I have been offering mindfulness within the NHS since 2007, initially within a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy-based service within Cornwall Foundation NHS Trust. Since completing the mindfulness postgraduate training at University of Exeter in 2010, I have been teaching MBSR and MBCT courses within the NHS and privately in Cornwall.
These courses have included MBSR for the general public, NHS Therapists and MBCT for Primary Care patients, the Eating Disorder Service and clients of the Integrated Community Mental Health Team (ICMHT). I also currently offer mindfulness to patients and staff of the Mental Health Inpatient Unit and have for several years been working individually with clients of the ICMHT.
I also have several roles on the University of Exeter postgraduate training programme, including as a teacher and trainer, supervisor to students on placement, and MBI:TAC assessor.
Before teaching mindfulness, I was involved in research prior to training in counselling. Subsequently, I worked in both the voluntary and statutory sector for 16 years initially, developing a mental health helpline for Cornwall before then researching NHS services.
Qualifications
- MBI:TAC training University of Exeter, 2014 and 2015
- Supervisors’ training, University of Exeter, 2011 and 2012
- Postgraduate Diploma in Mindfulness-based Approaches, University of Exeter, 2010
- Background in Person Centered Counseling and Transactional Analysis
Teaching-Training Specialisms
I have offered both MBSR and MBCT courses in a variety of settings both within the NHS and privately. This involved an extended period of co-teaching before then moving to teach independently, both of which have been invaluable in supporting and enabling a deepening of the themes that run through the MBSR and MBCT curriculum and which continue to inspire and enthuse me as I continue to offer courses.
Supervision Experience
I began supervising trainee mindfulness teachers in 2012 and subsequently have been supporting supervisees offering MBSR and MBCT courses both within the NHS and privately.
Supervision Specialisms
Supporting trainee teachers as they step into their teaching journey as well as supervising newly qualified and more experienced teachers.
Supervision Rate
1 hour individual session – £50-£60
½ hour individual session – £25-£35
Please see our Supervision FAQs for more details on the cost of supervision.
Personal Practice
My meditation practice began in the early 90’s after travelling in Nepal and India. My practice since then, after exploring Indian meditation and yoga, has been connected to Buddhist teachings, study and practice.
For the past 25 years, I have regularly attended retreats involving the study of different Buddhist traditions as well as more practice-focused retreats. I have received teachings primarily within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and more recently with the Insight Tradition.
Teachers have included HH Dalai Lama and Mingyur Rinpoche, and I most recently attended a meditation retreat over six years in Northern India with HE Situ Rinpoche. The latter has involved a practice commitment which, together with the core Mindfulness practices, form the basis of my daily practice and which has also included extended periods of personal retreat.
These practices sit together comfortably with those from the eight-week course, offering me a solid foundation for my teaching as well as an understanding of the Buddhist underpinnings and how these inform the secular eight-week mindfulness courses.
Research Activities and Interests
My interests include:
The ongoing exploration of embodiment as a personal journey as the ground from which teaching arises
The role of inquiry in supporting investigation and how as teachers we support this process, both in our own processes, with supervisees and with participants.
The individual application of mindfulness for those with a diagnosis of PTSD, exploring the role of compassionate awareness in healing trauma.
Further Information
Vici’s website (together with Paula Fairweather) – www.mindfulnesscornwall.co.uk
