Hope for Mental Health is a 26 session rolling programme for men and women above the age of 18. This is not therapy - it is simply a discussion group about mental health, using a tool called the Hope Circle. We are a faith based group and use the Bible to seek wisdom in improving our mental health. However, this group is absolutely open to everyone regardless of your own faith or beliefs. We only ask that you respect each individual in the group.
We meet at 7:30pm on a Thursday evening (brews available from 7:15pm). We start with the Lord's Prayer and a couple of worship songs. We then might watch a video real life story before going out into the breakout room.
There is no pressure to talk or say anything. We start with a list of words in front of each person and we choose two words e.g. 'Anxious' and 'tired'. If we are able, we share how we are feeling using those two words with the rest of the group. We then have the opportunity to share a high and a low from the week just gone.
Once everyone has had an opportunity to share, we look at the lesson and each person can follow along in their journal. Sometimes, we do practical or art based activites, creating boxes of hope. Sometimes we might do a mindfulness exercise focusing on our breathing.
This is a safe space for everyone to inhabit. There is no expectation for anyone to share unless they want to. Every couple of months, we try to have either a social night (e.g. a walk around Jumbles or a trip over to Wetherspoons for a meal) or have somebody come and visit us to share their own story.
Note: Our 12 step Celebrate Recovery group - for ANY hurts, habits and hang-ups, is still meeting, but this is now hosted on a Wednesday at 1pm over in Breightmet (see Lee for details).
Let us know you're coming so we can look out for you.
Contact Rev Lee Higson on 07712003290