Calming Minds project

We’re proud to have recently partnered with the University of Exeter on the Calming Minds Project – an exciting initiative exploring how we experience and manage worrying, overthinking, and ruminating.

Through a series of local focus groups, we created a space for open conversation around what helps (and what doesn’t) when it comes to managing intrusive thoughts. These discussions were made possible thanks to generous funding from Wellcome and the Torbay, Plymouth and Devon VCSE Assembly.

As part of the project, we teamed up with filmmaker Tom to capture one of these community sessions on film. The video, created for the Devon Research Engagement Network, showcases how academic research and community organisations can come together to create meaningful, inclusive conversations.

The Calming Minds Project has helped researchers to better understand the real-world impact of different elements of CBT and therapy, guided by the voices of those with lived experience. By working with trusted community groups like ours, the University of Exeter was able to engage more deeply and inclusively with participants – gathering a broader range of insights than would otherwise have been possible.

🎥 Watch the video below to see the project in action and hear from the people who took part.