Foundation Training in MBCT
Nottingham Centre for Mindfulness (NCM) provides a part-time course over 18 months as a foundation for teaching Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).
NCM has been providing mindfulness training since 2010, and graduates of these are running mindfulness-based courses across the UK. The Foundation Training now includes an online mindfulness retreat and a period of supervised practice, providing graduates with additional support and development of teaching skills as they begin to offer MBCT to their participants.
The foundation course aims to develop skills in delivering MBCT and is designed to meet key training requirements needed for Registration with the British Association of Mindfulness-based Approaches (BAMBA). This supports trainees to meet the good practice guidelines:
UK Good Practice Guidelines for Teachers.
The training includes
- Deepening personal practice of mindfulness
- Enhancing knowledge of the theory and origins of mindfulness and MBCT
- Developing and practising the skills required to teach MBCT
- Supervision of MBCT teaching with an experienced MBCT supervisor
Details of the training
Learning the steps, intentions and skills for delivering mindfulness and cognitive therapy exercises within the MBCT curriculum. Trainees will begin to teach MBCT to peers and trainers in small groups.
Feedback from peers and trainers is provided to support trainees in developing and refining teaching skills.
Experiential learning is complemented by workshops focusing on topics including: skills in leading inquiries, understanding the cognitive therapy elements of MBCT, group skills, foundations of mindfulness and assessing and orientating participants to the MBCT programme.
The training involves developing skills in each of the six domains of the Mindfulness-Based Intervention: Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBI-TAC)
- Coverage, pacing and organisation of the session curriculum
- Relational skills
- Embodiment of mindfulness
- Guiding mindfulness practices
- Conveying course themes through interactive inquiry and didactic teaching
- Holding the group learning environment.
The importance of maintaining a personal mindfulness practice, enabling embodied teaching, is supported by attendance at Silent Mindfulness Practice days and the 5 day online retreat.
To register for a course please download and complete this application form:
- Mindfulness Application Form 2025.docx[docx] 199KB (Printable) (opens in new window)
In collaboration with Oxford Mindfulness Foundation, NCM Foundation Training now includes an additional 2-day training enabling teachers of MBCT to teach MBCT for Life. This is for those working with non clinical populations.
This training builds on the existing skills and competencies of MBCT teachers, focusing on the elements of the MBCT for Life curriculum that are new or distinct and that require teachers to gain additional knowledge or skills.
MBCT for Life is a development of MBCT for the general population. It includes 8 weekly sessions, home practice, and an all-day session and teaches skills both for working with painful and difficult experience and for increasing wellbeing and flourishing.
This teacher training includes theoretical and empirical foundations for MBCT for Life, the structure and sequence of the curriculum, and learning to teach key practices and exercises, including cognitive-behavioural exercises, appreciation and befriending practices. We also include discussion of how inquiry is conducted in MBCT for Life.
Who can apply?
For people who are interested in developing the skills to teach mindfulness to others, have completed a recognised 8-week mindfulness course such as MBCT or MBCT for Life and have an established personal mindfulness practice. If you are interested in training to teach but have not yet completed an eight-week course, please contact us so we can recommend a suitable 8-week course.
Course dates 2025 - 2026
10 January 2025: Introductory day. Orientation. Context of the training. Historical over-view of MBCT. Group reflections - ‘What brings us here?’
17 January 2025: Teach-backs: Identifying the aims and steps in key mindfulness and cognitive therapy practices in MBCT. Breaking these down and beginning to teach these to fellow trainees in pairs and small groups. We will start with the practices and exercises in session 1, gradually working through the 8-week course content.
24 January 2025: Teach-backs: Identifying the aims and steps in key mindfulness and cognitive therapy practices in MBCT. Breaking these down and beginning to teach these to fellow trainees in pairs and small groups. We will start with the practices and exercises in session 1, gradually working through the 8-week course content.
31 January 2025: Teach-backs: Identifying the aims and steps in key mindfulness and cognitive therapy practices in MBCT. Breaking these down and beginning to teach these to fellow trainees in pairs and small groups. We will start with the practices and exercises in session 1, gradually working through the 8-week course content.
7 February 2025: Teach-backs: Identifying the aims and steps in key mindfulness and cognitive therapy practices in MBCT. Breaking these down and beginning to teach these to fellow trainees in pairs and small groups. We will start with the practices and exercises in session 1, gradually working through the 8-week course content.
14 February 2025: Teach-backs: Identifying the aims and steps in key mindfulness and cognitive therapy practices in MBCT. Breaking these down and beginning to teach these to fellow trainees in pairs and small groups. We will start with the practices and exercises in session 1, gradually working through the 8-week course content.
