Headspace, the student service at Oxford MIND, has run 3 Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) courses in 2010 for students with anxiety and/or depression. Headspace offers these courses in partnership with the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust, an organisation focusing on reducing stigma and increasing awareness of mental health issues amongst young people.
MBCT courses run for 8 weeks on Tuesday evenings. Students are taught Mindfulness Meditation and elements of Cognitive Therapy, both proven to be helpful with issues around anxiety and depression. Mindfulness means learning to pay attention intentionally, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. The course involves home practices and focuses on helping students
- to become familiar with the workings of their mind,
- to notice the times when they are at risk of getting caught in old habits of mind that re-activate downward mood spirals,
- to explore ways of releasing themselves from those old habits and, if they choose, enter a different way of being,
- to put them in touch with a different way of knowing themselves and the world,
- to be kind to themselves instead of wishing things were different all the time, or driving themselves to meet impossible goals.
Individual assessment meetings precede the course. These meetings include a risk assessment and exploration of the student's needs, level of mental health problem and support network. Subsequently, a decision is made collaboratively as to whether the course will be appropriate and useful for the student.
We have had a large number of applications for all courses from both Oxford university and Brookes unviersity. Groups are limited to 10 participants. Students who attended, benefitted greatly from the strategies learned. Written feedback we have received from students include:
"I'm more present than I was"
I'm in control of my panic attacks better than I could before"
"Mindfulness has helped me with my relationship with my schizo-affective condition, as it has taught me to have more ‘kindly acceptance' when hearing voices"
"I liked the scope and range of techniques and meditations on the course... there is something to suit everyone"
"I feel more relaxed and positive in general"
"The 'breathing space' has been a good tool for stressful moments"
"The exercises generally lift my mood and lessen my anxiety"
"It has made me more aware of my deconstructive patterns and has allowed me to be kinder to myself ... I have made progress on stopping myself getting carried away with stressful situations."
"It has really helped me in those moments when everything else seems muted"
"A tool to employ when I am at risk of depression/anxiety. I am certainly more aware of the pleasant things in my environment."
"I've never experienced such inner calmness before..."
"Positive effect beyond measure"
"Helped me to become more relaxed and distinguish thoughts from facts."
Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 11 Jan 2011 around 11am
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