Beginning is Now – March 2023

Beginning is Now 20-23 March 2023, Coed Hills, South Wales

Programme

See the full programme

View and download the full day programme for March 2023 [PDF], including workshop information

Beginning is Now was a three day gathering  to explore alternative approaches for living and working with mental distress – set in Coed Hills in the heart of beautiful South Wales countryside near Cardiff.

The programme built on on our core themes of connection, community and systems change, with a focus on reflective, relational, compassionate practice.

Together we explored new ways of thinking about service provision, and explore approaches that are based on mutual support, safety and democratic principles.

As always, moving away from professional, personal and illness labels so we built common ground and imagined together safe, healing services that people want to use when they are in crisis.

Speakers & Facilitators

Our speakers and facilitators are passionate about transforming mental health and changing the script. All believe that with the right support recovery from mental illness can happen and a mental health crisis can be a transformative process. New Speakers are joined by core Compassionate mental health team members, and will be updated here soon.

Rex Haigh

Consultant Psychiatrist, promoter of relational, green care and therapeutic community approaches more…

Clare Jasmine Beloved

Resident artist and eternal activist, Clare works in Liverpool and internationally empowering communities through Art and social action

Kareem Ghandour

Mindfulness teacher and director at Inward Bound Mindfulness Education UK, passionate about helping young people build supportive communities, and develop self awareness, compassion and concentration practices.

Richard Manners

Retired Consultant Art Psychotherapist with over 43 years both in the NHS and the private and independent sector.

Robert Hirsch

Psychiatrist and former Buddhist monk, Robert is trained in a variety of psychotherapeutic approaches including ACT and NVC more…

Keir Harding

OT and DBT therapist on a mission to raise the profile of OT and transform stigmatising attitudes towards people diagnosed with a personality disorder

Hollie Berrigan

Consultant Lived Experience Practitioner, Integrative Counsellor, Peer Support Worker and Accredited Hearing Voices Facilitator

Catherine Thorley

One of the first Helsinki qualified Open Dialogue trainers in the UK and a clinical lead for Peer Supported Open Dialogue at NELFT more…

Aidan Shingler

Author, Artist and Activist and Campaigner against human rights abuses in the psychiatric system

John Whitehead

Artist, maker, imagineer, dedicated transforming communities and cities through the Bottega Project and School for Change more…

Rawley Clay

Artist and founder of Coed Hills, committed to modelling a simpler, more sustainable way of life.

Sarah Paget

Sarah is particularly interested in the concept of "therapeutic ordinariness" and in championing the importance of genuine, authentic relationships in human services more…

Brigid Bowen

Founder and curator of Compassionate Mental Health. Brigid is a freelance journalist, writer and editor with a special interest in health and wellbeing more…

Venue

Coed Hills, St Hilary, Cowbridge, CF71 7DP

Coed Hills (pronounced Coyd) is a unique, off grid sustainable community just outside Cardiff in South Wales.  The on-site residents still work the land using ancestral methods and manage the 180 acres of unspoilt ancient Woodland, man-made lakes and beautiful summer meadows. With elevated views reaching as far as the Jurassic coastline of Wales, yet just a stones throw from the Welsh Capital, Cardiff, Coed is a hidden Utopia from modern life.

Coed has been the leading centre for low impact living in Wales since it was established in 1997. It has hosted many international events including the UK Permaculture Convergence, and has been internationally identified as a place for those who want to embrace an off grid way of living in harmony with nature or to explore and evolve their connection with themselves in tranquil and peaceful surroundings.

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