Are you ready to move in a new direction in health-related exercise and activity and promote positive change in the field of mental health?  

Introducing our comprehensive course that will help you to develop your career in the field of activity and exercise for adults with mental health conditions. This course will guide you through the area of mental health and activity in a non-judgemental and thought-provoking way while enhancing your confidence and skills to support this client group in becoming more active.

Why Choose This Course? 

In this CIMSPA-accredited course, you will learn the definitions, signs and symptoms, common treatments and health consequences of both more commonly encountered and severe mental health conditions.  We cover the following conditions during the course giving you a clear understanding of their impact on physical well-being, and the importance of and implications for activity:

• Anxiety and Stress
• Depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Mental health and long-term conditions, cancer and disability
• Mental health and the female lifecycle (menstrual disorders, pregnancy and post-natal mental health, menopause)
• Other disorders include feeding and eating disorders, substance-related and addictive disorders, and obsessive-compulsive and associated disorders.

You will also learn about the landscape of mental health generally and the health inequalities faced by this client group, the impact of stigma and prejudice faced by people with mental health conditions, and how this creates barriers to exercise.

We review communication and consultation skills and look at different ways of assessing fitness and physical function and promoting healthy lifestyle behaviour change simply and sustainably.  

What about the tutor team? 

Sarah is your lead tutor and has nearly 30 years of experience in the mental health and exercise field.  She has worked with adults with mental health conditions in the community and in psychiatric units and helped develop the first-ever award, and then the first Level 4 course.  She is the author of The Complete Guide to Physical Activity and Mental Health and is as passionate about this field as she was when she worked with her first client nearly three decades ago.

Pre-requisites:

While the course is open to anyone with a fitness qualification, to gain the CIMSPA CPD points you need to have a Level 3 Exercise Referral qualification or a related degree.  If you aren't sure if your qualification is valid, email me at admin@sarahbolitho.com to check.

Dates and times:

The course runs via Zoom 4 from 9 am to 3.30 pm each day.

The dates for the 2024-2025 academic year are:

October 22, 23, 24, 29 and 30 2024

April 8, 9, 10, 13, 14 2025

Continuing Professional Development: 

With at least one in four of us experiencing a mental health condition in any year, this is a field you are likely to come across sooner or later.  This course not only helps you acquire knowledge, but also equips you with the understanding, empathy, and skills to become a more inclusive exercise professional who can design, deliver, monitor, adapt, and tailor exercise programs to empower and support individuals with mental health conditions. 

Resources:

You will receive hard copies of The Complete Guide to Physical Activity and Mental Health and an updated supplementary workbook to support your learning.  Other resources will be provided during the course.

Don't Miss This Opportunity: Join us in shaping a future where activity and exercise are important tools for mental health empowerment and help to make a lasting impact on lives while unlocking new pathways in your career.