Compassionate Mental Health - Light the Lamps

Join us for an experiential learning retreat, designed to help you experience new ways of thinking and being together.

Inspired by intentional and therapeutic communities, our aim is the bridge the gap between the rhetoric of mental health policy and practice on the ground. 

We will explore a range of questions such as: 

- How can we see mental health as community and cultural practice rather than in individual one?

- What are the ingredients of safe, compassionate care? And what are the barriers to implementing it? 

- What is relational practice, and why is it so important? 

- How can we bring reflective practice and dialogical leadership into mental health services, in order to boost the wellbeing of staff

- How can we imagine environments that helped people feel safe, and what helps down-escalate distress without resorting to restraint, seclusion and sedation. 

- What might new alternatives to secondary mental health services look like? 

As with all Compassionate Mental Health events, we are calling for a more compassionate, trauma informed approach to mental distress. Ultimately we hope to work with others to inspire alternatives, with safe, healing mental health services that people want to use when they are in crisis. 

A key message of all Compassionate Mental Health events is choice not coercion - compassion not control, and the understanding that a mental health crisis can become a meaningful turning point and catalyst for change. Along with many other critical voices - we are calling for a radical shift in the way we understand mental health, changing the script, challenging stigma and raising expectations.

Speakers and facilitators include:

Anando Chatterji - Group psychotherapist working within a psychodynamic and group analytic framework. He believes in distress over diagnosis and co-created and co-produced therapeutic environment

Rex Haigh - Consultant psychiatrist and medical psychotherapist. Founded Royal College of Psychiatrists Community of Communities and Enabling Environments. Rex has worked throughout his career to promote therapeutic communities and relationship centred practice 

Charmaine Harris - peer support specialist working in the NHS in London, and is also on the core training team of the Peer Supported Open Dialogue (POD) Training 

Andrea Zwicknagl -  Andrea is an experienced peer support worker who works using principles of Open Dialogue and is part of the Swiss Hearing Voices Network. She is part of a global network of people advocating for human rights, healing focused mental health services

Cathy Thorley - Cathy is a Systemic Family Psychotherapist, EMDR consultant and lead for Open Dialogue at the North East London NHS Foundation Trust – one of the research trial sites comparing Peer Supported Open Dialogue (POD) with treatment as usual. 

Who is it for? 

The event is for anyone curious about compassionate approaches, including people and families with personal experience, front-line staff, commissioners, managers, clinicians, GPs, policymakers and Third Sector staff. Together we'll explore new ways of thinking and being together, with the aim of coming away with a clearer understanding of how to build therapeutic community and reflective practice 

About Coed Hills 

 Coed Hills in a wedding and retreats venue set in an off grid farming community. It is run by a community of residents who work the land using ancestral methods and manage the 180 acres of unspoilt ancient Woodland, man-made lakes and meadows. With elevated views reaching as far as the Jurassic coastline of Wales, yet just a stones throw from the Welsh Capital, Cardiff, Coed is a hidden Utopia from modern life.

Coed has been the leading centre for low impact living in Wales since it was established in 1997. It has hosted many international events including Art show's and the UK Permaculture Convergence. It has been internationally identified as a place for those who want to embrace an off grid way of living in harmony with nature in a sustainable environment or to explore and evolve their connection with themselves in tranquil and peaceful surroundings.

Register Today

Register today and join us for this unique event. 

Our programme will be a mix of experiential sessions, talks and a chance to exchange ideas, share stories and make new contacts. 

See the programme  for an idea of what to expect if you haven't joined us before 

Book Now...

We hope to have some limited bursary places for people with personal experience or family and friend supporters on a low income who otherwise would not be able to attend. Please email ask@compassionatementalhealth.co.uk with the subject line BURSARY for more details and please say a little bit about yourself and why you would like to attend.

And please request staged payments if that would also make it easier to attend 


We have always had concession places at our events, kindly supported by sponsors. If the bursary price is still unaffordable, do still get in touch and we can see if we can match you with a local funder in your area. 

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What do people say?

“Exceptional. The fact people had travelled from far and wide shows the high regard the event was held in, and also the pressing need to change and the delivery of compassionate mental health services.”

“Above all people were able to release shame , guilt and silence around their stories and to find like minded community.”

“Such a blessing. An oasis. I felt privileged to be a part of it. Beautifully organised, to the last detail. The professional delivery of the event was outstanding and the supporting literature of excellent quality.”

"You have created a unique and invaluable contribution to the future of mental health. My daughter took her own life two years ago. I believe if either she or I had had access to the material and the diverse community you have put together, there could have been a very different outcome.”

Cancellation refund policy:

Registrations cancelled less than 30 days before the event will not be eligible for a refund. 

Compassionate Mental Heath reserves the right to cancel the event due to events outside its control (e.g. illness of a speakers). Every effort will be made to give participants as much notice as possible, although this may not always be possible in some circumstances.

Photography and filming policy:

There will be discreet photography and filming taking place during the event (but not during workshops) which we will use for public information and publicity purposes. Please let us know on the registration form if you do not consent to be filmed or photographed.