About
It has long been known that the way we think, and how we deal with our thoughts, plays a big part in our happiness, resilience, and mental health. Mindfulness is firstly about awareness and the ability to live in the present moment. Meditation is one of the ways in which we can learn to be mindful. In a therapeutic developmental sense, mindfulness is a mind-body based, psychosensory approach that can help people change the way they think and feel about their experiences, especially stressful experiences.
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
MBCT is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for the prevention of relapse in recurrent depression. It combines mindfulness techniques like meditation, breathing (mind and body awareness) with elements from cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) to help break the negative thought patterns that are characteristic of recurrent depression.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation is at the heart of Mindfulness-Based Interventions, which include Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Both offer pathways to paying attention to the present moment, using a variety of therapeutic approaches.
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MSBR)
MBSR was originated by Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn and colleagues at The University of Massachusetts Medical Centre and, in addition to helping people manage serious stress, it helps them deal with anxiety, pain and illness.
Introduction to Mindfulness Newlyn
Sue is a local Cornish girl living in Newlyn who has worked in the caring profession.
Her passion grew for care work which led to her undertaking her nurse training in Plymouth University. Once qualified and registered on Part 1 of the NMC register, Sue worked for the NHS in a hospital setting as a staff nurse, with a rotational post on the Medical Admissions Unit and High Dependency Unit. Additionally Sue supported her colleague health care workers as an A1 NVQ assessor in Health and Social Care. Sue has a BSc (Hons) degree in Health Studies.
Looking for a new challenge, a career move took Sue in the direction of Occupational Health with local government. A Graduate Diploma in Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (OH) was covered with registration to Part 3 of the NMC register; alongside Part 1 registration. Sickness Absence, Stress Management, Health Surveillance, Health Screening and Health Promotion were all part of the role remit which gave great insight into mental health and wellbeing and the need for further services.
This led Sue to mindfulness practice with a realisation that this was already a big part of her life which made her generally more resilient. With high demands and pressures a new challenge was sought which led to the arrival into Sue’s current role as an occupational health nurse advisor as a civil servant.
Mindfulness practice and meditation has always been at the forefront of a way of life which lead Sue to undertake the mindfulness teacher training programme to help support individuals through difficult times, or a way of relaxation to become more resilient.
In her spare time Sue is either with her family or friends, as people are seen to be the most important factors to enhance her life journey. Cycling, swimming, foraging, wildcrafting and walking the coastline and visiting Cornish ancient sites are great pleasures and done as regularly as possible for her work life balance.
Professional qualifications of relevance for Mindfulness Newlyn – Health & Wellbeing:
- Mindfulness Now Teacher www.mindfulnessnow.org.uk
- UK Mindfulness Accredited Teacher Register www.mindfulnessteachers.org.uk
- Parts 1 & 3 of the NMC register (01A0515E) RN (Adult) and SCPHN (OH)
- BSc (Hons) Health Studies
- Grad Dip Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (OH)
- Mental Health First Aider
- Safeguarding Children Level 3 certificate
- Suicide First Aid Certificate
- PHE Connect 5 trainer covering the 5 ways to wellbeing model
- Enhanced DBS certificate
- Audiometry (hearing tests)
- Spirometry (lung function tests)
- Blood pressures, Height, Weight, BMI
- DSE assessor (workstation assessments)
- Certificate in Understanding Climate Change and Environmental Awareness
- 2018 Presented on functional assessments at the International Conference of Aviation & Space Medicine (ICASM) – Bangkok, Thailand
Mindfulness Research:
Oxford Mindfulness Centre – http://mindfulness.org/about-us/research/
Bangor University – Centre of Mindfulness Research and Practice: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/mindfulness/index.php.en
Be Mindful (Mental Health Foundation UK): https://bemindful.co.uk/evidence-research/
Breathworks: http://www.breathworks-mindfulness.org.uk/research
National Health for Health and Care Excellence: https://www.evidence.nhs.uk/search?q=mindfulness
Mindfulnet.org: http://www.mindfulnet.org/page4.htm