Restore - working for mental health

Self Compassion Skills (Part 2)
2026-01-26 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-01-26 14:00 - 16:30 (Europe/London) | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom
Compassion for ourselves and others can be hard to maintain when faced with hardship and mental health difficulties. In this small- group course, we will explore what compassion means, what can get in the way, and why compassion can help us. We will also develop practical skills such as grounding, breathing exercises, and compassionate voice and imagery. A therapy dog will be present in some sessions to support selected activities and discussions (but without becoming the primary focus of the work).

PLEASE NOTE: This is a newly developed course in collaboration with the University of Oxford, and has a RESEARCH COMPONENT consisting of questionnaires at the start and end of each session. The first questionnaire is longer and will take about 15-20 minutes to complete, subsequent questionnaires will be shorter and take no more than 5-10 minutes. The research explores whether the course is effective and whether the presence of a THERAPY DOG might impact this. The therapy dog will be randomly allocated to attend either the first three sessions for one group or only the last (fourth) session for the other group. Anyone who signs up to the course will be invited to take part in the research, and you will receive a full information sheet when signing up. You can still participate in the course if you decide you do not want to take part in the research (i.e. complete the questionnaires).

Healthy Sleep (Part 2)
2026-01-27 10:30 - 12:00 | Location: Online
This course explores what healthy sleep is and offers some positive tips for improving sleep. In Part 2 , we look in more depth at how sleep affects our mental health and share further strategies to try out, as well as signposting ideas

Understanding Trauma (Part 1)
2026-01-27 13:00 - 16:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom
Experiencing trauma can significantly impact our mental health, the way we function as human beings and our resilience to coping with stressful life events. This course looks at the impact of trauma on our brain and bodies and explores how we can learn to ground ourselves in the present and regulate our emotions. We look at trauma diagnoses in Week 2 and life after trauma in Week 3. On this course we share tips and strategies, but not details of what has happened to us.

Mental Health First Aid - 28th & 29th Jan; 3rd & 5th Feb
2026-01-28 09:30 - 13:00 | Location: Online
Four half-days, online. This accredited training enables you to become a Mental Health First Aider, with the ability to recognise the signs of mental ill health, provide support and guidance towards professional help.

Organiser

Managing Self Doubt (Part 2)
2026-01-28 10:30 - 12:00 | Location: Online
(3 Parts Online) This course is for anyone keen to learn more about self-doubt and how to live with it better. Self doubt feeds anxiety and can have a huge impact on our mental health and wellbeing. Together we explore the impacts it can have and what we can do to manage it. There is a practical emphasis and we hope that students will leave feeling more able to manage their own self-doubt, and/or to better support others who experience it.

Understanding Confidence
2026-01-28 13:00 - 16:00 | ORC at Didcot Civic Hall, Britwell Road, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 7JN, United Kingdom
Mental ill-health often leads to a loss of confidence, making it difficult for people to get the most out of their lives. We appreciate that developing or regaining confidence is an important part of many people’s recovery. This course will help you recognise your existing skills, and consider some practical ways to move forwards with increased confidence

Writing for Self Expression (Part 2)
2026-01-28 14:00 - 15:30 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom
On this course we will listen to and talk about some poems and pieces of prose, before trying out some expressive writing of our own. Expressive writing is not creative writing or therapy, but a form of self-expression which helps a person to think about their life and put their thoughts and feelings into words with often surprising results. It is personal, freestyle writing that is not constrained by concerns about the ‘end result’ but fosters personal awareness, resilience and wellbeing.

Understanding Depression
2026-01-29 13:00 - 16:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom
This course provides a chance to think about what depression is like and how it affects someone’s life, as well as an understanding of what causes depression and how to respond to it.

The course will examine personal experiences to illustrate that depression is not an isolated experience and that it is possible to recover and maintain wellbeing.

Thinking about Thinking (Part 1)
2026-01-29 18:30 - 20:30 | Location: Online
This course is an introduction to how we as individuals think about thinking, and will help students to explore and understand more about this subject.

Men, Mental Health and Society (Part 3)
2026-01-30 10:00 - 13:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom
This course explores why men may find it harder to talk about their mental health or seek help, the impact of how we use language and the stigma around men’s mental health. It is suitable for anyone interested in the effects of gender on our mental health.

