Training

What’s it about?

A range of online and in person trainings, designed to accelerate improvement in mental health services, and provide practices for meeting distress in oneself and others

Who’s it for?

NHS and Community teams, families and friends, people with personal experience of mental distress

Who is leading?

We have a bank of facilitators and trusted trainers who are passionate about changing the script around mental health, challenging stigma and raising expectations

About our Trainings

Compassionate Mental Health is working with a network of people across the UK and internationally to transform mental health services, and radically change the conversation around mental illness.

We offer a range of online and in person trainings designed to support your teams, boost wellbeing and accelerate good practice.

Popular Training Courses

TRAINING 1

Compassionate Leadership

Online run over 6 or 12 months

Facilitated by Martin Kalunga Banda, Yasmin Ishaq and Cathy Thorley – and informed by a mix of methods developed by the Presencing Institute and Dialogical Leadership principles.

The Compassionate Leadership programme will increase competencies, and also create space for a reflective culture and develop a community of practice where you can grow as a team and be a resource for each other. You’ll understand how to create structures and spaces for safe expression of difficulty and boost the wellbeing and relational practice of of your teams to support the populations they serve.

TRAINING 2

Compassionate Communities (Online)

8, two-hour weekly connection groups for a maximum of 10 people or families

A choice of 4 groups – people with personal experience of mental and emotional distress | family, friends and supporters | people bereaved by suicide and other losses | mental health workers. Be introduced to transformational compassionate practices; boost your well-being through building supportive relationships; engage in dialogue and deep listening.

TRAINING 3

Open Dialogue for teams and communities

Online – an introduction to the principles of Open Dialogue with a choice of trusted trainers

The seven principles of Open Dialogue are:

Immediate Help
Social Network Perspective
Flexibility and Mobility
Responsibility
Psychological Continuity
Tolerane of Uncertainty
Dialogue (& Polyphony)

TRAINING 4

Mindfulness and Self Compassion

Online – facilitated by Mirjam Luthe and Julia Ramanoelina

Explore:

What is Compassion?

Why do we need Compassion?

How do we develop Compassion for Self and Others?

Other Training Course Options

Other courses we offer with our trusted trainers:

Communities of Practice for mental health workers
Dialogue and Deep Listening
Creative Approaches to Psychosis
Recovery from Psychosis
Understanding self harm, suicidality, sometimes described
as ‘personality disorder’
Creating safety within inpatient facilities
Building compassionate communities
Compassion Focused Therapy for mental health workers
Alternatives to hospitalisation
Supporting psychosis at home
Trauma Sensitive approaches
Nature Connection Walks (online)

Facilitators

Our facilitators and trusted trainers 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.

Martin Kalungu Banda

Heart centred leader, facilitator and innovator of organisation and systems change, working with Global Leaders, business and civil society more…

Yasmin Ishaq

Social worker/psychotherapist and Open Dialogue lead for NHS Kent working with the whole family/network, rather than just the individual more…

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…

Malcolm Stern

Group psychotherapist and co-founder of Alternatives - a world renowned platform for leading spiritual teachers and alternative thinking more…

Talk to us about your Training Needs

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…

Selena Støback

Partnerships Lead, Selena helps facilitate partnerships based around dialogue, deep listening and collaboration more…