Rita Harvey MBACP(accred) 

Counselling and Psychotherapy

Do you find that you think a lot but you get stuck in unproductive thoughts?

Do you find that you are constantly thinking about the past, or worrying about the future?

Is your concentration or your work suffering because you seem to "lose time" getting lost in your head?

Is stress an issue? Do you tend to be anxious, or to think negatively?

All the above are common experiences, shared by many. We live in a an anxiety-producing time and we are constantly bombarded by messages from everywhere - our phones, work demands, family, and our minds.

Mindfulness is a mind-body based approach that helps people change the way they think and feel about their experiences, especially stressful experiences.

It's been known for millennia that the way we think and the way we handle how we feel plays a big part in mental health. Taking a mindfulness course can give people more insight into their emotions, boost their attention and concentration and improve relationships.

Mindfulness exercises are ways of paying attention to the present moment, using techniques like meditation, breathing and yoga. Mindfulness training helps us become more aware of our thoughts and feelings so that instead of being overwhelmed by them, we're better able to manage them.

I offer a beginners course for people who have little or no experience of mindfulness or meditation and want to build these skills in a relaxed atmosphere and with like-minded people to increase their well-being.

During the course we will also discuss ways of applying mindfulness and other approaches to relieve stress, anxiety and improve our ways of coping with life and relax. Although this is not a strict "therapy group", I use my experience as a therapist to facilitate people in finding new and more fulfilling, healthy ways of being with others and with oneself.

The group work is interactive, fun and informative. I work with small groups for blocks of eight weeks. All you need is to be open minded, be prepared to practice the skills in class and in your own time, and be confident and patient that results will come. I teach small groups because it is important that everyone has as much opportunity as possible to interact and learn with others.

I will be running free taster sessions in April 2017 for this course so that we can meet and discuss things in more details.

I have daytime and evening classes and if numbers allow, I will offer also similar weekend courses, so it is worth you telling me if you could only come then.