28 February 2025: Teach-backs: Identifying the aims and steps in key mindfulness and cognitive therapy practices in MBCT. Breaking these down and beginning to teach these to fellow trainees in pairs and small groups. We will start with the practices and exercises in session 1, gradually working through the 8-week course content.
7 March 2025: Teach-backs: Identifying the aims and steps in key mindfulness and cognitive therapy practices in MBCT. Breaking these down and beginning to teach these to fellow trainees in pairs and small groups. We will start with the practices and exercises in session 1, gradually working through the 8-week course content.
14 March 2025: Day of Silent Practice at Hexgreave Hall. An opportunity to deepen your personal practice.
21 March 2025: Mentor meeting - Online - An opportunity to meet with a teacher individually. We will offer guidance and support with your mindfulness-based development, within a personal and professional context.
28 March 2025: MBITAC: Exploration of evaluation tools including the Mindfulness Based Intervention Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBITAC) in development of MBCT teaching skills.
4 April 2025: Origins of Mindfulness: During this day we will explore the four foundations of mindfulness which have informed the core aspects of Mindfulness Based Cognitive therapy. We will combine theory with personal engagement and reflection.
25 April 2025: Enquiry Workshop. Learning to lead discussions and enquiries in MBCT can be a challenging aspect of the programme. This workshop focuses on understanding and implementing different and effective approaches in this important area.
28 April to 2 May 2025: Five-day Silent online Retreat - This retreat will provide a rich opportunity to deepen our personal engagement with mindfulness practice. The days will be mostly held in silence, however, there will be opportunities to talk with the teachers and be guided and supported throughout the time.
9 May 2025: Cognitive Therapy in MBCT: Workshop focusing on the CBT aspects and underpinnings of MBCT.
16 May 2025: Group Teaching Skills: Developing and practising the skills required for teaching groups for participants.
23 May 2025: Bringing MBCT to your Population: Outlining principals to consider when working with different populations.
6 June 2025: Assessment and Orientation to MBCT: Considerations in assessing participants and orientating them to MBCT is discussed and key themes to include identified. Including trauma sensitive mindfulness.
13 June 2025: Group Teaching: During group teaching sessions trainees lead each other through the MBCT programme in small groups. Starting with session 1 and working through the 8-week course.
20 June 2025: Group Teaching: During group teaching sessions trainees lead each other through the MBCT programme in small groups. Starting with session 1 and working through the 8-week course.
27 June 2025: Group Teaching: During group teaching sessions trainees lead each other through the MBCT programme in small groups. Starting with session 1 and working through the 8-week course.
4 July 2025: Group Teaching: During group teaching sessions trainees lead each other through the MBCT programme in small groups. Starting with session 1 and working through the 8-week course.
11 July 2025: Leading a Day of Silent Practice at Hexgreave Hall. An opportunity for you to lead a practice as part of the silent day as well as deepening your own personal practice whilst being led by others.
17 July to 18 July 2025: MBCT-L 2 day training This training builds on the existing skills and competencies of MBCT teachers, focusing on the elements of the MBCT for Life curriculum that are new or distinct and that require teachers to gain additional knowledge or skills.
*Optional for those teaching non clinical groups
25 July 2025: Reflections, Endings and Next Steps: Trainees will present their experience of mindfulness and training to small groups in an opportunity to reflect on experience of training as an MBCT teacher. Time will be given to consider next steps.
Following the taught sessions there will be a period of supervised practice from September 2025 to July 2026.
*Venues to be confirmed - All sessions will be in person, except for the MBCT for Life Branch days and the mentor meetings which will be online.
Supervised Practice
During this period trainees will be provided with supervision for two MBCT courses that they teach. Supervision will be provided by an experienced MBCT supervisor/trainer. Trainees will receive four hours of supervision for each eight-week course. Supervision will take place at Nottingham Centre for Mindfulness or online
On completion of the second MBCT course the trainee and supervisor will meet for a tutorial to consider strengths, learning needs and next steps for future MBCT teaching development. Support will be provided in applying for Listing with the British Association of Mindfulness-based Approaches*.
*BAMBA Registration: Mindfulness-based teachers who have undergone sufficient training and are able to demonstrate adherence to the Good Practice Guidelines are eligible to be included on the BAMBA Register of mindfulness-based teachers.
