Six Week Online Applied Mindfulness Skills Course

Edit: This course is now complete. If you are interested in future courses you can register your interest now by emailing me at sean@seanchiddy.com.

Sessions are very interactive. The way I work involves some important set-piece concepts that demonstrate what I believe are core, practical and helpful basic understandings about our mind, based on my work as a psychologist and psychotherapist working with people from around the world and observing the commonalities about the things we seem to get stuck on. Alongside the set-piece sessions we will work very fluidly to make sure everyone understands things personally by being able to connect in their own way.

Some of the core ideas we'll explore are:

A nuanced understanding of how to apply mindfulness related strategies to facilitate emotional healing and build a sense of resilience.

How to confidently work with thoughts, emotions and body sensations that are triggered when you are distressed.

Distinguishing between having a thought or distressing feeling; and identifying with it, as though it defines who you are.

How to let your awareness do what it can do, without interfering, so you can discover more about the profound peace within you.

How to identify when you are “in the way” of this, and how to “get out of the way”, to let awareness do the work for you so things can shift where previously you have felt stuck.

When things are not shifting, how to investigate that in a way that helps, rather than hinders, the process.

A rational approach to challenging negative beliefs and creating behavioral experiments/games to overcome things that you have been stuck on.

The types of outcomes people typically report are:

A greater sense of freedom around negative thoughts and feelings.

A nuanced understanding of the relationship between the dynamic expressions of the mind and personality and the subtle non-dynamic “self” that lies behind it.

Increased sense of stability and resilience through recognizing the safety and reliability of this deeper sense of self.

Greater acceptance of the fluctuations of their state of mind.

Reduced perception of themself as chaotic and “out of control”.

Healing from traumas.

The emergence of more frequent periods of inner peace, happiness and contentment.

Greater appreciation and enjoyment of the unique and dynamic experience of their personality.

Greater confidence to engage in selective risk taking and going outside your comfort zone in order to make the most of your life.

Who is this for?:

This course might be for you if:

You want to learn about mindfulness and self healing in a personalized and down to earth atmosphere.

You have tried unsuccessfully to learn mindfulness but want to feel more confident about it.

You know a bit about mindfulness but want to learn how to apply it to the things that specifically bother you or cause you distress.

You want to understand it in a practical way so you can get free of some things you’ve been stuck on.

You want to know how to get results NOW, on the issues that you face day to day, in a way that also contributes to a greater understanding of what mindfulness is all about in the long run.

You want to learn with an experienced therapist holding each individual in the group so that when things come up you are supported through them.

About me:

I've been practicing healing meditation based on specialist applications of mindfulness since 2004 and these practices have become the bedrock of my way of taking care of my state of mind. I feel incredibly blessed to have learned them and they have helped me in ways that are beyond words. I originally learned with the Institute for the Study of Peak States of Consciousness and a private mentor and meditation teacher who was previously a part of that school and to whom I am eternally grateful. I went on to qualify and practice in Australia as a psychologist and in the UK as a CBT psychotherapist. I have worked with plant medicines, since 2011, mainly in the Shipibo tradition and have facilitated workshops and retreats combining these practices in the UK, Peru, Costa Rica and Thailand. I continue to study a wide range of approaches that utilize awareness as a central focus and am currently completing further training in Dr Gabor Maté`s Compassionate Inquiry. I live in the Sacred Valley, Peru.

Some feedback from past clients and workshops: "Sean is hands down the most helpful and insightful therapist I’ve worked with in the past 20 years I’ve been in therapy." M Smith, USA

“I could go on forever about the benefits I gained from your workshop Sean but I would have to write a book.” Titus Johnson, Wilmington, North Carolina

“Sean is a truly amazing psychotherapist and integration consultant.” Laura Lamn, UK

“I actually, after many years trying, learned to meditate and really connect to my awareness at this retreat with the help of Sean. It was quite amazing!” Rafael Suvaii, USA

“Mindfulness and the Medicine with Sean has been absolutely amazing. He is an incredible teacher. After two years, or three years of reading about Buddhism and trying to meditate I finally understand how it’s happening. I have the sense and I have absolute certainty that I can do it. The tools that I got here are invaluable for me.” DC, Tel Aviv, Israel

“From that lens (of mindfulness) I was able to go deeper into my experience, because, what isn’t enhanced with mindfulness!? It offers a language that makes the plant medicine experience something that can be apprehended and metabolized. This particular workshop offers a very accessible language for something that’s ineffable.” Sabrina Laura, Psychotherapist, Vermont, USA

“It’s perfect! It’s perfect in the sense that it is very well balanced. The mindfulness program is spot on. It’s a program that is unique and I would recommend for anyone who gets the calling for this” Walin, Beirut, Lebanon

“I thought I had a pretty good handle on mindfulness and Sean took me two or three levels down on how to use mindfulness in a rational way. Sean using mindfulness based CBT was really good for me and I’m going to take all that back to my work. I have a whole different approach now. I’ve got nothing but kudos for Sean. He did a wonderful job.” John Simpson, Addictions Counsellor, Saskatoon, Canada

