What Is the Mindfulness Now Programme?
A Simple Guide to Training, Benefits and Origins
The Mindfulness Now 8 Week Programme
If you’ve been exploring ways to deepen your mindfulness practice, support your clients, or improve your own emotional resilience, the Mindfulness Now Programme is a powerful, evidence-based and trauma-informed approach to consider.
Created in the UK by Nick Cooke, the programme blends the best of modern psychological mindfulness models with flexibility and real-world application. Whether you’re a therapist, educator, coach or simply someone looking for a structured path into mindfulness, this guide explains everything you need to know.
What Is the Mindfulness Now Programme?
The Mindfulness Now Programme offers a psycho-educational fusion of two leading, evidence-based approaches:
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Developed by Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre in 1979, MBSR integrates mindfulness meditation with clinical psychology to treat stress, chronic pain, and anxiety. Read more about MBSRMindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
Developed by Professor Mark Williams and colleagues at the University of Oxford, MBCT combines mindfulness with cognitive behavioural strategies. It’s now recommended by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for preventing depressive relapse. View MBCT guidelines
Mindfulness Now brings these together into a flexible, trauma-informed programme that can be delivered in various formats—from structured 8-week groups to 1:1 sessions and informal drop-in groups. It’s used in therapy, coaching, schools, healthcare, and corporate wellbeing.
Who Is Nick Cooke?
The creator of the Mindfulness Now Programme, Nick Cooke, is a therapist and founder of the UK College of Mindfulness Meditation. Nick developed the programme after using mindfulness himself to aid in his recovery from two life-threatening illnesses. His personal and professional experiences inspired a programme that was accessible, trauma-aware, and adaptable.
“I already had considerable experience of mindfulness, but the transformative effect it had on my own healing journey made me passionate about teaching it to others.”
— Nick Cooke
A qualified teacher (University of Worcester) and solution focused therapist with over 40 years of experience of mindfulness meditation, Nick has learned from, and been positively influenced by, Buddhist traditions and from some of the western world’s foremost mindfulness teachers, including Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn, Professor Mark Williams PhD, John Teasdale and Dr Zindel Segal PhD. Nick has a passionate belief in making mindfulness as accessible / widely available as possible, in order to meet an ever increasing demand, while still maintaining high academic and ethical standards.
Nick has also co-developed the Compassion Focused Wellbeing Programme, further expanding his commitment to mental and emotional wellness through mindfulness and self-compassion.
Backed by Research, Built for Flexibility
Unlike many one-size-fits-all approaches, Mindfulness Now is:
- Trauma-sensitive
- Backed by decades of research in mindfulness and neuroscience
- Flexible — suitable for 4, 6 or 8-week formats
- Effective in both 1:1 and group settings
- Accredited by bodies including the British Psychological Society (BPS), Mindfulness Teachers Association UK (MTA), and NRPC The National register for Psychotherapists and Counsellors
It’s widely used to support people with:
Anxiety and depression
Chronic stress
Emotional and physical pain
Trauma symptoms
Burnout and overwhelm
Emotional regulation and resilience building
A Trauma-Informed Mindfulness Approach
Mindfulness Now leads the way in delivering mindfulness in a trauma-sensitive way. This includes careful consideration of:
The risks of “backdraft” (emotional pain that arises during self-awareness)
Grounding, safety, and pacing in sessions
Cultural and neurodivergent inclusivity
Integration with other therapeutic or medical frameworks
The programme also reflects emerging science in neuroplasticity—how the brain can rewire itself in response to regular mindful awareness practices.
“The brain has the capacity to change itself through experience—mindfulness helps shape that change in positive directions.”
— Dr. Rick Hanson, neuropsychologist
Mindfulness Now FAQs
Q: What makes Mindfulness Now different from other mindfulness courses?
A: It blends two powerful models—MBSR and MBCT—and offers greater flexibility for delivery in therapeutic, educational, or community settings.
Q: Who can benefit from the programme?
A: Adults, children, teens—anyone struggling with stress, trauma, anxiety or pain. It’s also suitable for neurodivergent individuals.
Q: Can I train to teach Mindfulness Now?
A: Yes. Teacher training is available via the UK College of Mindfulness Meditation, and includes full accreditation.
Q: How is it delivered?
A: It can be delivered in 8-week, 6-week or even informal formats—1:1, in groups, or drop-in style.
Q: Is the training accredited?
A: Yes, by respected bodies such as the BPS, NCH, MTA, and NRPC.
Ready to Start or Teach Mindfulness?
Whether you’re seeking emotional balance, wanting to deepen your personal practice, or ready to train as a professional mindfulness teacher, the Mindfulness Now Programme offers a clear, compassionate and flexible path forward.
👉 Learn more and get started here: https://mindfulnessnow.org.uk