January often invites reflection. A pause to look back at what we’ve learned, and a moment to ask ourselves what really matters as we step forward.
At Cup-O-T: Wellness and Therapy Services, learning has always sat at the heart of what we do, not just learning for knowledge’s sake, but learning that creates meaningful change for young people, families and communities. Delivering training is one of the key ways we live our mission and values, and it’s something we’re deeply passionate about.
Our Vision, Mission and Why
Our vision is simple but ambitious:
Cup-O-T provides accessible, creative, evidence-based mental health support and training to empower communities, young people and families.
Our mission is how we bring this to life every day:
To collaboratively create moments to reflect and be curious, strengthening communities and clients to take the next steps to achieve their potential.
And our why sits underneath everything we do:
We believe that everyone should have early and easy access to the support they need to live with purpose and meaning.
Training allows us to extend that belief far beyond our own direct work. By supporting professionals, volunteers and organisations to feel more confident, curious and informed, we create ripples of impact, reaching young people and families in classrooms, youth groups, outdoor spaces, therapy rooms and communities across the UK.
Living our values through training
Our values don’t just sit on a page, they shape how we design and deliver learning.
We are transparent.
Our training is grounded in real practice, lived experience and evidence. We talk honestly about what works, what’s challenging, and what we’re still learning. We collaboratively write, review and refresh our training with our community – taking forward feedback for improvement.
We explore.
Curiosity is encouraged. We ask and receive questions, reflect together, and make space for uncertainty, because growth often happens there.
We are sustainable.
We focus on approaches that are realistic, ethical and supportive of practitioner wellbeing, not quick fixes that lead to burnout. By sharing training we are making sure that more professionals can support young people,creating sustainable impact and change.
We build connections.
Learning happens best in relationships. Our sessions prioritise discussion, shared reflection and peer learning.The learning collective is a place to share and learn beyond a fixed course timetable. It’s continued learning and development, not stagnant one time access that you wish you could remember in 3 years time!
We’re a bit different.
You’ll often find creativity, nature, practical tools and gentle humour woven into our training. Because learning doesn’t have to be dry to be rigorous, and our trainers are real humans with quirks, flaws, passion and lived experience which they share proudly.
And ultimately, we want change.
Change in systems, in confidence, in how mental health support is understood and delivered, especially for young people and communities.
Why training matters
Young people don’t experience their lives in neat professional silos, and neither should the adults supporting them.
Educators, youth workers, therapists, outdoor practitioners, volunteers, parents and carers all play a role in a young person’s wellbeing. Training helps create a shared language, deeper understanding and safer, more compassionate practice across those roles.
By developing other professionals to work effectively alongside young people, we:
- Increase early support and prevention
- Reduce reliance on crisis-led interventions
- Strengthen confidence and competence in the workforce
- Create environments where young people feel understood and supported
Training is one of the most powerful tools we have for long-term, systemic impact.
Our current training (and what’s coming)
Our current training offer reflects the needs we’re seeing across education, health, youth and community settings. This includes sessions focused on mental health, emotional wellbeing, trauma-informed practice, interoception, outdoor and creative approaches, and working safely and ethically with young people.
You can explore our current training options here:
👉 https://cup-o-t.co.uk/training/
Alongside this, we’re developing new learning opportunities for 2026–27, including deeper-dive e-learning, blended learning options, webinars, in person learning, and more spaces for reflective practice and shared learning.
Most of all we are always learning from you. We want to know what you’re encountering, what feels tricky, what you’re passionate about. By listening to you we’re able to ensure our training meets the needs of the learners and the communities they are supporting.
The Cup-O-T: Learning Collective
We know that one-off training sessions are rarely enough on their own. Real learning is ongoing, relational and shaped by context.
That’s why we’re growing The Cup-O-T: Learning Collective. It’s a space rooted in peer connection, shared curiosity and collective reflection.
By learning together and building peer networks of professionals, we:
- Reduce isolation in challenging roles
- Share practice wisdom across sectors
- Support confidence and ethical decision-making
- Create communities of learning that last beyond a single session
When professionals feel supported, young people and communities benefit.
Let’s talk about your development aspirations
As we move through the year, we’d love to keep this conversation open.
What do you want to understand more about?
What feels challenging in your current role?
What knowledge or skills would make the biggest difference to the people you support?
Whether you’re looking for training for a whole organisation, a small team, or simply want to explore what’s possible, we’d love to hear from you.
Because meaningful learning doesn’t start with a syllabus, it starts with listening. We love a conversation over a cuppa so get in touch!
