Tending Distress: Full Programme

About

Tending Distress explores the impact of trauma on the body and mind, and simple, trauma-informed somatic practices as a way of tending to distress – both our own and that of others. It is a resource for everyone working in a mental health context and for those they are alongside in the care they offer.

Across 4 weekly learning sessions (followed by 4 weekly short practice sessions), the course explores information about what gets called the nervous system, and stress / threat and trauma responses. It offers some wider framing and approaches to tending distress and is a chance to experience and integrate a full range of simple somatic tools (embodied practices) drawn from the Resilience Toolkit, discuss how they feel and how useful they could be in clinical practice to increase worker resilience, support relational care and improve workplace cultures.

The aim of the programme is to support the wellbeing, resilience, and sustainability of the mental health workforce by strengthening clinicians' capacity to navigate stress and trauma in high-pressure working environments. To improve relationships, both between staff and with those they support, due to improved ability to notice and respond well to emotional dysregulation or trauma-responses.

What you will learn:

The Tending Distress programme will:

  • Equip mental health clinicians (or others who take the course) with both evidence-based and trauma-informed somatic practices to support stress and trauma, adapted from the Resilience Toolkit that can be easily integrated into everyday life and clinical work

  • Improve staff ability to support their own nervous systems before, during, and after exposure to stress and emotional demand

  • Contribute to reductions in burnout, emotional exhaustion, and stress-related sickness absence

  • Support staff retention by enhancing clinicians' sense of agency and personal wellbeing

  • Strengthen clinicians' capacity to hold safe, compassionate, and co-regulated therapeutic space for service users

  • Improve working relationships due to increased ability to navigate high-pressured environments

  • Complement existing NHS wellbeing and reflective practice initiatives with an actively trauma-responsive, skills-based approach

  • Explore concepts of cultural humility as we examine stress and trauma through various lenses, and what resilience can mean.

  • Examine the biomedical conceptualisation of the nervous system and consider how various people/service users might understand and interpret their own experiences of (di)stress and trauma.

Structure

This 8-week programme consists of a stepped learning journey as follows:

1 x 1.5-hour taster / initial session
An introductory session offering brief foundational theory, an overview framing of the somatic tools, and experiential exercises. (Can be taken as a short stand-alone CPD training, see above).

Followed by 3 weekly sessions (1.5 hours each)
A structured series of sessions exploring the full range of somatic tools, and shared inquiry into their efficacy and application.

Followed by 3 weekly x 30-minute guided practice sessions
Short, supportive weekly sessions to help participants integrate their learning experience into lived practice.

Closing 1 x 30-minute session to support embedding a regular individual and collective practice beyond the programme.

Total Duration: 8 hours total: 4 learning sessions (6 hours) 4 practice sessions (2 hours)
Course Structure: Online (live, interactive sessions) via zoom or Teams

Who is this course for?

People working in stressful environments offering care to others.

Additional Details

Induction & Assessment: No induction or formal assessment
Group size: Small groups (max 12) to support safety and participation
Accessibility: Low-cost, trauma-informed and inclusive facilitation
Cost & Booking: katie@imroc.org
For more information: Please contact katie@imroc.org for more information and a bespoke quote for your group