Join us on a free online workshop series for people living with HIV. Each 90-minute session focuses on a different topic related to emotional wellbeing, health understanding, and empowerment. Sessions are educational and peer-led by people with lived experience.
No 4-week commitment required, sign up for as many of the workshops you desire.
Week 1 (Jan 15th): Understanding Anxiety and the Body: A Calming Skills Workshop for People Living with HIV
Living with HIV can bring moments of stress, worry, or emotional overwhelm. This free online workshop offers a calm, supportive space to learn why anxiety shows up in the body and how you can build simple skills to feel more grounded and steady.
This is an educational skills session, not therapy. Cameras are optional and you are welcome exactly as you are.
In this 90-minute workshop we will explore:
- How anxiety affects thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations
- What happens in the nervous system during stress
- The “window of tolerance” and how to recognise when you’re outside it
- A guided somatic calming technique (breathwork or grounding)
- A simple CBT-informed reframing exercise to help soften anxious thinking
You won’t be asked to share anything personal unless you want to. There will be gentle guided exercises, optional chat reflections, and space to connect with others if you choose.
Week 2 (Jan 22nd): Understanding HIV: How It Affects Your Body and Immune System
This session offers clear, accessible information about how HIV works in the body and how treatment supports long-term health. It’s suitable whether you’re newly diagnosed or have been living with HIV for many years.
In this 90-minute workshop we will explore:
- What HIV is and how it affects the immune system
- How HIV impacts the body over time if untreated
- The role of CD4 cells and viral load in staying healthy
- How HIV treatment works and why adherence is important
- Common myths and misconceptions about HIV
- How living with HIV today differs from the past
This session is designed to be informative, accessible, and supportive. You won’t be asked to share anything personal unless you choose to. There will be clear explanations, opportunities to ask questions, and optional discussion points to help build understanding and confidence in managing HIV-related health.
Week 3 (Jan 29th): Shame, Stigma and Strength: A Psychology-Informed Session for People Living with HIV
Shame and stigma can affect many people living with HIV, often in ways that are quiet, hidden, and deeply felt. This free online session offers a compassionate space to understand where these feelings come from and learn simple practices that help you respond with more kindness and strength.
The session brings together ideas from counselling, acceptance-based approaches, and compassion-focused psychology, shared in clear everyday language. It is educational and supportive rather than therapy.
In this 90-minute session we will explore:
- How shame affects the mind and the nervous system
- What internalised stigma is and how it takes hold
- A guided compassion-based exercise (camera optional)
- Acceptance-based tools to help you respond to difficult feelings
- How to reconnect with your values and strengths
You are free to take part in whatever way feels comfortable, including staying on mute, keeping your camera off, or using the chat only. No one will be asked to share personal history.
Week 4 (Feb 5th): Treatment as prevention (understanding U=U)
This session focuses on Treatment as Prevention and the meaning of U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable). It offers clear explanations and evidence-based information to support confidence, wellbeing, and informed decision-making.
In this 90-minute session we will explore:
- What Treatment as Prevention means and how it work
- What U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable) really means in everyday life
- How HIV treatment reduces viral load and protects health
- The science and evidence behind U=U
- Common fears, myths, and misunderstandings about transmission
- How U=U can support confidence, relationships, and wellbeing
This session will be informative, reassuring, and non-judgemental. You won’t be asked to share anything personal unless you want to. There will be clear explanations, space for questions, and optional discussion points to support understanding and empowerment around U=U.