Our Courses

Starting Wednesday 14 September

For 6 Wednesdays (until 26 October) – no session 28 September

Venue: The Chapter House, Gloucester Cathedral

Time: 10am-12pm

The course includes teaching, exercises to complete and videos to watch. Students can be service users, carers or staff.

Please contact us to register your interest, either by email at recoverycollege@ghc.nhs.uk or telephone – 01452 894204.

This is our introductory course. It is led by people who have their own lived experience of recovering from mental health problems. It looks at the journey people take when they begin to take charge of their lives after experiencing mental illness.

The course explains what research tells us about the best ingredients to support recovery. Just as importantly, it also encourages students to share their own experience positively, learn about their own strengths and how to harness them to build for the future.

The course programme includes books and resources to support learning during and after the course has finished.

Starting Tuesday 22 November 2022

For five Tuesdays until 20 December

Venue: Invista, Ermin Street, Brockworth, Gloucester GL3 4HP

Time: 1.30-3.30pm

With Emma Lashbrook and Recovery College Peer Support Workers, Rebecca and Diane.

This course explores the value of activity on wellbeing; it looks at the relationship between wellbeing and the activities we need, want and are expected to do in our everyday lives and how mental illness impacts this. It involves discussion regarding the topic of the week and an activity to demonstrate its benefits to recovery and maintaining wellbeing. It is designed to be fun and informal; looking at strengths and knowledge as well as areas people might like to work on.

“Activity has the power to change our lives – we should take time to remember the importance of activity in our lives” (Parkinson, 2014)

Recovering Communities sessions have been set up to keep in touch and continue to support students with recovery after graduation. There will be opportunities for graduates to choose the activities or speakers as well as where and when they take place.

This BTEC validated course is open to graduates of the Recovery College who want to develop skills in sharing their own experience of recovery as a trainer.

With Bill Wright

Tuesday 18 October 2022

Time: 10am-12.30pm

Venue: The Chapter House, Gloucester Cathedral

Our mindfulness course develops a helpful range of techniques designed to support you in your recovery journey. The course takes an educational rather than clinical approach to mindfulness. This helps you to identify what works best for you, both through group learning and sharing with other students and the tutor.

Mindfulness can support recovery by focusing your attention positively on what helps you rather than unwelcome distractions, developing a non-judgemental accepting attitude towards yourself and helping you to understand and feel more connected to your own experience day-to-day.

Our Discovery College course is for people aged from 16 to 25, and is specifically tailored for the younger age group.

The course is run by peer trainers who have their own experience of recovering from a mental health problem. Together we learn about the effect mental illness has on us psychologically and physically, and then go on to explore proven tools which can give us hope and relief, and help us to heal and move on. We will learn how to develop a positive mood, how to engage with the world through positive relationships with others and how to bounce back after adversity. The course is designed to fit your own learning style, so there are no direct questions or tests.

Mindful Photography with Look Again

Exhibition in September – dates TBC

Six-week course run by Ruth Davey from Look Again and Rebecca Hauton from Recovery College. This course has now finished. 

With Recovery College Peer Support Workers and Experts by Experience

Writing is a powerful means of communicating. We all have something to say, emotions to work though and valuable ideas. Creative journaling can be a means to express and help us understand ourselves.

We will soon be offering an in-person course to look at this in a creative way and provide you with tools to continue after the course.

During the weekly two-hour sessions, held over four weeks, we will be exploring different topics relating to your recovery. This will be through informal discussion and encouraging you to participate in a choice of creative journaling activities, or one of your own.

You’ll be supported to continue journaling through the week leading up to the next session, with daily inspirations and advice on how to prepare.

Journals and a selection of materials will be provided, and you don’t need any prior knowledge of journaling to take part.

In partnership with the Severn and Wye Recovery College and the Complex Emotional Needs Team.

Do you enjoy connecting with nature? Are you interested in developing learning and skills to foster self-compassion?
Then join us for a 6 week course at The Butterfly Garden where we will explore the concept of compassion combined with connecting with nature and learning new skills in the garden.
Each week we will have a taught element where we will explore emotions, the importance of self-compassion and compassion-focused skills, such as mindfulness.
This will be followed by time spent connecting with nature through a variety of means; such as planting seeds to grow flowers or vegetables and going on mindful walks through the nature reserve.

At: The Butterfly Garden, Bamfurlong Lane, Cheltenham, GL51 6SL
Starting Thursday, 7 July 2022 from 10.30am until 12.30pm