STEPS4Wellbeing Skills Group

STEPS4Wellbeing Skills Group (school years 3 - 6) uses a CBT informed approach for parents/carers of young people who are experiencing:

  • Feeling anxious a lot of the time
  • Low mood which is more frequent
  • Recurring negative thinking patterns
  • A low level of anxiety and/or low mood that is preventing them from trying new things or activities they previously enjoyed  

The aims of the parent/carer programme are:

  • To build on their young people’s skills in identifying and managing their anxiety and low mood in situations they find difficult.
  • To teach them more effective strategies and techniques to help them examine the evidence and break to the cycle of their unhelpful thinking patterns
  • To help them develop their problem-solving skills and increase their independence
  • To work towards a goal to track their progress and help motivate them towards change

Topics covered within the sessions:

  • What is anxiety
  • Thinking about thoughts, feelings and behaviours and the impact they may have on anxiety and /or low mood
  • Learning to use helpful strategies to challenge those negative thinking patterns
  • Mindfulness
  • Self-care and Relaxations
  • Setting Goals

The STEPS4Wellbeing programme 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 STEPS4Wellbeing programme this includes completing the Try it out activities provided and practising the skills and strategies from the STEPS4Wellbeing 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 that can increase anxiety, which will in turn promote a more helpful way of behaving.