Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Course
The world’s leading 2-day Mental Health First Aid course, accredited by MHFA England, training MHFAiders® to spot the signs of poor mental health, start a supportive conversation, and signpost people to the right help.
Become a certified Mental Health First Aider®
This course is ideal for anyone who’d like to gain the knowledge and skills to spot the signs of someone experiencing poor mental health, be confident to start a conversation, and signpost them to appropriate support. Investing in the MHFA® course doesn’t just benefit you.
You’re helping to create a healthier, more supportive environment where everyone can thrive. Better understanding of mental health and less stigma ripples out into communities, with the potential to improve and save lives.
What Is Mental Health First Aid?
This Mental Health First Aid course is about learning how to offer first-level support to someone who may be experiencing poor mental health or emotional distress. Just as physical first aid gives people the confidence to respond when someone needs immediate physical support, Mental Health First Aid helps learners feel more prepared to respond when someone may need mental health support.
This doesn’t make learners counsellors or clinicians, it gives you a clear, practical framework for noticing concerns, listening without judgement, offering reassurance and helping someone access appropriate professional or other support.
Who Is This Course For?
This course is suitable for anyone who wants to become a certified Mental Health First Aider. It’s a helpful option for workplaces and organisations that want to strengthen everyday mental health support, including:
The course is suitable for workplaces of every kind, including corporate organisations, clinical environments, care settings and voluntary sector health providers.
What Will Learners Gain From The Course?
By the end of the Mental Health First Aid course, learners will have developed practical skills and knowledge to support others with more confidence and care. Learners will explore how to:
- Recognise signs of poor mental health and provide first-level support and early intervention
- Help someone identify and access professional and other sources of support
- Practise active listening and empathy
- Talk about mental health with improved literacy around language and stigma
Understand the MHFAider® role in depth, including boundaries and confidentiality - Practise self-care
- Use the MHFAider Support App®
- Access Shout’s text support service and ongoing learning through MHFA England
- To understand the MHFAider role
These learning outcomes are designed to support practical, compassionate conversations while helping learners understand the limits of the MHFAider® role.
The Mental Health First Aid course is delivered over two days.
It can be delivered face-to-face or online. The course is delivered across four flexible 4-hour sessions that build on each other. It includes instructor-led training, group discussion and individual and group activities. This format gives learners time to reflect, practise and build confidence throughout the course.
What Does The Course Cover?
The Mental Health First Aid course is structured across four sessions.
Session 1
Learners are introduced to Mental Health First Aid and the MHFAider® role. The session also explores self-care, the ALGEE action plan, helpful and unhelpful language, the Frame of Reference and the Stress Container.
Session 2
This session looks at what influences mental health, anxiety, crisis first aid, active listening and empathy. Learners also explore eating disorders, self-harm, substance misuse and conversation practice.
Session 3
Learners continue applying the Mental Health First Aid action plan, with a focus on depression, suicide, crisis first aid, psychosis and further conversation practice.
Session 4
The final session explores recovery and lived experience, applying ALGEE, boundaries in the MHFAider® role, moving forward in the role, conversation practice, next steps and action planning.
What Will Learners Receive?
After completing the course, learners receive a range of resources to support their ongoing confidence and development. Course takeaways include:
These takeaways support learners beyond the course itself, helping them continue developing their knowledge and confidence as Mental Health First Aiders.
Why Choose Changing Minds Training?
Changing Minds Training delivers accredited mental health, suicide prevention and wellbeing training built around compassion, lived experience and practical skills. Based in Redhill, Surrey and delivering training nationwide, we create supportive learning environments where people can ask questions, reflect honestly and build confidence at a pace that feels safe.
Our approach is:
- Warm and human
- Practical and confidence-building
- Sensitive around mental health and suicide prevention
- Inclusive and accessible
- Focused on real workplace conversations
- Clear about boundaries, signposting and appropriate support
We understand that mental health training can feel personal. That is why every session is delivered with care, professionalism and respect.
Public & Private Course Delivery
Public Courses
Public courses are suitable for individuals and small groups who would like to join an open course. These may be delivered online or at a public venue.
Private Courses
Private courses are delivered for one organisation at your premises, a chosen venue or online. This can be a helpful option if you want to train a group of staff together and build a shared approach to mental health support across your workplace.
The Mental Health First Aid course is available for groups of up to 16 learners.
Course Fees
For current availability, public course dates or private delivery options, book here:
Individual Rate
group Rate
Is this the right course for your team?
Mental health first aid training works best when it’s part of a wider commitment to workplace wellbeing, not just a box to tick. If you want qualified people in your organisation who can recognise the signs of poor mental health, have confident conversations and connect colleagues to the right support, this is the course to start with. If you’d like to talk through whether this is the right level for your team, we’re here to help you compare options.
Enquire about Mental Health First Aid training
Ready to bring mental health first aid training to your organisation, or looking to book as an individual? Get in touch to ask about public course dates, private delivery or tailored options for your workplace.
- Call Us Directly01737 632279
- Send an Emailenquiries@changingmindstraining.com
- Business Hours
Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM