Acorn Christian Healing Foundation “helps churches to bring healing and wholeness to people and communities.  Acorn provides people, regardless of their circumstances, background or life choices, with the opportunity to experience the "shalom" that is at the heart of the Christian message” through listening, quiet days, prayer for healing and training.

Established in 1987, BRACE is a registered charity dedicated to supporting dementia research. BRACE has raised more than £13 million in funding for Alzheimer’s research, and is the catalyst for generating a greater understanding of the disease through the advancement of research.

The British Association of Christians in Psychology is for Christian professional and student psychologists in academic and applied settings and aims to support and encourage Christian psychologists; to support Christian churches (and allied organisations) in the UK by the provision of psychological knowledge and expertise in the service of their ministry; to promote empirical and theoretical research on the interface between psychology and religion; to encourage each other to share our faith; to establish and maintain relationships with similar organisations in the UK and other countries.

The Centre for Mental Health (previously the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health) has a range of publications and advice, including the two research reports from East London:

• Keeping the Faith: http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/pdfs/keeping_faith.pdf

• Forward in Faith:  http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/pdfs/scmh_forward_in_faith.pdf

Christian healing UK is “an affiliation of Christian healing organisations and healing advisors across the UK. Their vision is to provide a forum for the leaders of Christian healing organisations to come together in mutual respect and understanding to further this ministry throughout our land; to become a national voice speaking out on matters concerning Christian healing; to reflect the biblical principle that when we work together as a body we are more effective than individual members; to establish a programme of regional meetings to act as a source of encouragement and support to all those involved in the healing ministry, regardless of whether or not they are in leadership.”

Article in the Journal of Integrated Care with a broad focus on migration and questions of identity, plus write-up of multi-faith symposium held at Staffs University 2006

We are a national network of faith-based and community organisations seeking to serve their communities through social action and by offering services such as health and social care, childcare, housing and welfare to work. We provide support, guidance and training; we conduct research and disseminate information, and we represent faith-based and community organisations to government. 

With Great Britain being seen as a largely secular society, it would be easy to discount the influence of religious belief and faith communities in society in general, and mental health in particular. But most rural communities still have a parish church, which provides a focal point for a range of activities, not necessarily religious; and in the big cities, especially where there are a range of ethnic groups and cultures, places of worship…

Hypnotherapy Directory was launched to connect individuals with qualified professionals in the UK. We offer information about what hypnotherapy is, how it can help, upcoming events, articles written by professionals and the latest hypnotherapy news.

To ensure the professionalism of our members, we require proof of their qualifications and insurance cover, or proof of professional body membership. This is crucial to providing a website that can be trusted by the public.

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Call 0844 803 0253

The Jewish Association for Mental Illness, describing the development of a Jewish-specific forum and website bringing together London’s mental health service providers, with useful lessons for culturally-sensitive mental health services.

Keeping Health in Mind aims to “reduce stigma and to raise the profile of mental health by offering resources to the church and encouraging local churches to be promoters and protectors of good mental health so all can belong”.

Since 2004, Dr. Sekandari has been working with Muslims to better understand mental illness while encouraging them to seek therapeutic services for their illness. Dr. Sekandari has also been training non-Muslim Health and Human Services providers to provide culturally competent services to the Muslim community.

We believe in a God who loves us AND cares about our emotional and mental health. Our faith and emotions are often kept separate. Mental health is rarely discussed in churches and Christian spirituality is seen as having little to offer the world of psychology. We want to bridge that gap. 

• To Educate: Sharing the best of Christian theology and scientific advances. 

• To Equip: Helping people meet with God and recover from emotional distress. 

• To Encourage: Engaging with the local church and mental health services. 

Our core leadership team of a psychologist, a priest and a psychiatrist have developed high-quality, integrated resources and bring a powerful message that BOTH are important.