The BAMBA Register provides clarity for those wishing to attend a mindfulness-based course that teachers identified on this have been through a process of assessment to ensure they adhere to minimum standards. This process recognises the importance of developing and maintaining standards in teaching MBIs and provides assurance that practitioners who are Register adhere to these standards in their teaching.
Foundation Programme team
Liz Garner
Liz Garner is a Mindfulness Based Advanced Practitioner at the Nottingham Centre for Mindfulness, (NCM). She completed her MBCT training in 2012 and facilitated MBCT groups for patients with recurrent depression for 9 years prior to her current role. She is the MBCT Foundation Training Lead for NCM and co-created the mindfulness for Staff Wellbeing Service in Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust. She teaches MBCT for depression, MBCT for Life and Mark William’s new course ‘Feeling Tone: Deeper Mindfulness’. In addition to her work in NCM Liz also runs MBCTL courses for Sussex Mindfulness Centre and is an experienced MBCT supervisor.
Liz is a Registered Mental Health Nurse and an accredited Mentalisation Based Treatment (MBT) Practitioner, offering MBT in secondary care adult mental health services.
Ruth Crichlow
Ruth is a mindfulness teacher, trainer, BABCP accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist and registered mental health nurse by profession. Ruth has been practicing mindfulness meditation for around 10 years following training in teaching MBCT with Oxford Mindfulness Centre. Within the NHS Ruth has run MBCT groups both in IAPT and specialist mental health services for individuals with recurrent depression. As well as her mindfulness work, Ruth continues to work as a CBT therapist within specialist mental health services primarily with individuals with complex anxiety disorders.
Sonia Moratto
Sonia Moratto has a Master’s degree in Teaching Mindfulness- based Approaches via Bangor University. She works within Nottinghamshire NHS Trust as a Mindfulness practitioner. She is an Occupational Therapist by background and has extensive mental health experience. Sonia has taught MBCT in secondary mental healthcare, since 2007. She now teaches mindfulness programmes primarily in Staff Wellbeing, including MBCTD and MBCTL, plus a range of short mindfulness - based courses and tailor-made workshops.
Sonia is a trainer within the MBCT Foundation Training and a mindfulness-based supervisor. She is interested in the breadth of mindfulness- based teachings and how they can be applied both therapeutically and in a wider social context.
Dr Tim Sweeney
Tim Sweeney is a mental health nurse and accredited CBT therapist, completing his Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Therapy at Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre in 2006. He is an experienced MBCT teacher and trainer and is employed in Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust as the clinical lead for MBCT. Tim has run MBCT groups in primary care and specialist mental health services since 2008 for people with depression and other mental health problems.
In 2016 Tim completed a PhD with the University of Nottingham focusing on the relationship between mindfulness and depression and since then has continued to work as a researcher in the mindfulness field. Tim is also a teacher & trainer with the University of Oxford’s Mindfulness Foundation. He has extensive experience of MBCT training and supervision both in the UK and internationally. He was the chair of the British Association of Mindfulness-based Approaches in 2018-19.
Jake Dartington
Jake Dartington has been practising meditation since 1995 and completed a three-year training to lead retreats with Christina Feldman.
Since 2007, he has led silent retreats at Gaia House, where he is a member of the Teacher Council. He has also trained to teach MBSR and MBCT with Bangor University (TTR 1 and 2). Jake is a retreat leader with the UK Network of Mindfulness teachers and also teaches with Bodhi College, London Insight Meditation and other organisations throughout the UK.
Since 2012, he has taught eight-week mindfulness courses for the general public in Nottingham and has also led training in a range of organisations. A former college teacher, Jake has a master’s degree in philosophy and Buddhist Studies.
Carrie Horth
Carrie is the Mindfulness team Administrator. She attained an NVQ3 in Business Administration in 2016 and has several years’ experience working in adult mental health within the NHS in Nottingham and Doncaster. Previous to that she has worked in a range of administration and customer service roles.
Venues
Hexgreave
Farnsfield
Nottinghamshire
NG22 8LS
www.hexgreave.com
Duncan Macmillan House
Porchester Road
Nottingham
NG3 6AA
Pricing
The cost of the course is £3,250.
The Nottingham Centre for Mindfulness do offer a payment plan option for course fees. This is available on request. A deposit is required to secure your place on the course.
Free places are available to applicants from Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
Contact
For further information, or to apply for the training please contact:
Liz Garner, Mindfulness Teacher
Nottingham Centre for Mindfulness
St. Ann's House
114 Thorneywood Mount
Nottingham
NG3 2PZ
Telephone: 0115 8440535
Email: mindfulness@nottshc.nhs.uk
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