29th April 2026
Training and resources with Ed Sipler from the South Eastern Trust – May 2026
Stress levels across our workforce, families and communities has not let up as we get through winter. How can we respond to that as spring approaches?
The theme for Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) 2026, from May 11-17, is “Action,” focusing on how small steps for ourselves, others, and communities can build better mental well-being and create real change,
What can contribute to that?
The tools and resources on our Thriving Mind platform (try the QR code) holds short clips for relaxed breathing, an introduction to mindfulness, calming skills, the revised Dealing with Worry Booklet, and four online interventions including Self-compassion and Bend Don’t Break and more.
An update session on making use of what is in Thriving Mind and workshops are planned for May 2026 to explore the four on-line resources people can use for their own well –being or with their service users. These workshops are free.
All workshops run from 10 am to 1 pm on zoom. Sign up to any of the workshops is through the Western Trust’s Training Brochure. Go to the link here to register.
https://westerntrust.pagetiger.com/HIEITB2026/hiei-training-brochure-april-september-2026 Click on the link for training on emotional health and well-being
It is strongly recommended that practitioners complete the on-line work for themselves to become familiar with the content. This is a suggestion, not a requirement. An evaluation link on the appropriate platform to will help gauge impact.
By attending any training, you are agreeing to provide a short evaluation after the training to give feedback of the impact of this training.
Training sessions include:
- Making use of the Thriving Mind resources May 5th 2026
- Using Self-compassion to improve well – May 12th 2026
- Using low intensity CBT based tools to build resilience (revised Bend Don’t Break) – May 13th 2026
- Building emotional regulation in children with parents using Building our Children’s Developing Brain – May 14th 2026
- Making Our Nevous System Work For Us- Using the Polyvagal Therory to Improve Well-Being – May 19th 2026
The resources for thriving Mind can also be found at Thriving Mind | ASCERT
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Exploring the contents of Thriving Mind – resources for well being
Thriving Mind is the ASCERT, Health Improvement in the Western Trust, and Health Development in the South Eastern Trust, supported by the Public Health Agency working together to bring tools and resources to improve well-being.
The Thriving Mind Home Page is a page Tiger platform bringing a range of self-care and well-being resources to one place to increase accessibility. https://view.pagetiger.com/thrivingmind
Some of the tools are written resources. Some are visual media clips. Some are on-line interventions that are free to use at the user’s pace. They were all developed with strong service user involvement.
What will get from attending this workshop is a good insight into and experience what resources brings to you, your team or family
Date and Time: 5th of May 2026 -10 AM to 12:00 PM on Zoon Self-Compassion – Why the way we talk to ourselves matters People in Northern Ireland tend to be their own worst critics. We tend to see our weaknesses, not our strengths and can be really hard on ourselves. There is good evidence that when someone practices self-compassion, it improves not only their physical health and well-being, it also helps them achieve goals and make changes in their lives that are important to them. How to “teach” self-compassion? The first step is to being to practice it in our own lives and model it in our interactions with family and service users. What you will get from attending the workshop: An introduction to self-compassion, what it is and the evidence behind it, how to make the most of it, experience some of the exercises, and explore a way forward to integrate self-compassion in your work. Date: 12th of May 2026 10:AM to 1:00 PM on Zoom
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Using guided self-help to build resilience – Bend Don’t Break
Good thinking skills, support and self-care are central to supporting well-being and resilience.
Low intensity work this can be used as self-help or means the member of staff has the skills to coach people through the use of CBT-based self-help material.
The training will build the confidence and skills of participants to use a low intensity resource, Bend Don’t Break with their clients or for themselves which has been revised with a 2023 version.
Date: 13th of May 2026 10:AM to 1:00 PM on Zoom
Building emotional regulation in children through working with parents. This one-half day workshop will equip workers to use Building our Children’s Developing Brain adapted from The Whole-Brain Child’ by Dan Siegel & Tina Bryson with practical parenting strategies to help the different parts of our children’s brains work together. It is important to stress this is not infant mental health work, but the stage beyond this. The main booklet used can be seen on the Trust’s website at Building-Our-Childs-Developing-Brain-V4-1.pdf (hscni.net) The material can be used by those trained in 1-1 work or with groups of parents.
Date: 14th of May 2026 10:AM to 1:00 PM on Zoom
_______________________________________________________ Making Our Nevous System Work For Us- Using the Polyvagal Therory to Improve Well-Being. In this workshop, particiapants will increase learning about our nervous system, the role of the Vagus nerve, and the Polyvagal Theory. With an on-line version of the workbook, it will enable using this material with exercises to help to improve self-regulation This work is psycho-eduction to present information and introduce self help that is up to the particapants how they make use of it. Date: – 19th of May 10:AM to 1:00 PM on Zoom
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As stated above, sign up to any of the workshops is through the Western Trust’s Training brochure. Go to click here to register on the appropriate page.to sign up
https://westerntrust.pagetiger.com/HIEITB2026/hiei-training-brochure-april-september-2026 Click on the link for training on emotional health and well-being.
For more information contact Ed Sipler – the facilitator of these workshops at ed.sipler@setrust.hscni.net Feel free to display the poster below.
If you make any use of the written copies of the workbooks or on-line version, your feedback will be invaluable. Each of the on-line links have an evaluation/feedback tab which is completely anonymous. Let us know if any of these tools are helpful. Thanks