In the MBCT program, participants meet together as a class (with an instructor) for 8 weekly 2.5 hour classes plus one all day session ( 10:00 am – 4:00 pm) between weeks 5 and 7. The main 'work' of the program is done at home between classes, using CDs with guided meditations that support participants’ developing practice outside of class. In each class, you have an opportunity to talk about your experiences with the home practices, the obstacles that inevitably arise, and how to deal with them skillfully. Each class is organized around a theme that is explored through both group inquiry and mindfulness practice. The mindfulness practices that you will learn include ‘formal’ sitting practices centered on the breath, the body scan, mindful stretching, mindful walking and the three minute breathing space. There will also be an emphasis on ‘informal’ mindfulness practices, which involve bringing mindfulness into your every day activities.  

The specific themes addressed in the program are:
Class 1: Automatic Pilot,
Class 2: Dealing with Barriers,
Class 3: Consolidating Bodily Awareness,
Class 4: Staying Present,
Class 5: Allowing and Letting Be,
Class 6: Relating to Thoughts and Emotions as Mental Events,
Class 7: How Can I Best Take Care of Myself,
Class 8: Using What’s Been Learned to Deal with Future Moods.

Over the eight weeks of the program, the practices help you:
to become familiar with the workings of your mind.
to notice the times when you are at risk of getting caught in old habits of mind that re-activate downward mood spirals.
to explore ways of releasing yourself from those old habits and, if you choose, enter a different way of being.
to put you in touch with a different way of knowing yourself and the world.
to notice small beauties and pleasures in the world around you instead of living in your head.
to be kind to yourself instead of wishing things were different all the time, or driving yourself to meet impossible goals.
to find a way so you don't have to battle with yourself all the time.
to accept yourself as you are, rather than judging yourself all the time.

MBCT course home practice
The MBCT course includes some home practice. It's important that you do as much of this as you can, because it takes some effort to learn the skills you need to break long-held patterns of thinking. You will be given audio files with guided meditations to practice every day between the course sessions. You will also be asked to do a few brief daily exercises and keep a simple diary of what you have been doing.

Committing to MBCT courses
We understand that it is often difficult to carve out time in an already busy life to come to all eight classes and do the home-practice. But we'll be encouraging you to do what you can to help yourself stay well. These practices are not a quick fix, and like any tool they only work well if you practice using them. The more you commit to practicing between classes, the more you will benefit from the course.

MBCT and antidepressants
It is fine to do the MBCT course if you are currently taking antidepressants. Please don't stop taking them without first consulting your GP or health practitioner. MBCT courses are not suitable for you if you are currently severely depressed.

Will MBCT work for you?
Research has shown that MBCT is particularly effective for people who have had at least three previous episodes of depression. However, we will be trying to change well-established habits of mind, and the results of doing that may only become apparent later. We ask you to approach the course with patience and persistence, putting time and effort into what will be asked of you while accepting that the benefits may not show up straight away.