Welcome to the Nishkam Wellbeing Centre – an award winning, state-of-the art facility with an excellent array of activities on offer. The Wellbeing Centre draws its inspiration from both modern science and traditional Sikh philosophies, fusing old and new into a unique environment that is reflected the conventional and contemporary methods we apply to supporting our Members health and wellbeing aims. Recognising the needs of our diverse communities the Wellbeing Centre is a culturally sensitive environment with alternative days for men and women.

The Scottish Association of Chaplains in Healthcare has 134 members and exists to assist healthcare chaplains to provide effective spiritual, religious and pastoral care within the contemporary healthcare setting.

We wish to be a diocese where it is OK to say we are not OK, where churches are aware of the needs, are supportive, and include those with mental health challenges and their carers in every aspect of the life of the church family.

Psychological and mental health difficulties can be deeply transformative, offering the possibility of breakthrough rather than breakdown.

The Association of Christian Counsellors is “a Christian UK-wide counselling organisation which aims to promote excellence in practice and standards in counselling and training; provide briefings, guidance and representation on any potential statutory developments that could affect the provision of counselling or pastoral care;  offers advice, support, resources and high-quality, affordable training.”

UK Board for Healthcare Chaplains (UKBHC) was established in 2009, as a register of healthcare chaplains, to demonstrate the accountability of healthcare chaplains to the public.

The Whole person health network “was formed to bring together a number of Christian Health and social care organizations each with its own to give a united voice on Christian Health and Social Care matters; to be a resource for people looking for a Christian expression of their faith and practice; to promote those organizations and individuals who wish to bring faith and science together; to be a repository for information on whole person health and social care and to offer a secure way for members to network with like-minded people involved in similar activities.”

The mission of Action for Happiness is to promote a happier world, through a culture that prioritises happiness and kindness. We do this by helping people get together regularly (face-to-face where possible) to learn evidence-based skills for happier living, feel a sense of belonging and commit to personal action to create more happiness, both for themselves and others.

Being Alongside (BA) is the operational name for the Association for Pastoral Care in Mental Health, (APCMH), a Christian based, voluntary association of individual members and affiliated groups who recognise the importance of spiritual values and support in mental health.

Mental health resource group

This paper explores the need for a renewed and creative engagement with theology on the part of chaplains so that it articulates and assists in chaplains’ public work in (mostly secular) institutions.  Acknowledging the current performed public theology of chaplains and the dearth of formal theological activity, possible inhibitors to engaging with theology are then discussed.  Images and metaphors of theology are advanced with a view to showing the pluriformity of this activity.  It is then suggested that chaplains could adopt more creative and imaginative approaches to the theological tradition that might enable prophetic and apologetic roles within organisations, to the benefit of those organisations and chaplaincy itself.

[a] Promoting mental health: A resource for spiritual and pastoral care  This is a flexible tool for use in Church of England  parishes, in a range of different groups and situations, to trigger discussion and debate. It was produced in 2005 by Mentality following work by a diverse steering group and much groundwork and piloting in local Church of England parishes.

[b] Report on the General Synod mental health debate

Sister article in Journal of Integrated Care to Peter Gilbert's 'engaging...' giving commentary on BME communities and holistic care with reference to the multi-faith symposium at Staffs University

Farsight “aims to increase awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health within African and African-Caribbean churches by equipping church leaders to talk about mental health with their congregations, and create mental health friendly environments in which everyone can learn and worship freely”

In October 2011 the Government published a quick guide to the Equality Act. ‘Equality Act 2010: What do I Need To Know? A Quick Start Guide On Religion Or Belief Discrimination In Service Provision For Voluntary And Community Organisations’

Formerly British Association for the Study of Spirituality, the INSS is a unique international network for people interested in bringing the study of spirituality to life through research, scholarship, education and practice.

The Janki Foundation is a UK-based charity that encourages the integration of a spiritual model in modern healthcare. It uses a values-based approach to support healthcare practitioners through an educational programme, Values in Healthcare: a spiritual approach.   The Foundation also produces books and materials to support healing and well-being including Lifting Your Spirits - Seven Tools for Coping with Illness, The Heart of Well-being - Seven tools for surviving and thriving, books with two CD's.