Journaling for Wellbeing
2026-01-30 10:00 - 13:00 | ORC at Restore Banbury, 28 Calthorpe Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 5EX, United Kingdom
In this course we discuss how journaling in its widest sense (recording some aspects of our day to day experiences) supports wellbeing by helping us gain perspective on our lives, notice what’s good and focus on what is meaningful to us. Students will be introduced to both bullet journaling and scrapbook journaling and have the opportunity to experiment with different methods and materials ( which will be provided) to find a way of journaling which works for them

Self Compassion Skills (Part 3)
2026-02-02 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-02-02 14:00 - 16:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom
A Four Part In Person Course. Compassion for ourselves and others can be hard to maintain when faced with hardship and mental health difficulties. In this course, we will explore what compassion means, how compassion supports wellbeing and what can get in the way. We will work on practical skills such as grounding, breathing exercises, and compassionate voice and imagery. Some sessions will also have a therapy dog present. PLEASE NOTE: This is a newly developed course in collaboration with the University of Oxford and has a RESEARCH COMPONENT consisting of questionnaires at the start and end of each session. The research explores whether the course is effective and whether the presence of a THERAPY DOG might impact this. The therapy dog will be randomly allocated to attend either the first three sessions for one group or only the fourth session for the other group. Anyone who signs up to the course will be invited to take part in the research, and you will receive a full information sheet when signing up. You can attend this course EITHER morning or afternoon – please let us know if you have a preference.

Boosting Confidence (Part 1)
2026-02-02 10:30 - 12:00 | Location: Online
Mental ill-health often leads to a loss of confidence, making it difficult for people to get the most out of their lives. We appreciate that developing or regaining confidence is an important part of many people’s recovery, This course will help you recognise your existing skills, and consider some practical ways to move forwards with increased confidence

Nurturing Hope (Part 1)
2026-02-03 10:30 - 12:00 | Location: Online
This is a course for anyone keen to strengthen a sense of hope, whether you feel you are struggling to find hope at the moment, or if you feel like you have a small amount of hope but would like to increase it. We look at how we can define hope and how we can look for it using our five senses. We introduce the concept of making a hope box. In Week 2, we explore how hope is related to reaching achievable goals and we share with each other things which inspire us.

Understanding Trauma (Part 2)
2026-02-03 13:00 - 16:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom

Introduction to ORC
2026-02-03 18:30 - 20:30 | Location: Online
This course is designed for all new students as part of the enrolment process. The course is designed to explain to students how ORC works, and to highlight some of the potential benefits of attending our courses. There is an opportunity to explore what ‘recovery’ means to us as individuals, and to think about what helps recovery. We will also spend some time considering next steps.

Managing Self Doubt (Part 3)
2026-02-04 10:30 - 12:00 | Location: Online

Writing for Self Expression (Part 3)
2026-02-04 14:00 - 15:30 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom

Music, Mood and Wellbeing
2026-02-05 13:00 - 16:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom
A One Part In Person course. Music is around us everywhere we go and impacts how we feel everyday. This course discusses the link between music and emotion, looks at what happens in our body and brain when we listen to music, and explores the link between music and our sense of identity. We will share ideas within the group for using music to promote our wellbeing.

Thinking about Thinking (Part 2)
2026-02-05 18:30 - 20:30 | Location: Online
This course is an introduction to how we as individuals think about thinking, and will help students to explore and understand more about this subject. We will identify some common and potentially unhelpful thinking patterns which may impact our mental health negatively, and with greater understanding explore how we can adapt our thinking to promote our own wellbeing in a self- compassionate way

Let's Talk Loneliness
2026-02-06 10:00 - 13:00 | ORC at Restore Banbury, 28 Calthorpe Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 5EX, United Kingdom
This course is suitable for anyone wishing to understand more about loneliness, and how it can affect us in our day to day lives,particularly in terms of our mental health. We explore how to cope with a sense of loneliness and manage it the way we want to, which could include seeking companionship through local charities.

Understanding Eating Disorders
2026-02-06 10:00 - 13:00 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom
This course aims to increase understanding of eating disorders by exploring what is meant by the term eating disorder, the different types of eating disorder, negative impact, causes and treatments. We offer the opportunity to hear from lived experience and we share ideas within the group for how we can help ourselves and/or support others.

Living with Social Anxiety (Part 1)
2026-02-06 10:30 - 12:00 | Location: Online
Social anxiety is the most common form of anxiety, and can have a substantial impact on our lives. This course explores what social anxiety is (and isn’t), and how it may arise. We explore strategies and tools to help us live better with social anxiety, plus ways to get more support. This is a welcoming course for anyone who sometimes struggles in social situations.

Self Compassion Skills (Part 4)
2026-02-09 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-02-09 14:00 - 16:30 | The Straw Bale, Restore, Manzil Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1YH, United Kingdom

Boosting Confidence (Part 2)
2026-02-09 10:30 - 12:00 | Location: Online

Suicide First Aid - 10th & 12th Feb
2026-02-10 09:30 - 13:00 | Location: Online
Two half-days, online. This accredited training enables you to become a Suicide First Aider, with the ability to recognise the signs that someone may be experiencing suicidal thoughts, provide immediate and compassionate support, and offer guidance towards professional help.

Organiser

Nurturing Hope (Part 2)
2026-02-10 10:30 - 12:00 | Location: Online
