Kindermind Center is forming a small group of cancer survivors to participate in a pilot program called Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Cancer (MBCT-Ca), held live, online via Zoom.
The intention to help cancer survivors reduce their psychological stress, improve their quality of life, and get back on their feet.
To register your interest in joining the group, please contact the facilitator, Noelle at noellelimlj(at)gmail(dot)com
About MBCT-Ca
Adapted from MBCT a program that we currently offer, MBCT-Ca is designed for individuals who have completed their cancer treatment and are recovering or have recovered. MBCT-Ca is based on the groundbreaking work by Trish Bartley at Bangor University. See here
MBCT is mainly premised on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a program developed by Jon Kabat Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School since the 1970s to help people with chronic pain.
MBCT combines mindfulness practices and principles of cognitive therapy in cultivating focus, awareness and understanding of how the mind influences our emotions and actions.
MBCT was developed by three professors, Zindel Segal (Toronto), Mark Williams (then at Bangor, now Oxford), and John Teasdale (Cambridge), and is recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), the UK health standards body, for people who have had three or more episodes of depression.
Intentions
To help participants improve their sense of wellbeing by improving their relationship towards inner experiences that commonly arise—stress, anxiety and depression—as a result of the cancer and treatment conditions.
Themes
Participants shall explore four key themes:
1) Setting intentions to bring the mind on board as an ally in recovery.
2) Coming back to be aware of our direct experience instead of ruminating.
3) Turning towards to notice what is pleasant and respond more gently to what is not.
4) Kindness to transform our relationship to our experience.
Who is right for the program
Participants must have completed their radical treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy or any treatment that have major side effects), and are not undergoing any mental health therapy.
What do participants need (important to read)
1) Home practice is a major component of this program. Participants are encouraged to set aside about 30 minutes for practices.
2) The program shall be conducted live, online via Zoom. Participants must have a laptop with functioning speakers and video camera function, and are able to access zoom.us. Using the handphone is not recommended due to the duration of the class.
3) Participants will also need to switch on their video camera during class.
4) Headphones, if necessary, to aid in hearing.
5) For administration ease, communication about logistics shall be done via Whatsapp. Participants shall be added into a group Whatsapp.
6) A comfortable place to sit and in privacy to attend classes online.
7) Yoga mat.
Timing
This is an eight-week program, 2.5 hours a week on Saturday (10am – 12:30pm MYT / SGT), plus a silent retreat on one Saturday (10am – 3pm) to deepen our practice.
Total number of hours is 25.
Dates are to be confirmed. At this point, we are accepting registration of interest.
Fees
Community fee: RM300 / S$100 for the entire program
The fee is to help us defray supervision and admin costs. Supervision is necessary to ensure delivery of best care to participants. It’s a requirement of UK’s Good Practice Guidelines that mindfulness teachers are supervised.
Register
To register or to get more info, please contact Noelle at noellelimlj(at)gmail(dot)com
Looking forward to hear from you. Thank you!
Kindermind Center 