Little Explorers Skills Group
Little Explorers Skills Group (school years Reception (aged 5 years) - year 2) using a CBT informed approach for parents/carers of young people who are experiencing:
- Lots of worries
- Recurring unhelpful thinking patterns
- Behaviours linked to their worries
The aims of the parent/carer programme are:
- To help their children to understand the individual triggers and symptoms of their child's worries
- To have a better understanding of how to break the cycle of their child’s unhelpful thinking patterns
- To provide a range of strategies and techniques to help them in situations their child finds difficult
- To help develop their children’s problem-solving skills and increase their independence
- To develop knowledge of goal setting to track their child’s progress and help motivate them towards change
Topics covered in the sessions:
- What is anxiety (and how to manage it?)
- Thinking about thoughts, feelings and behaviours
- Mindfulness, Relaxations, and self-care
- Distractions
- Problem-solving and increasing independence
- Goal setting
The Little Explorers programme is delivered online weekly, and includes:
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 Little Explorers programme this includes completing the Try it out activities provided and practising the skills and strategies from the Little Explorers programme to achieve the best outcomes.
The goal of CBT is not to ‘think happy thoughts’ but is instead to think more accurately and realistically, this new way of thinking helps to break the cycle of unhelpful thinking patterns that can increase anxiety, which will in turn promote a more helpful way of managing their worries.