Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
for Depression and Anxiety
The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended MBCT for the treatment of recurrent depression since 2009 and for the treatment of less severe depression since 2022
Recommendation 3.3, p. 67 by The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists clinical practice guidelines for mood disorders (2020) states:
“CBT should be offered to prevent relapse of depression, and where available, MBCT should be offered to patients with recurrent depressive episodes.”
Next MBCT course:
All Courses facilitated by: Nadav Avny
This course is for you if you experience one of the following:
- Depression
- Recurrent periods of depression
- Ongoing low mood (dysthymia)
- Anxiety
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder
- Bipolar Affective Disorder
The MBCT was developed based on the MBSR curriculum and pedagogy, by British and Canadian Psychologists, with the support and endorsement of Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of MBSR.
This is a specialised development of the MBSR programme, tailored to support relapse prevention of depression and manage more effectively ruminative thinking and anxiety. The course is participatory, supportive and structured, gently introducing various mindfulness meditation and cognitive therapy based practices.
This programme has extensive research attesting to its effectiveness. To benefit fully from this training, participants are strongly encouraged to practice between sessions.
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Programme
The Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course is an eight week, evidence-based, experiential course. It is mindfulness meditation training which practical and transformative.
The programme was established by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre in the USA. The programme has more that 40 years of research evidence demonstrating its effectiveness in a variety of physical and psychological conditions.
Next MBSR course
The next MBSR course will be taught by Sarasi Clack
Location:
Meadowbank Community Centre
Mondays, 14/07/2025- 01/09/2025
7:00pm-9.30pm
All Day Mindfulness Retreat:
Sunday 24th August
9:00am – 4:30pm
Location: Mary MacKillop Retreat Centre, Mission Bay.
Cost: $725
For refund policy please see FAQ
About Sarasi:
Sarasi trained as a Mental Health Nurse in the UK in 2000 and moved to NZ in 2007. From her experience working in Mental Health, even at the start of her career, she was aware of the importance of compassionate self-care and stumbled upon mindfulness and meditation after trying a yoga class in 2004. She has been hooked ever since.
The practice of Mindfulness has been an integral part of her own life and professional Nursing practice for over 20 years. It has shaped her career path and training in Mindfulness-informed therapeutic interventions, such as DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy). It has also been essential in the longevity of her work life and personal well-being.
Sarasi completed the MBSR teacher training with the Mindfulness Training Institute: Australia & New Zealand (MTI) in 2018 and went on to lead MBSR courses for ADHB/ Te Whatu Ora for Mental Health Professionals. She continues to provide Mindfulness and resilience-based workshops for Te whatu Ora Counties Manukau.
Sarasi continues to provide private therapy in the community and clinical supervision to health professionals, supporting those who care for others to also care for themselves.
Bachelor of Nursing (Hons) 2000
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Intensive Training 2008
MTI MBSR Teacher Training 2018
Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing Training Level I,II, 2021
NZ Registered Mental Health Nurse
Below is a selection of research papers:
Sleep Disturbances (Andersen, Wurtzen, Steding-Jessen, Christensen, Andersen, Flyger, et. al., 2013)
Stress Disorders (Kearney, McDermott, Malte, Martinez, & Simpson, 2012)
Anxiety (Hoge, Bui, Marques, Metcalf, Morris, Robinaugh, et. al., 2013)
Asthma (Pbert, Madison, Druker, Olendzki, Magner, Reed, et. al., 2012)
Cancer(Carlson, Doll, Stephen, Faris, Tamagawa, Drysdale, & Speca, 2013)
Chronic Pain (Reiner, Tibi, & Lipsitz, 2013)
Hypertension(Hughes, Fresco, Myerscough, van Dulmen, Carlson, & Josephson, 2013)
Mood Disorders (Hofmann, Sawyer, Witt, & Oh, 2010)
Diabetes (Hartmann, Kopf, Kircher, Faude-Lang, Djuric, Augstein, et. al., 2012)
Fibromyalgia(Schmidt, Grossman, Schwarzer, Jena, Naumann, & Walach, 2011)
Gastrointestinal Disorders (Zernicke, Campbell, Blustein, Fung, Johnson, Bacon, & Carlson, 2013)
Heart Disease (Sullivan, Wood, Terry, Brantley, Charles, McGee, Johnson, et. al., 2009)
HIV (Duncan, Moskowitz, Neilands, Dilworth, Hecht, & Johnson, 2012)
Hot Flashes (Carmody, Crawford, Salmoirago-Blotcher, Leung, Churchill, & Olendzki, 2011)
“You don’t need to see the whole staircase, just take the first step”
– Martin Luther King