SLaM Recovery College Wellbeing Webinars for All 5th July-30th July

For our DESMOND and Finding Balance courses, please see the separate course
descriptions.

Ayurveda Self-Massage

Ayurveda, the “wisdom of life”, is a traditional system of healing from South Asia. These
sessions were co-developed by Ayurveda experts in Sri Lanka and the UK, Buddhist scholars
and monks in the Theravada tradition, UK registered mental health professionals, and SLaM
Recovery Trainers who have direct lived experience of mental health problems.

There are two workshops, one for our hands and one for our feet, both of which we will be
running twice. We’ll send you the links to all the sessions, but it’s up to you as to whether
you attend one, several, or all of them – taking part in a session again could help with your
practice.

Self-Massage for Our Hands | 3pm-4pm | Monday 5th July

Self-Massage for Our Feet | 11:30am-12:30pm | Monday 12th July
Self-Massage for Our Hands | 3pm-4pm | Monday 19th July
Self-Massage for Our Feet | 3pm-4pm | Monday 26th July

Introduction to Beth

SLaM’s Beth website, designed for us on laptops and PCs, tablets and smartphones, is a free
and secure way for our patients and carers to stay connected with their care team. For service
users, Beth is very friendly and easy to use, and supports personal choice and autonomy. You
can link your Beth account with your NHS number to access your health records and:  

 see who is in your care team and support network 

 securely message your care team  
 access your current care plan 
 see all your appointments 
 keep track of your mood and sleep 
 use free and trusted online health resources 

For people caring for someone under SLaM services you can create your own account to look
after your own wellbeing and securely message their care team. 

This is a stand-alone session, repeated twice in July, so there’s no need to register for
more than one.

Introduction to Beth | 11am-12noon | Tuesday 6th July

Introduction to Beth | 11am-12noon | Tuesday 20th July
Recovering Our Purpose

Having a purpose is a vital aspect in our personal recovery. Purpose brings direction and

intention into our lives, and our intentions count for so much more than we usually
think. Our purpose can be like a GPS for our lives, it can be a source of wisdom and energy
enabling us to accomplish things we didn’t think were possible. But how are we to discover
the distinctive direction and purpose of our lives? In this two-part course, drawing
on the work of Jan Chozen Bays and others, we will work together to recover our purpose,
and navigate and reinvigorate our lives. 
 
Part 1 | 1:30pm-2:30pm| Tuesday 6th July
Part 2 | 11:30am-12:30pm| Tuesday 13th July

Routines for Recovery

Many studies have shown that establishing and maintaining routines filled with healthy
habits is a great way towards meaningful recovery and wellbeing. In this new, three-part
programme, we will learn about:  
 
 The importance of routine for our wellbeing  
 Useful tools for establishing and maintaining our routine  
 Overcoming the barriers to keeping our routine

This is a ‘blended learning’ course, consisting of:  

 
 Two webinar sessions   
 An e-Learning programme (interactive, including quizzes, links, and activities that
you can access at any time). N.B. We will send you a link to this programme soon.

Part 1 | 1:30pm-2:30pm | Wednesday 7th July

Part 2 | 1:30pm-2:30pm | Wednesday 14th July

Understanding the Impact of Substance Use on Mental Health

This two-part course explores the use of substances (drugs and alcohol)

and their impact on mental wellbeing. At times, using substances can appear to be a solution
but it often has a longer-term impact on our wellbeing. During these sessions, we will explore
why this happens and what support is available to aid recovery. 

Part 1 | 2pm-3:30pm| Thursday 8th July

Part 2 | 2pm-3:30pm | Thursday 15th July
Optimising Your Sleep

Do you have difficulty getting to sleep at night? Do you wake up early in the morning? Do
you spend most of the night tossing and turning? Or do you find yourself sleeping too many
hours or sleeping too much during the day? In this two-part course we will: 
 Self-assess our own sleep 
 Recognise the impact of the pandemic on our sleep 
 Explore the benefits of sleep 
 Explore how much sleep we really need 
 Explore the pros and cons of daytime naps 
 Address excessive sleep 
 Recognise the impact of not getting enough sleep 
 Explore methods for improving our sleep

Part 1 | 10:30am-11:30am| Monday 19th July

Part 2 | 10:30am-11:30am | Monday 26th July

Bereavement: coming to terms with loss | 1:30pm-2:30pm | Tuesday 13th July

This stand-alone webinar gently leads us through the four phases (or ‘layers’) of mourning as
described by John Bowlby, the founder of attachment theory. We will be thinking about, and
sharing, ways of supporting the grieving process. We realise that, taking part in this session,
you may recently have been bereaved, or know someone who has and would like to help
them. Your emotional wellbeing at this sad time is of absolute importance to us. With this in
mind, we ask you to let someone who you trust know that you will be doing this webinar -
this person will be your support contact. When you join us, please keep your mobile beside
you in case you need to call or text your support contact. Ask them to check how you are
when you start watching, and also when it ends. Perhaps your contact might be able to join
with you online. We want you to know that you are warmly welcome, and that you are not
alone in your grief. 
 
