Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy

(MBCT) with Craig Pereira

Overview:

Many of us have tried to push away difficult thoughts or force ourselves to “think positive,” only to find ourselves back in the same place. This 8-week Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) program offers another path. Delivered by psychotherapist and trained MBCT teacher, Craig Pereira, this experiential program will teach you to observe and respond to your inner world with awareness, rather than struggle.

Through guided mindfulness practices, gentle inquiry, and weekly group dialogue, participants learn to rebuild a new relationship with their thoughts and emotions and guide their attention with intention. By learning to guide our attention, we can move our life in a direction we choose and take small steps towards overall well-being.

Benefits:

– Become unstuck from unhelpful thoughts and feelings
– Learn to be curious about discomfort
– Supportive in dealing with depression and anxiety and avoiding relapse

Who is it for?

This program is supportive addition to therapeutic work for anyone who has experienced or been diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety or is navigating a stressful life. It’s also for those looking to improve their emotional well-being. No prior experience or a clinical diagnosis is needed.

Dates & Time
  • Week 1
    March, weekend
  • Week 2
    March, weekend
  • Week 3
    March, weekend
  • Week 4
    March, weekend
  • Week 5
    April, weekend
  • Week 6
    April, weekend
  • Week 7
    April, weekend
  • Week 8
    April, weekend
Location

The course will be conducted Online.
A meeting link will be shared upon registration. Based on interest of the group, some parts of the course may be conducted in hybrid mode as well.

Group Size

The group will consist of a maximum of 20 participants.

Course Fee

The course will be made available by Mann Talks, at a subsidised fee of INR 5,500 per participant.

Structure of the Course

Week 1

Awareness and Automatic Pilot

Like driving a car on “automatic pilot” for miles without noticing the scenery, we often go through life without truly noticing it. This week, we’ll learn to become more aware so we can gently guide our life and move past unhelpful thoughts and patterns.

Week 2

Living in Our Heads

This session will focus on how we can keep our awareness in the present and what obstacles prevent this. Instead of categorising our experiences, we learn to observe them as they are.

Week 3

Gathering the Scattered Mind

Our attention is often pulled in many directions such as past regrets or unfinished tasks or future worries. This week, we’ll practice gathering the mind by anchoring awareness in the breath and body, especially through mindful movement. We will train the mind to find rest, thereby fostering stability and clarity.

Week 4

Staying Present

We will begin to redirect our attention to our responses during overwhelming situations. Through observation, we will gently take the remote control of our experiences back in our own hand.

Week 5

Turning Towards the Difficult

Just as a caregiver patiently comforts a crying child, we’ll learn to approach our emotional pain with kindness, compassion and curiosity. This week is about turning toward discomfort, instead of avoiding it.

Week 6

Thoughts are Not Facts

This week, we explore how to step back from our thoughts and see them as passing mental events, not facts. Like trains pulling into a station, not every thought deserves our attention. We can choose which ones to board.

Week 7

Taking Care of Yourself

In this session, we go beyond our awareness and cast a spotlight on our daily activities and their ability to influence our well-being. We will learn to refocus on activities that nourish us, distance ourselves from those that deplete us and foster long-term resilience and happiness.

Week 8

Bringing It All Together

In our final week, we’ll revisit everything we’ve learned and summarise the key tools for well-being. It’s a chance to reflect on your journey and share your insights from the past eight weeks. We’ll celebrate the small steps you’ve taken towards a more present and compassionate life.

Resources outside sessions

The participants will get access to highlights and tools as a takeaway after each session.

Expert Image

About the Facilitator

Craig Pereira is a certified Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) practitioner, trained under the founder of MBCT, Zindel Segal. He is also the founder of Mindful Flow, with over 8 years of experience as a psychotherapist in Canada and India. He draws from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Compassionate Inquiry, and Contemplative Psychotherapy; shaped by his training with pioneers like Zindel Siegal, Stephen Hayes, and Gabor Maté.

A former corporate leader at Apple and Sony for 25+ years, Craig brings a deep understanding of individuals and the inner tension between structure and spontaneity. At Mindful Flow, he facilitates individual, and group psychotherapy sessions and mindfulness-based interventions facilitating connection to self and others.

With over 6000+ hours dedicated to meditation, his personal style spans approaches like Insight Meditation, and Sound of Silence. Apart from this, he also actively participates in annual Vipassana retreats. He also contributes to community mental health efforts through organizations like PWA (People with Aids Foundation), Agatsu Foundation, and Counterpoint Counselling.

For any questions or queries, email us at contact@manntalks.org

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