L · Relationships
Linkedness
Connection with God, with others, and with your own inner life.
Linkedness is the felt sense of belonging. We practise attentive worship, honest relationship and repair of what has been strained.
The flourishing programme of LOVE AND BLISS12 weeks · Practice · ReflectionA 12-week psycho-spiritual flourishing programme of LOVE AND BLISS.
Cultivating Bliss · Now recruiting
Join the Bliss Enhancement Programme pilot
Based on science. Rooted in faith. Informed by adversity.
Twelve weeks of guided practice in Relationships, Abundance, Purpose and Resilience — delivered online, and evaluated as a pilot research study by The LAB Institute.
Around 100 adults will take part. Participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time.
Introducing the programme
A short film about what the twelve weeks involve and who the programme is for.
The L.O.V.E. model
Four dimensions of flourishing
Every week of BEP strengthens one of these four. Together they form the canopy on the BEP seal.
O · Abundance
Opulence
An inner abundance that does not depend on circumstance.
Opulence is gratitude matured into generosity. We notice what is already given, and we give from it rather than from surplus.
V · Purpose
Valory
Courage to act in line with your values.
Valory is love with a spine: speaking truthfully, keeping commitments, and taking the small brave step you have been postponing.
E · Resilience
Equanimity
Steadiness of heart under pressure.
Equanimity is the capacity to stay present with difficulty without being ruled by it. We train it through stillness, breath and surrender.
What the experience includes
Weekly facilitated online sessions
A 90-minute group gathering each week, led by a trained facilitator.
Teaching you can use
Short psychoeducation on flourishing, drawn from psychology and spiritual practice.
Group discussion
Space to talk honestly with others travelling the same twelve weeks.
Guided reflection
Gentle prompts that help you notice what is shifting.
Experiential exercises
Practices done in the session, not just talked about.
Digital workbook activities
Your own private workbook, week by week.
SMART goals
One clear, achievable intention each week.
Daily Bliss practices
Ten to twenty minutes a day — small, repeatable, yours.
Daily Worship practices
A five-stage worship process, within your own tradition.
Gratitude practices
Specific rather than general noticing of what is given.
Personal action planning
A flourishing plan you keep after the programme ends.
Is BEP right for you?
BEP may be a good fit if these describe you.
- You are aged 18 or over
- You can take part online
- You can commit to the 12-week programme
- You have access to a suitable internet-enabled device
- You are willing to complete the study assessments
- You are interested in exploring human flourishing
BEP is not therapy and does not replace care from your GP or clinician. If you are currently in an acute mental health crisis, we will point you towards more appropriate support rather than this programme.
Check your eligibility
Five short questions. About two minutes. Nothing is recorded until you choose to register your interest.
This is an initial eligibility check only. Formal study screening happens later, after you have read the participant information sheet and given consent.
Your journey, step by step
Approximately sixteen weeks in total: twelve weeks of programme, then independent practice and a follow-up.
Check eligibility
Five questions, about two minutes.
Register your interest
Your name and a contact email — nothing more.
Participant information & consent
Read the approved information sheet, then give informed consent.
Baseline assessment
T0Your T0 questionnaires, 15–25 minutes.
12-week BEP programme
Weeks 1–12Weekly sessions, daily practice, workbook and goals.
Post-programme assessment
T2Your T2 questionnaires at week 13.
Independent practice
Weeks 13–15Three weeks keeping the rhythm on your own.
Follow-up assessment
T3Your T3 questionnaires at week 16.
Approved participant information
What you should know before taking part
Purpose of the study
The Bliss Enhancement Programme (BEP) is a 12-week psycho-spiritual programme designed to strengthen love, wellbeing and inner steadiness within a faith framework.
This pilot study tests whether the programme is acceptable, deliverable and promising enough to justify a larger trial. Around 100 people will take part.
What taking part involves
Attending 12 weekly group sessions of about 90 minutes each.
A short daily practice (10–20 minutes) recorded in your practice log.
Completing your digital workbook and a weekly SMART goal.
Four questionnaire batteries: at the start (T0), week 6 (T1), week 13 (T2) and week 16 (T3). Each takes 15–25 minutes.
Possible benefits and risks
Participants may experience improved wellbeing, greater life satisfaction and lower perceived stress, though this cannot be guaranteed.
Reflective and spiritual work can surface uncomfortable feelings. Facilitators are trained to respond, and the study has a clinical lead. If you become distressed, we will signpost appropriate support.
The programme is not treatment for a mental health condition and does not replace care from your GP or clinician.
Confidentiality
Your research data is stored under a participant code, not your name. Only the principal investigator can link the two.
Facilitators can see attendance and anything you choose to share, never your questionnaire scores.
Confidentiality would only be broken if there were a risk of serious harm to you or another person.
Your right to withdraw
Participation is entirely voluntary. You may stop at any time, without giving a reason, and without any effect on your care or standing in your community.
Data already collected is normally kept so the analysis stays valid, but you can ask for it to be erased.
Data protection
The research team is the data controller and processes your data on the legal basis of a task carried out in the public interest.
Identifiable contact details are held separately from research data and destroyed after the study closes. Coded research data is retained for 10 years.
You have the right to access, correct, restrict or request erasure of your data. Requests are handled within one month.
Contact
Chief investigator: Dr Noel Maturlu — for questions about the programme or your participation.
Clinical lead — for concerns about wellbeing or safeguarding.
If you wish to raise a complaint independently, contact the research ethics committee named on your signed consent copy.
If you need support now
- Your GP — First point of contact for mental health support.
- NHS 111 — Urgent but non-emergency health advice, 24 hours.
- Samaritans — 116 123 — Free, confidential, any time of day or night.
- Emergency — 999 — If you or someone else is in immediate danger.
Frequently asked questions
Invite someone to explore BEP
Someone you know may be looking for this
Share the recruitment page. The link contains no personal information.