Let’s Talk About Tobacco | 11am-12noon | Wednesday 14th July

An opportunity to learn about smoking and its effects from Mary Yates, Health Promotion &
Wellbeing & Smoke-Free Lead at SLaM, and to hear about the range of treatments and
support services that are available to assist smokers who have an interest in cutting down or
quitting smoking

Topics covered will include nicotine replacement therapies (NRYs), e-cigarettes/vaping, and
Varenicline (aka Champix).
NEW! Finding balance: harmonising our minds and bodies

These sessions will be in the Microsoft Teams Meeting format, which means we will be
able to see and hear each other, have group discussions, and  share
experiences and helpful tips. We’ll ask you to fill out an online participation agreement.
These sessions won’t be recorded, so you’ll need to be able to make the live sessions. 

This new eight-session course explores the complex and fascinating relationship between our
minds and bodies. We will look at theoretical and scientific concepts of balance drawn from
biology, psychology and world philosophy. Using this central idea, we will look at how our
minds and bodies have evolved to maintain balance in intriguing ways. Then, we will practise
experiential exercises that are aimed to facilitate a felt experience of these concepts. The
sessions will conclude with a reflection on what we have learnt and experienced, and how
this might change how we perceive ourselves and care for our own physical and mental
health.

Session 1 – What makes up a human being? | 2:30pm-4pm | Thursday 15th July

Session 2 – Physical balance | 2:30pm-4pm | Thursday 22nd July
Session 3 – Physical balance in motion | 2:30pm-4pm | Thursday 29th July
Session 4 – Mental balance| 2:30pm-4pm | Thursday 5th August
Session 5 – Mental flexibility | 2:30pm-4pm | Thursday 12th August
Session 6 – Understanding pain | 2:30pm-4pm | Thursday 19th August
Session 7 – Hunger and appetite | 2:30pm-4pm | Thursday 26th August
Session 8 – Physical and emotional regulation | 2:30pm-4pm | Thursday 2nd September

Hearing Voices

During this three-part course, we will be exploring the experience of voices hearing and of

supporting people who hear voices. We will consider how voices can be both a hindrance and
an asset, and how to constructively respond to them.   
 
Enabling students to utilise self-management techniques, we will also help people find
organisations and sources of support. We recommend, if it’s possible, attending all three
sessions, although they can watched as stand-alones.  

Part 1 | 1:30pm-2:30pm | Friday 16th July

Part 2 | 1:30pm-2:30pm | Friday 23rd July
Part 3 | 1:30pm-2:30pm | Friday 30th July
NEW! Abandonment Issues: causes, symptoms, and what can help
overcome them | 10:30am-12noon | Tuesday 20th July

This new webinar focuses on exploring the fear of abandonment. This fear can cause various
harmful coping behaviours and can sabotage relationships.  

The team will present insight, provide practical ways we can choose to respond to our fear,
and show how we can feel hopeful for our future relationship journeys.  

Understanding Bipolar Disorder

A two-part course. Bipolar is a mood disorder characterised by extreme changes in mood.

Although we all have mood swings, in bipolar disorder these can become unmanageable and
overwhelming - individuals can experience severe and/or rapid mood swings that can last
several weeks or months, far beyond the normal ups and downs. Session 1 explores how bi-
polar is diagnosed, and what the symptoms and early warning signs are. Session 2 looks at
how bi-polar is treated and explores self-help ideas and how to manage during the COVID
outbreak.

Part 1 | 2pm-3pm| Tuesday 27th July

Part 2 | 2pm-3pm| Tuesday 3rd August

Eating Healthily to Look After Your Weight

This two-part course focuses on how to work towards a healthier lifestyle, and diet.  Many of

us struggle to understand the reasons why it is so hard to eat a healthy diet, and to manage
our weight. We will explore what is effective healthy eating to support your physical, and
mental wellbeing. We will discuss the environmental, and personal issues that affect our food
choices. The second part of the course will outline how to monitor, and measure, weight,
make dietary changes, and consider broader lifestyle issues.  Setting realistic weight goals,
and developing sustainable, and personal, action plans, will also be discussed. The course
facilitators will be the Trust Head of Nutrition, & Dietetic Services, a peer recovery trainer,
and a practitioner trainer from the Recovery College.

Part 1 | 2pm-3:15pm| Tuesday 27th July

Part 2 | 2pm-3:15pm| Tuesday 3rd August

Making Changes: where to start and how to maintain

The aim of this four-part course is to enable participants to explore, embrace and prepare for

the challenges involved when embarking on a change of lifestyle. This may include reducing
alcohol consumption or embarking on an exercise programme or a healthy eating plan.   
 
The learning will be applicable to any type of change someone wishes to make in their life.  
 
We will also look at decision making and managing and maintaining the process of recovery
as it applies, for example, to relapse prevention. 

Part 1 | 3:30pm-4:30pm| Wednesday 28th July

Part 2 | 3:30pm-4:30pm | Friday 30th July
Part 3 | 3:30pm-4:30pm | Wednesday 4th August
Part 4 | 3:30pm-4:30pm | Friday 6th August

Understanding and Managing Health Anxiety

Health anxiety is the name used when you spend so much time worrying that you're ill, or
about getting ill, that it starts to take over your life; for many people, the Covid-19 pandemic
has increased these types of worries. 

This course will look at some of the causes of health anxiety, and the things you can do to
lessen these worries, and the impact on your life.

Part 1 | 10:30-12noon| Friday 30th July

Part 2 | 10:30-12noon | Friday 6th August