1. Course background

This programme was devised by Professor Mark Williams and Dr Danny Penman.

The recently retired Mark Williams was a Professor of Clinical Psychology, Director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre and Wellcome Principal Research Fellow in the University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry.

Danny Penman has broad expertise relevant to understanding mental health with a PhD in biochemistry as well as being a qualified meditation teacher. In 2014, he also won the British Medical Association’s Best Book (Popular Medicine) Award for 'Mindfulness for Health: A Practical Guide to Relieving Pain, Reducing Stress and Restoring Wellbeing'.

His books are now used in health care systems around the world to help people cope with anxiety, stress, depression and chronic pain. Indeed, Mindfulness for Health has sold over one million copies.

The University of Cambridge has also endorsed this programme to improve the mental wellbeing of its students. Their Mindfulness Society runs weekly, face-to-face, group sessions to run through the weekly meditations in this book.

In line with the University of Cambridge Mindfulness Society, we recommend the accompanying book containing all the contextual and scientific background to this course. The meditations, narrated by Professor Mark Williams, are also available on the Psynergy Mental Health YouTube channel.