Have you gained your trained teacher status? The support you’ve received along the way can continue, as each month there are different dates and times to choose from to connect for one-hour with other MSC Trained Teachers for online peer support sessions.
The sessions are provided free of charge through CMSC and managed via SignUp Genius. To see the different times, dates, and languages for these 1-hour sessions simply follow this link to SignUp Genius and sign up to attend. You will be sent a reminder email a few days before with the link to join. There is no need to commit to a series of sessions; just attend when it works for you.
What do these sessions involve?
The peer support sessions are an invitation to connect and share deeply, without compromise-confidentiality is a guiding principle, as is respect for each-other and allowing everyone to bring what ever they wish to share, or seek opinion, support from the group for. We share the joy of delivering the course as well as discussing the process and any issues that may come up. We support one another unconditionally.
The sessions have an informal format, loosely based on the Zoom sessions for teacher training, where each person has the opportunity at the beginning to share what they wish to bring to the group, we go around each person, and the facilitator makes a note so that everyone has a chance to have their questions answered by the group. This is the only role of the facilitator, there is no hierarchy, we come together as one community, to share and support. When the original facilitator cannot attend another regular attender simply steps up to the role.
Join a Free Peer Support Session now
Examples of the kind of support you can gain from these sessions:
Opportunities for sharing resources with one another in regards to how we screen our potential participants. There have also been rich discussions regarding how to facilitate ongoing booster sessions for past participants and ways to help each other promote our MSC groups. People often bring specific examples of challenging participants to discuss and hone wisdom alongside fellow MSC teachers.
An example of how the sessions have helped Annette
“I have found the sessions hugely beneficial when something new comes up. An example I am happy to share: I facilitate a ‘six -weekly gathering’ for participants following on from completion of the course who have completed it with me. A while ago I was asked if this could be an ‘open’ gathering. I was unsure what to do as this had not come up before. However, in a short space of time I was being approached by two or three people who were not running follow-up groups themselves. I had my reservations -they had not trained with me so did not have that connection, my gatherers had, how would they fit in? Was this appropriate? I was able to come to the peer support group and air my thoughts in a safe supportive environment and received some really helpful ideas and reflections. I also reached out directly to CMSC for support, as this work is so important to me.”
“One Saturday I was running a gathering, and out of the blue a lady arrived — she had thought I was running a day retreat she had booked on but that was another day. Judith Soulsby had very kindly given her my details. She was a long way from any regular MSC support and had just completed an intensive. I was not about to send her home after she had travelled so far. The group welcomed her with open arms and she has been a wonderful contributor at the gatherings ever since. Thanks to the support of the peer support group and the MSC family I was able to reflect fully and now I run ‘open groups’ regularly – trusting the guiding principles of MSC to support each gathering, so MSC remains inclusive and open-armed.”
Join a Free Peer Support Session now
Quotes From the Facilitators:
“I find the sessions a privilege to be part of; they are safe and nourishing. I can sit for an hour with like-minded people from across the globe and share all aspects of the journey of both practicing and teaching MSC. I have made precious friends on the other side of our planet thanks to these sessions.” – Tina
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“As an English-speaking peer support online facilitator for the past few years, I have gained so much knowledge about the process and the path to teaching MSC. It is such a privilege to connect with so many teachers from a wide range of different countries once a month and share a sacred space with teachers who embody Compassion, honesty, humility, and authenticity.” – Annette
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“The sessions are a way of connecting to a world that is bigger. As a Mindfulness and MSC teacher I mainly work alone, and it is a wonderful feeling to know there is a place where I can get support and connect to other teachers. Since the Dutch zoom sessions speak Dutch, it is easier to convey what I mean. Meeting up like this sometimes leads to wonderful cooperation too, like planning an MSC-retreat with Marie Kempe, and developing the Dutch Self-Compassion Cards together with Marlou Kleve” – Rianne
