BERG Skills Group
BERG Skills Group (school years 3-6) delivered to parent/carers uses a DBT informed approach for young people who are experiencing:
- Intense emotions
- Find their mood hard to control and find that it changes quickly
- Use low level infrequent and superficial self-harm to cope with their intense emotions
The aims of the parent/carer programme are:
- To provide tools to help build on their young people’s skills in identifying and managing difficult emotions and situations.
- Teach more effective ways to help their young people to take control of their intense emotions.
- Teach their young people how to change the way they respond to ongoing demands and day to day experiences in a way that is appropriate and promotes a positive outcome to the situation.
The skills and strategies learned throughout the programme will need to be led and modelled by the parent/carers, as the skills take time and practise to master. Sometimes, when we have intense emotions, we need to be reminded that, “We are not our emotions and that we can cope.”
Topics covered within the sessions:
- Mindfulness
- Distress tolerance
- Emotional regulation
- Interpersonal Effectiveness
- Self-care and Relaxations
The BERG programme is delivered online weekly, they include:
1x 30 minute introductory session
6x 60 minute weekly sessions
1x 30 minute follow up session 8-12 weeks after the programme
The programme includes a useful information booklet and each week there will be Try it out at home activities sent via email to complete and return to Reach4Wellbeing.
Parents/carers will need to be able to commit fully to the programme is includes completing the Try it out activities provided and practising the skills and strategies from the BERG programme to achieve the best outcomes
The DBT informed approach supports the young people to understand that although their emotions and behaviours are valid, they are not working well and the importance of having strategies to address the problematic behaviours and emotions (APT 2021).