exploration of the benefits of mindfulness for our own wellbeing and as a resource within organisations.
  • Gain information about how to continue to engage with mindfulness in your own life and as a clinical intervention.

Pamela has worked in the field of mental health for 37 years and is currently a senior CBT therapist and supervisor in an IAPT service. She was a DBT therapist for 7 years while working in Canada. She has had a mindfulness meditation practice since 1996, initially to help manage pain and fatigue from an autoimmune joint disease. She later trained as a mindfulness teacher, teaching MBCT within IAPT for staff and clients. She joined the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice in 2015 as a trainer, and currently teaches on their Masters in Mindfulness programme and offers teacher training and supervision through the Mindfulness Network.

Bridgette is a clinical psychologist with a background in working in primary and secondary care mental health services, including in a leadership role. She began offering mindfulness-based interventions in the NHS in 2002 and continues to teach and supervise MBCT for NHS staff and clients. Since 2014 she has focused on teaching and training people to teach mindfulness and compassion- based interventions. She currently works as a trainer and supervisor for the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University, teaching on their Masters in Mindfulness Programme and also supervising, training teachers and leading the retreat programme for the Mindfulness Network.

Key references

Crane, R. S., & Griffith, G. M. (Eds.). (2021). Essential resources for mindfulness teachers. Routledge.

Segal, Z., Williams, M., & Teasdale, J. (2018). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression. Guilford publications.

Goldberg, S. B., Tucker, R. P., Greene, P. A., Davidson, R. J., Wampold, B. E., Kearney, D. J., & Simpson, T. L. (2018). Mindfulness-based interventions for psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical psychology review59, 52-60.