New Beginnings

New Beginnings is a free course for those whose life has been affected by living with, or being in recovery from, a mental health condition.

What is the EPP New Beginnings course?

New Beginnings is a free course for those whose life has been affected by living with, or being in recovery from, a mental health condition.

The course looks at:

• Problem solving and goal setting
• Confidence building paced to individual requirements
• Anxiety and depression management
• Trigger and relapse symptom awareness
• Positive thinking
• Set-back strategies and reinterpreting beliefs
• Relaxation techniques
• Healthy lifestyle
• Communicating with family, friends and professionals
• Planning for the future

Who can take part?

Anyone who feels they are at a stage where they could benefit from incorporating self-management skills to aid recovery from a mental health condition.

How can it help you?

By taking part in a New Beginnings course you will:

• Develop the confidence to take more control of your life
• Learn simple but effective skills to aid everyday living
• Meet others who have shared similar experiences
• Plan ahead so that you can deal effectively with any blips or future problems
• Learn about developing more effective relationships with healthcare professionals
• Reach your own personal goals

How has it helped others?

Previous participants of the course have reported that it has helped them to:

• Feel more confident and in control of their life
• Feel less stigmatised or socially excluded
• Learn to be realistic when trying to achieve personal goals
• Use new skills and knowledge to improve their quality of life
• Formed new friendships reducing isolation
• Change their thinking about mental health

What course participants say

Sonia - Folkestone, Kent

“Since the course, I have decreased my medication. I think the combination of increased exercise and increased confidence has helped.”

I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 3 ½ years ago, when I was almost 29, which, compared to a lot of people, is quite late in life for that diagnosis.  I can’t imagine that receiving this diagnosis is ever easy, but it certainly wasn’t for me.  I was living and working successfully in Cornwall, but then a combination of stressful events occurred that made me spin into a manic episode.  I ended up doing  lots of typically manic things - I put offers in on grandiose houses, I got stranded in New York, I hitch-hiked round Ireland, and then eventually I crash-landed at my

More on Sonia's story