By Rachel Singh | BACP Accredited Therapist | Mindfulness Coach
As an accredited integrative counsellor (BACP) and a certified Mindfulness teacher, my journey in the field of autism and adhd which started 25 years ago with charity work at White Lodge Centre, Chertsey, whilst attending school at Sir William Perkins’s, Chertsey.
Throughout these years, I’ve had the privilege of working with individuals and families, providing support and guidance to enable them to grow with autism. Having an opportunity to work alongside those with autism brings me such joy, as it has for the past 25 years or so.
I have facilitated Mindfulness courses & workshops that provide a space to share experiences of Mindfulness, create opportunities to feel a sense of connection and remove the need to mask, which for those living with a sense of isolation or being misunderstood can impact their wellbeing. This is often the experience of those living with autism. During workshops, participants have time to share their reflections if they wish to do so, which I find is a valuable activity as I believe another part is learning from one another. Facilitating a group where sharing occurs and see the positive responses is very rewarding for me.
This is also what Thich Nhat Hahn (1926-2022) emphasised whilst introducing mindfulness to the Western World. he importance of connecting with other people to develop a community, which is what he referred to as a sangha. He believed that without this support it is hard for us to keep up the practice. Not only wast Thich Nhat Hahn, a Zen Master and a poet & peace activist also.
Recently, I have started working with an NHS Trust covering the Bristol area where I have already facilitated an online mindfulness based workshop. The audience of approximately 20 attendees attend a weekly support group for those with an autism diagnosis. This workshop was themed around how to make use of Mindfulness in our day to day lives. I wove attitudes with exercise to support the audience’s process of acceptance and awareness with the intention of enabling them to gain more peace and compassion for themselves.
Some of the feedback I received from participants attending, the recent workshop ‘Integrating Mindfulness into Daily life’ said, they found the session to ‘help provide further clarity’; and it being ‘useful to hear about to make it more relevant to everyday life’; along with the mediations chosen to be clear to follow.
A helpful aspect from my experience of being a counsellor & certified meditation teacher is that mindfulness facilities the development self-awareness, taking a moment to notice what thoughts, feelings, body sensations (whether tense or relaxed) and senses I notice in the moment, especially after participating in a mindfulness exercise.
I regularly attend groups for my personal benefit, including one with Mindfulness Now, who generously provide a weekly Monday evening space for qualified Mindfulness Now teachers.
If anything above resonates with you or colleagues or perhaps in a local community group, please contact me to explore whether there is an opportunity for us to create a dynamic way to support mental health and wellbeing together. I would love to have a telephone call to discuss how I can contribute to your service requirements. I am based in Sussex and I provide workshops in person or online.