For Veterans and their families
Facilitated by licensed Occupational Therapists
Virtual group meetings from your own home via Zoom!
Program Benefits:
- reduce chronic pain
- reduce symptoms of stress and burnout
- ease transition from traumas and significant life events
- improve life balance and prevent illness
- improve sleep
The MBCPM™ program is a 12-week course aimed at easing the pain and suffering of people who live with chronic pain. Participants are guided step-by-step by the “The Mindfulness Solution to Pain” manual and its companion CDs/downloads through short meditations and self-exploration. The trained and licensed MBCPM™ facilitators for this program have extensive experience working with veterans with chronic pain and mental health conditions. We offered this program in 2019 to May 2020 through a grant from the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, meetings are now being offered virtually via Zoom. Participants can join us weekly without leaving their homes.
The program has 3 modules:
Module 1 – Learning about mindfulness and meditation practice: Classes 1-4 train participants in mindfulness and meditation, with a focus on mindful living through exercises and practices outside of formal meditation. Class 5 shows the significant influence that stress has on many parts of the body and mind, makes the connection between stress and the body/mind, and forms a bridge to the next module.
Module 2 – Self-care and compassion: Classes 6-9 train participants to better care for themselves. By learning how they have been viewing the broken parts of themselves in a way which often involves strong emotions, the focus is placed on nurturing self and working with those parts of self that they may have been avoiding or treating without compassion.
Module 3 – Working on behaviours and self-awareness in relationships with others and with one’s self: Classes 10-12 focus on how participants interact with others, especially others who are difficult, and considers how that can undermine their health. Art or other creative modalities are used to provide an opportunity for participants to express situations or past experiences, which can lead to new perspectives and increased insight. This process often modifies their experience of emotional and physical pain, as well as facilitating their healing.
Location:
The location is your home. You will require a laptop, tablet, or a desktop computer that has a camera and microphone. Download the Zoom app for greater functionality. A cell phone with the Zoom app installed also works or you can call in directly, but the quality is lower. Detailed instructions will be sent to you before the orientation.
Cost:
The materials include the book “The Mindfulness Solution to Pain” by Dr. Jackie Gardner-Nix and the accompanying downloadable audio tracks. Participants will be responsible for these costs (approximately $90).
How to register:
A grant proposal has been submitted but has not yet been approved. Interested Veterans and their family members can ask questions or indicate their interest here: (TBA)
