Workshops and Training
for Mental Health Organisations
and in Training Settings
Practical, experiential workshops for staff teams, service users and community groups
I offer workshops and training for organisations, schools, charities and other groups, which can be adapted for staff teams, service users, students, pupils, parents and caregivers.
My workshops bring together theory and practical experiences, with opportunities to explore approaches that can support emotional wellbeing, self-care, coping skills and recovery from trauma.
The workshops described below are suggestions and can be adapted to best suit your group's needs, experiences and interests.
Sessions can take place at your organisation or at another suitable venue. We can discuss what would work best for your group, including whether an indoor or outdoor setting would be most useful.
Practical Self Care
These sessions involve a mixture of experiential practices to help people explore ways of looking after themselves, as well as a little theory.
We experiment with different approaches, drawing on yoga, mindfulness, nature connection, ecotherapy, movement and psychology. The intention is to explore what feels useful for each person and develop self-care strategies that can be used in everyday life.
Depending on the needs of the group, sessions might include:
Recognising our own responses to stress and overwhelm.
Exploring practical calming and grounding strategies.
Movement, balance, breathing and sensory awareness.
Mindfulness, rest and relaxation.
Nature-connected and creative activities.
Exploring different types of rest and how to make more space for these in everyday life.
These workshops can be particularly useful for people working in challenging or stressful roles, helping professionals, people who have experienced trauma, and parents or caregivers.
Sessions are experiential and adapted to the needs and capacity of the group, with opportunities to participate in ways that feel comfortable for each person.
8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery
These sessions draw on the 8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery Workbook, which I co-authored with Babette Rothschild.
The workshops explore practical strategies to support safe trauma recovery, including understanding trauma responses, developing resources and finding ways to feel more stable and in control.
The sessions focus on the first and third phases of trauma recovery. They do not involve retelling or processing traumatic experiences.
Each of the eight keys can be offered as a separate session of approximately 1.5 hours, making a complete programme of around 12 hours.
The programme can be offered to people who have experienced trauma, or to helping professionals who would like to develop their understanding of the approaches and explore how to share them with clients.
Calming and Coping Skills
These workshops explore how stress, anxiety and overwhelming emotions can affect our minds and bodies, alongside practical ways to support ourselves and others.
We explore:
Understanding our responses to stress and anxiety.
Recognising when we might need some support to feel more stable and in control.
Calming and grounding approaches using movement, sensory awareness, breathing, creativity and imagery.
Developing greater awareness of what makes us feel worse, the same or better.
Finding practical ways to use these approaches in everyday life.
Sessions include opportunities to experiment with different strategies and reflect on which might be useful.
They can be adapted for different groups, including children and young people, parents and caregivers, school staff and other helping professionals.
For parents and caregivers, I also offer a half-term programme exploring ways to support both their own emotional regulation and that of their children.
Trauma-Informed Practice
These workshops are for staff and organisations who would like to develop their understanding of trauma and consider how this might inform their work.
We explore how distressing experiences can affect people's emotions, bodies, behaviour and relationships, and how we can respond in ways that support safety, connection and choice.
Depending on the needs of the group, we might explore:
Understanding trauma and different responses to overwhelming experiences.
How stress and trauma can affect our capacity to think, communicate and relate to others.
Recognising protective responses, including fight, flight and freeze.
Supporting emotional regulation through practical, embodied approaches.
The importance of relationships, boundaries, safety and choice.
Recognising our own responses and looking after ourselves when supporting others.
The training includes opportunities for discussion, reflection and practical experiences, considering how the ideas might apply to your particular setting.
Staff Wellbeing Workshops
I also offer workshops specifically focused on the wellbeing of staff teams.
These sessions provide time away from usual work responsibilities to explore rest, connection and ways of looking after ourselves.
Depending on the group's needs, we might include yoga, mindfulness, nature connection, creativity, movement, woodland activities and opportunities for rest.
Alongside the activities, we can explore practical ways to look after our wellbeing during and outside the working day, particularly when our work involves supporting others.
Sessions can be arranged as part of a staff wellbeing day, INSET day, away day or a shorter workshop.
Practical Arrangements
Who are the workshops for?
Workshops can be adapted for a range of groups, including mental health organisations, charities, schools, community groups, staff teams and training organisations.
Some workshops are designed for professionals, whilst others can be offered to service users, parents or community groups.
We can discuss the needs of your group and whether the proposed workshop would be suitable.
Where do sessions take place?
Sessions can take place at your organisation or at another suitable venue.
For workshops involving movement or experiential activities, a room with enough space for participants to move around is useful. Where possible, access to a quiet outdoor space can also be helpful.
Some workshops can take place largely or entirely outdoors.
If you prefer, I can suggest suitable locations in the South Lakes.
How long are the workshops?
The length and structure depend on the workshop and the needs of your group.
Sessions can be offered as shorter workshops, half-day or full-day sessions, or as a series of sessions over several weeks.
We can discuss what would be most useful for your organisation.
A Little About Vanessa Bear
I am a UKCP-registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and Adult Psychotherapeutic Counsellor, with experience of working in CAMHS, the NHS, schools, charitable organisations and private practice.
I am a Certified Somatic Trauma Therapist, trained in EMDR with adults and children, and have additional training in yoga therapy, movement, creative approaches and nature-connected psychotherapy.
Before becoming a psychotherapist, I worked in education, youth work and community development, and have experience of developing and facilitating projects, workshops and training for different groups.
I am the co-author, with Babette Rothschild, of the 8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery Workbook and Help for the Helper Workbook, and the author of Wild & Well-Being: 70 Exercises for Nature-Based Self Care.
Alongside my clinical work, I deliver professional training and workshops and work as a guest lecturer and clinical supervisor.
You can read more about my experience and qualifications.
Enquiries
If you would like to arrange a workshop or training session for your organisation, please get in touch.
We can explore what you would like to offer, who the sessions are for, and how the content and structure might best suit your group's needs.
For scheduled workshops and professional CPD, please see my Training & Workshops page or Events page.