MSE Recovery College

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Mid and South Essex Recovery College offers free courses and workshops to support your mental health and recovery. 

The MSE Recovery College runs a wide range of courses, workshops and activities to help you better understand your mental health and learn strategies to manage it better. If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, low mood or a similar mental health condition, the team can support you with your wellbeing and on your road to recovery.

All of the courses being offered by Mid and South Essex Recovery College are free of charge and open to anyone, aged 18 or over.


What is Mid and South Essex Recovery College?

The newly established Mid and South Essex Recovery College serves as a symbol of hope and empowerment for more residents across Essex.

This initiative is a joint effort by Inclusion, part of Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with Mid Essex Recovery College, part of Provide Community, and Trust Links.

Visit the MSE Recovery College website here.

Going to [the Recovery College] gives me a reason to get out of the house and then I have more energy to deal with things at home when I get back.

Our Timetable

If you are a member currently booked onto a course, and you can no longer attend your session, please inform a member of staff at the earliest opportunity possible.

Courses & Workshops

Module One – Understanding (5 weeks)

• What is Mental Health? What is Recovery?
• Understanding Anxiety, low mood and depression
• The Fight/flight/freeze/fawn responses – Brain and Body Connection
• Neuroscience and the Nervous System
• Going forward with new awareness

**No session on 29th June

DateTimeLocation
Monday 1st June 1pm – 3pm Rochford
Tuesday 9th June 10am – 12pm Thundersley

Module Two – Managing (5 Weeks)

• Anxiety Management Tools & Techniques
• Introduction to Self-Compassion and Journaling
• Healthy Sleep Habits
• Introduction to Mindfulness
• Grounding techniques and introduction to Module three – ‘Maintenance’

DateTimeLocation
Wednesday 3rd June 10am – 12pm Shoebury
Monday 15th June 7pm – 8pm Online

Module Three – Maintenance (5 Weeks)

• Routine, Physical Wellbeing, Food and Mental Health
• Boundaries and Healthy Relationships
• Recognising Strengths and Achievements and Protective Factors
• Resilience and Self Compassion
• Moving Forward – Your Next Steps and What’s in the Community

DateTimeLocation
Monday 1st June 1:30pm – 3:30pm Canvey
Thursday 4th June 1:30pm – 3:30pm Westcliff

Arts and Crafts for Wellbeing – 5 weeks

Join us and take part in a variety of creative arts & crafts activities. You can expect a supportive environment where people’s voices come together and creative juices overflow.

DateTimeLocation
Monday 13th April 1pm – 3pm Rochford
Thursday 18th June 1pm – 3pm Basildon, Unity Centre

Cooking with Confidence – 6 weeks

This course is aimed at boosting your cookery confidence. Every week you will learn a new recipe using easily available, budget-friendly ingredients. The collective learning environment allows members to share tips and learn from each other.

DateTimeLocation
Tuesday 21st April 10am – 12pm Thundersley
Tuesday 9th June 10am – 12pm Rochford

Drawing for Mindfulness

This 10 week course for 17-25 year olds is funded via Active Essex Foundation’s Transition Age project.
This peer-developed course will offer you an opportunity to learn zentangle-inspired art in a calming and relaxing environment. No prior knowledge of drawing or zentangle is required. All materials are provided and all abilities are welcome!

DateTimeLocation
Friday 5th June 10am – 12pm Rayleigh

Anxiety Tools & Techniques Workshop

We all experience anxiety at times – that ‘butterflies in your stomach’ feeling when you worry about sitting exams, going for an interview or seeing the dentist. It is a natural feeling and can be useful, as it can help us perform better or warn us when we need to act if in danger. However, anxiety can be
persistent, excessive or over-whelming. It can begin to interfere with many aspects of our life – from confidence, to seeing people, going out and engaging in everyday activities. This workshop introduces students to a variety of techniques and different approaches to build skills & strategies for anxiety management.

DateTimeLocation
Monday 8th June 7pm – 8pm Online
Monday 6th July 1:30 – 3:30pm Canvey
Thursday 16th July 1:30pm – 3:30pm Westcliff

Dealing With Panic Attacks Workshop

Covering: Why do people have panic attacks, The panic cycle, triggers, thoughts, and feelings, exercises to help during an attack, long term strategies to help prevent attacks.

DateTimeLocation
Thursday 30th April 1pm – 3pm Vange
Friday 22nd May 10am – 12pm Rayleigh
Thursday 9th July 1:30pm – 3:30pm Westcliff

Anger Management Workshop

Learn about the anger response in our bodies and angry thoughts in our minds, and how they can affect our quality of life. We also look at some practical techniques and different thinking strategies to help you cope.

DateTimeLocation
Tuesday 2nd June 10am – 12pm Rochford
Thursday 11th June 1pm – 3pm Basildon, Unity Centre

Confidence & Self-Esteem Workshop

Covering: What is the difference between self-confidence and self-esteem, what factors have impact on them, and what can we do to start working on improving both?

DateTimeLocation
Thursday 21st May 1:30pm – 3:30pm Westcliff
Mnday 1st June 7pm – 8pm Online
Friday 10th July 10am – 12pm Rayleigh

Healthy Sleep Habits Workshop

Are you struggling with your sleep? Do you want to improve the quality of your sleep? We all need to sleep and there are biological reasons for it. This course explores the relationship with sleep and mental health challenges, providing a better understanding of our sleep habits/routines.

In this workshop we consider what happens physically and emotionally when we do not get good quality sleep, and we provide ideas for changes that can be made to promote better sleep.

DateTimeLocation
Thursday 7th May 1pm – 3pm Vange
Tuesday 19th May 10am – 12pm Rochford
Wednesday 8th July 10am – 12pm Shoebury

Introduction to Mindfulness Workshop

Ae you curious about “mindfulness”? Mindfulness-based training is an ancient approach, now recognised scientifically for promoting wellbeing.
Mindfulness is about being present, in the moment, noticing your experience of the now. With mindfulness practices, we learn to recognise and acknowledge what is going on in the mind and body moment by moment, increasing self-awareness of thoughts, emotions and sensations that arise.

This workshop aims to introduce mindfulness for everyday living.

DateTimeLocation
Thursday 21st May 1pm – 3pm Vange
Monday 13th July 1:30pm – 3:30pm Canvey Island

Labyrinth Workshop

Discover the ancient path of the labyrinth for stress relief and self-reflection, learn a little about the history of the labyrinth and how they are used across the world, and then experience walking the mindful path for yourself!

DateTimeLocation
Wednesday 15th July 10am – 12pm Shoebury

Positive Thinking Workshop

How can we start thinking more positively? We look at how to recognise our achievements, skills and strengths as well as how to re-evaluate more negative thoughts.

DateTimeLocation
Thursday 14th May 1pm – 3pm Vange
Tuesday 2nd June 10am – 12pm Thundersley
Monday 13th July 10am – 3pm Rochford

Resilience Workshop

What is resilience and how can you build your resilience muscle?
Learn about the 4 S’s of resilience and how having a new perspective can be helpful as well as build healthy coping mechanisms and routines

DateTimeLocation
Thursday 4th June 1pm – 3pm Basildon Unity Centre
Friday 17th July 10am – 12pm Rayleigh

You can view or download our PDF timetable below

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