Covid-19: 50% off all sessions and packages

Due to travel restrictions in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic, like many retreat centers, Soltara has had to cancel all retreats until at least the end of April 2020. I am currently on lockdown at home in Peru and I know many others around the world are now working from home and may be facing reduced employment or uncertain financial futures due to the huge impact this is having on business. To support you in this time of increased anxiety, social isolation and uncertain future, I am offering 50% off all online sessions and packages until 30 April 2020. These can be accessed via: www.seanchiddy.com/appointments. For any individual session enter the code: ´50%SESSION´ when you are completing the booking form (valid for up to 5 sessions per person). For the 6-session packages, enter the code: ´50%PACKAGE´ (valid once per person). The codes are valid for all purchases made until 30 April 2020. People experiencing financial hardship can apply for sessions by donation, by emailing me at sean@seanchiddy.com. Please feel welcome to share this offer with anyone you think might appreciate it.

Update: As Soltara remains closed to visitors for longer now due to the ongoing travel restrictions I've extended the offer until 30 June 2020. To take advantage of the offer the codes to enter are, for individual sessions, ´50%SESSION´ and for packages ´50%PACKAGE´.

Seven questions to ask yourself to break free from worrying

What is worrying?

Worrying is when you think about things that might happen in the future. A little bit of worrying is OK if it leads to a solution you then act on. But what often happens is we worry repeatedly, going around in circles in our head without ever doing anything about it. Sometimes we don’t realise how much we do this or what impact it has on us.

How does it worrying feel?

Most people will tell you they feel anxious, frightened, down, helpless, ashamed, embarrassed or some other unpleasant emotion. I doubt you’ll find anyone who says they enjoy it!

So, given it feels bad, why do people do it so much?

Worrying is like a mental bad habit. We worry because, at some level, we believe it helps us. If we truly didn’t believe anything good would come of worrying, we simply wouldn’t do it. Or as soon as we realised we were doing it, we would immediately stop.

Why do people think worrying is helpful?

You can discover this by noticing when you are worrying and stopping to ask yourself what you are hoping to achieve. Here are a few common reasons people give:

Worrying helps me solve problems.

Worrying helps me avoid things I don’t want.

Worrying shows that I care.

If I didn’t worry that would make me a careless or heartless person.

Worrying helps me prepare for bad things happening.

Worrying makes me focus.

I can’t stop myself from worrying even if I want to.

Are these beliefs really true?

The short answer is: No. But saying it just like that is unlikely to convince most people to stop worrying. Doing so takes patient self-inquiry. There are various methods but all start from a recognition that worrying doesn’t feel good and therefore it’s worth questioning.

So what’s the alternative to worrying?

Again, there are various methods of breaking out of the habit of worrying. One popular way is to compare worrying side by side to a structured problem solving technique. Here’s an example of seven problem solving questions you can ask yourself to help you break free of worrying…

As soon as you notice you are worrying, ask yourself:

1. What specifically am I worrying about?

Take a step back and reflect on what you are actually worried about. Many people don’t recognise how scattered their worries are until they try to define them. That itself is a clue: If you can’t think clearly when you are worrying, how helpful is it likely to be?

2. Is this something I can actually do anything about?

You’ll be surprised how often you find yourself worrying about something completely imaginary, or that you can’t actually do anything about anyway. Again, that’s a clue: If you can’t do anything about something, what is the point of worrying about it?

3. If yes, what is it that I can do?

This is where we start to shift towards practical problem solving. Brain storm. Make a list. Again, be specific and make sure these are things that really can be done, even if they might take time, or you need help. Break big steps down into smaller steps wherever possible.

4. Is there anything that can be done, right now?

One of the fastest ways to offset worrying about something, is to take action based on the list of things you can do about it. Even small steps, like sending an email, or phoning someone can benefit your state of mind.

5. What can I schedule to do later?

If there are steps you can’t take now, but can later, schedule them. Make a note in your diary or planner of what you will do and when. Again, even small steps written down like that are effective in reducing worrying.

6. Now, think again, what remains?

Once you have done everything that can be done now, and scheduled everything else that can be done later, and acknowledged what you can´t do anything about, what is left? If something is still niggling you, try going through the previous steps again to see if you missed anything. At this point (or even before) many people realise there is no point worrying anymore.

7. What do I want to focus on instead of worrying?

Intentionally refocusing on something of your choice will often help to shake off any remaining worry, especially if you have thoroughly considered all the above steps. It also helps to remind yourself (as often as needed!) that you can make a choice about what to focus on, even if your mind seems to run away with itself when you forget that!

Try it out next time you find yourself worrying about something. What do you think? How does going through these seven steps compare to your normal habit of worrying? Is there anything you would add or change here? What works best for you?

You can reach me here.