Improving mental health through lived experience
Have you served in the Armed Forces and are struggling with adjusting to life outside of service? Or do you have an acquired disability and need some help?
Peer Advice Services UK are running a one-day course for veterans to provide knowledge and tools that will help improve mental health and tackle Civvy Street.
The course will include peer led discussion and cover subjects such as:
- What is stress and anxiety
- How we respond to stress
- Coping strategies
- Relaxation
Places limited to 12 per course, to ensure every participant gets the most out of the day.
- Date: Wednesday 6th March 2024
- Time: 10:30 am
- Refreshments and lunch provided
- Central London venue fully wheelchair accessible
Course kindly supported by Bolt Burdon Kemp.
Registration for this course is now OPEN
Spend the day in a relaxed environment with fellow veterans and enjoy a free sandwich and a brew!
To apply, please complete all the fields in the form below.
This peer led course is designed and run by Dr Gareth Thomas and Lee Cairns of Peer Advice Services UK. They served in the forces and use their extensive experience to help their fellow veterans.
Dr Gareth Thomas
Clinical Psychologist
Solution-Focused Consultant Psychologist. Gareth is a Doctor of Philosophy and has been recognised for his work by the Spinal Injuries Association by receiving national awards for his research. He has been featured in articles from Blesma: The magazine for limbless veterans, Enable Magazine, Possability Magazine, Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, Wales Online, and Heart radio. More recently Gareth has been an expert advisor for the BBC both on radio and TV 2023. Gareth is a veteran, he was injured during his army service and became paralysed 27 years ago. Gareth has worked with veterans suffering from PTSD and people with disabilities. He developed the very first peer support group for people with spinal cord injury in the UK.
Lee Cairns
CEO
Lee is CEO of Peer Advice Services UK and a Spinal Cord Injury Peer Advisor for the Complex Trauma Team at Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Stanford Hall. Lee served in the Royal Air Force Police and was injured in a road traffic collision on duty in Solution-Focused Consultant Psychologist. Gareth is a Doctor of Philosophy and has been recognised for his work by the Spinal Injuries Association by receiving national awards for his research. He has been featured in articles from Blesma: The magazine for limbless veterans, Enable Magazine, Possability Magazine, Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, Wales Online, and Heart radio. More recently Gareth has been an expert advisor for the BBC both on radio and TV 2023. Gareth is a veteran, he was injured during his army service and became paralysed 27 years ago. Gareth has worked with veterans suffering from PTSD and people with disabilities. He developed the very first peer support group for people with spinal cord injury in the UK. 2005. He sustained a spinal cord injury which left him paralysed from the waist down. He uses his vast experience of living with a spinal cord injury along with extensive knowledge of the Forces, NHS care pathways, and charitable support mechanisms to provide peer support to newly injured patients as well as those who suffered their injuries longer ago where they require help.