Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Trust
Help in crisis
Help in crisis

Mindfulness

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for Depression

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is an 8-week course for people who experience depression.  MBCT is an effective treatment for mild to moderate depression, that is recommended by NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence).  In addition, MBCT can help people who have recovered from depression, by reducing the chances of them experiencing depression again in the future and increasing the chances that they will remain in recovery from depression going forwards. MBCT is recommended by NICE for this purpose too.

MBCT courses combine two helpful approaches: Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).  Our MBCT courses are a fantastic way to help us notice our thought patterns and learn how to respond to them in more helpful ways.

What is Mindfulness?

What is Mindfulness?

This short animation film explains what mindfulness is.

How can Mindfulness help me?
Mindfulness helps us become more aware of our thoughts and emotions and interact with them in a different, more helpful way. Mindfulness can help us to:

  • Become more focussed and steadier
  • Feel less overwhelmed
  • Respond more wisely to difficulties and stress
  • Be kinder to ourselves and more accepting of how things are

The following film shares the personal experiences of participants who have attended MBCT at another NHS Talking Therapies service and the benefits they have experienced.

What can I expect?

Our MBCT course runs online over 8 weekly sessions.  Each session lasts two hours. The sessions are run by a small group of experienced NHS professionals who are trained mindfulness teachers. Participants attend with their cameras and microphones turned on and are invited to participate in structured group discussions and reflections.

When attending our MBCT course, we ask for your commitment, time and effort. The course involves practising the daily meditations at home between sessions, supported by the resources we provide.  To benefit from the course, it is important to attend regularly and to practise the recommended approaches at home every day.

Click here to try mindfulness meditation by listening to this guided exercise.

Is MBCT right for me?
  • I want to learn mindfulness techniques to help me manage mild or moderate depression
  • I am willing to practice meditation exercises at home between sessions
  • I am happy to be involved in a group format online, with my camera and microphone turned on

If the answer to these questions is “Yes” then you may decide to contact us for more information about our MBCT course.

How can I talk to someone about the MBCT course at NHS Gloucestershire Talking Therapies?

If you think you would find it helpful to attend one of our MBCT courses, please click here to refer yourself to our service. This will enable you to discuss our MBCT Course and your next steps with our team.