Living Life to the Full teaches a range of life skills that are based on the tried and trusted CBT approach, aiming to improve wellbeing and resilience as you go through the journey of life.

Since 1949, the Mental Health Foundation has been the UK’s leading charity for everyone’s mental health. Our vision is for a world with good mental health for all. With prevention at the heart of what we do, we aim to find and address the sources of mental health problems so that people and communities can thrive.

• The Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at the University of Wales, Bangor

• Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. MBCT.

• University of Oxford, Dept. of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford

• University of Oxford Centre for Suicide Research

People with experience of mental illness, and those who care for them, are at the heart of everything we do. They shape our expert advice, information and training, and 90 services. They also drive our campaigning and help to run over 140 local support groups. Supporting all this life-changing work are our incredible supporters, volunteers and staff members.

In this paper, on the rediscovery of the spiritual dimension in health and social care in England, Peter Gilbert looks at the current state of health and social care in England, and argues passionately that true leadership is required to being a sense of vocation and an holistic view of the person back into services so that the spirit of the age is not simply reductionist and material, but both personal and transpersonal.

The Compassion Hub is an informal special interest group which brings together people seeking to explore the field of compassion and its development and application across a range of disciplines including healthcare, business and education.

A forum for psychiatrists to explore the spiritual challenges presented by psychiatric illness, and how best to respond to patients’ spiritual concerns.

The Spirituality Special Interest Group (SPSIG) runs day conferences, published newsletters and helps develop relevant training. It offers an essay prize, hosts an extensive archive and liaises with relevant national and international bodies.

The Guild of Health and St Raphael “brings together    Christians, including doctors, psychologists, other health professionals and ministers of religion, to work in fellowship, for fuller health both for individuals and the community; to enable members to study the interaction between physical, mental and spiritual factors in wellbeing through conferences, publications and other educational endeavours; to sustain and strengthen by prayer and sacrament people who are sick or suffering in any way, and all those who minister to them; to help men and women to realise in themselves as members of the Christian family the abundant life offered in Christ and to share this in the world.

This chapter (Chapter 1, pp. 23–43) is reproduced in full from Spirituality and Mental Health © Pavilion Publishing & Media and Peter Gilbert, 2011, with permission of Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd.

The chapter was chosen as illustrative of Peter’s inimitable style as well as of his key interests, many of which are discussed in John Swinton’s tribute article, ‘Peter Gilbert: In Memory of a Life Lived Well’, in this issue of JSS.

Mind in Croydon’s influential ‘Hard to Believe’ DVD considers both mental health services' attitude and knowledge regarding peoples' spiritual needs and Faith communities' understanding of mental health problems/issues. The film tells the story of three service users, how their Spirituality was perceived by mental health services, and the role that Spirituality has played as part of their recovery. The film considers the work of the Chaplaincy at the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust and Nigel Copsey's Multi-Faith Team in East London. Dr Andrew Powell, who chaired the Royal College of Psychiatry's Spirituality Special Interest Group when the film was produced, also features. While some of the services featured have changed, the messages in the film remain as crucial and it can serve as an invaluable training tool.

A resource providing educational articles on twenty religions from around the world. 

This is a group for those with mental health issues and/or their carers. Members normally meet over a lunchtime meal but sometimes film showings and outings are organised. New members welcome.

The Mental Health Project is an innovative project that exists to help the Catholic community to further develop pastoral support for mental health.  They have an excellent website which includes lots of useful resources and onward links.

Chizuk is a mental health organisation that specialises in providing support in a religiously and culturally sensitive environment for its Orthodox Jewish users. 

