Programme structure

The Positive Care Programme is made up of individual therapies, group therapies and workshops:

Individual Therapies:

Caring touch (through Massage, Indian Head Massage, Shiatsu (Japanese massage) or Reflexology) - These are caring, non-threatening touch, which help people to feel relaxed and have a sense of wellbeing.
Restoring and balancing energy (through Natural Healing) – People who have long-term health problems and people who work as carers often feel low in energy and ‘unbalanced’. Natural Healing helps to restore the energy balance of the body, mind and spirit so people then have the energy to help heal themselves. Natural healing can bring about a sense of well-being and inner peace.
Acupuncture - This is a healing technique that stimulates the flow of ‘Qi’ or energy in the body. Fine needles are inserted into the body and that helps to rebalance energy and alleviate many symptoms of ill health.
An energy therapy (Emotional Freedom Technique) - An unusual technique which employs tapping on acupuncture points, that are easily accessible, to help realign the body's energies, restoring wellbeing, physically mentally and emotionally.

Group Therapies:

Focused gentle exercise (Tai Chi / Chi Kung or Dru Yoga) - These are forms of gentle exercise which help to release everyday stress and allow people to feel more relaxed and able to cope with life.
Learning to find inner peace (through Meditation) - Meditation can bring about a sense of well-being and inner peace, positively affecting mind, body and spirit. This skill can be learnt and used regularly to give benefit
Creative Exploration (through Therapeutic Art) - An artist facilitates creative expression through drawing, painting, pottery, printing, paper-mâché, etc.

The workshops teach coping strategies and helpful ways of viewing situations (through three themed workshops) - A facilitator leads discussion on helpful practices within the group and experts give workshops on the following topics:

Mind, Body, Spirit Workshop
Being Friends with your Body
Tools and Skills for Living’
Positive Steps

See About the therapies and workshops page for more information

It is hoped that people will attend some individual therapies and all the workshops and group therapies so that they receive a balanced programme of care, but if people do not like a particular part of the programme they do not have to attend that part.

Additional aspects of the programme

Free for the participant
Emphasis on the person, not the illness
Pleasant, local, non-medical environment
People made to feel very welcome
Area to sit and chat and eat home-made cake, nuts and dried fruit and drink herbal teas
Popular lending library of self-help books
There is a limited opportunity for some participants to have homeopathy (provided by an organisation called ‘Yolocalli’ which provides homeopathy for refugees and asylum seekers). Positive Care Programme participants are able to have homeopathy sessions when there are spaces available.

Programme structure