Older people’s mental health is a growing area of concern, and many initiatives have been established to try and tackle some of the issues including stigma and neglect. 

http://www.caringforcarehomes.com/

https://www.welcomemeasiam.org/

Supporting people by raising awareness of spiritual care in mental health recovery. An important part of this work includes promoting respect for people’s beliefs and practices from faith traditions other than our own. This includes those beliefs of people who claim no religious affiliation, but nonetheless affirm themselves as spiritual beings.

People experiencing mental distress often feel let down by faith communities, and find the world of conflicting world views puzzling and unhelpful as they struggle to find meaning, purpose, and acceptance in their own painful journey.

NIMHE Acute Care Programme/Staffordshire University

Gilbert, P. Merchant, R. and Hayes, L. (2008)

Booklet, Leaflet, Poster and Evidence Resource

We are a leading social action charity providing high quality services and support to excluded, vulnerable and isolated Irish people in Britain. As we reach out, we hope we're contributing to a fairer, more just society, one person at a time.

Jami’s vision is a Jewish community which accepts, acknowledges and understands mental illness. A community which is resilient and has the capacity and capability to be healthy. A community in which symptoms of mental illness are as recognisable as a heart attack and trigger an equally appropriate First Aid response. A community in which Parity of Esteem is a reality and an environment which helps, not hinders recovery.

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We work with individuals, communities and organisations to help prevent mental illness from developing, improve early intervention and promote wellbeing.

Maslaha seeks to change and challenge the conditions that create inequalities for Muslim communities in areas such as education, gender, criminal justice, health, negative media coverage and a continued climate of Islamophobia. We understand deeply how this context can leave individuals and communities suffering and unable to realise their full potential.

Mental Health, Religion & Culture provides an authoritative forum and a single point of reference for the growing number of professionals and academics working in the expanding field of mental health and religion.

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The journal publishes empirically-based work which explores the relationships between mental health and aspects of religion and culture, and discusses conceptual and philosophical aspects. Contributions are encouraged from a range of disciplines including: psychiatry, psychology, anthropology, sociology and other social sciences, philosophy, theology and religious studies, community and social work, counselling and pastoral work.

• Religion and Belief Matter: an information resource for healthcare staff.  NHS

• Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy, published by The Scottish Government (2009)

• Spirituality and Psychiatry Special Interest Group

• Royal College of Psychiatrists booklet on spirituality and mental Health (very accessible)

• A guide to the assessment of spiritual concerns in mental healthcare

• Policy drivers for spirituality and mental health: chapter in 2010 RCP Spirituality and Psychiatry book.

Not so long ago Western society assumed that its citizens would get progressively richer and more leisured, and that inequality would not matter. There was also an assumption that health and social care services would simultaneously become more technically proficient and more concerned with a person's dignity and their individual needs. This paper considers this theme, looks at the current state of health and social care and the need to bring a sense of the spiritual back to revivify the service.

The Spiritual Competency Academy offers mental health professionals a selection of unique courses that provide you with the skills and knowledge to become more spiritually competent. Our foundational curriculum starts with a course on how to conduct an evidence-based and spiritually sensitive spiritual assessment. Other courses cover a wide variety of topics including self-compassion, mindfulness, and forgiveness.

On the 1 November 2006, Staffordshire University, in partnership with the National Institute for Mental Health in England and the National Spirituality and Mental Health Forum, organized a multi-faith symposium on perspectives in mental health involving all nine of the major faiths and the Humanists, with a strong user voice. It is planned that a series of symposia on related topics will be held on an annual or biannual basis.

Instead of mercilessly judging and criticizing yourself for various inadequacies or shortcomings, self-compassion means you are kind and understanding when confronted with personal failings – after all, who ever said you were supposed to be perfect?

Kristin Neff, Ph.D. is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on self-compassion, being the first one to operationally define and measure the construct almost twenty years ago. In addition to her pioneering research into self-compassion, she has developed an eight-week program to teach self-compassion skills in daily life, co-created with her colleague Dr. Chris Germer, called Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC).

Welcome me as I am “promotes mental health awareness in Faith Communities and in the wider community” through training and resources on dementia and mental health.