Worry-Less is an 8-week program designed to help youth better understand, express, and cope with their feelings of worry and anxiety. This program offers a safe environment for youth to learn and practice coping skills, drawing from Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), in addition to other therapeutic modalities. Meeting amongst peers who have similar experiences of worry and anxiety, creates a sense of unity and normalcy for all group members. Worry-Less offers 3 parent/guardian support sessions throughout the course of the group, which will offer parents/guardians an environment to learn how to better understand and support their child in coping with their feelings of worry and anxiety.
The goal of this group is to empower youth, with the help of their peers, facilitators, and families, to feel better equipped to face their worries, and ultimately to feel less worried.
*This program is covered under Psychological Services, check with your extended health care benefit provider.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based approach that effectively manages and reduces anxiety. CBT is a cognitive model, which assists individuals in understanding the connection between one’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours. The CBT model focuses on how one’s perception of a situation can influence how they feel emotionally and how they act. For example, youth who are meeting someone new may think, “everyone is judging me, what if I say something wrong,” and in turn feel anxious, and avoid speaking to the new person. Another youth may think, “this could be fun, maybe I’ll make a new friend,” and in turn feel more confident, and introduce himself or herself to the new person.
Overall, CBT does not aim to completely eliminate anxiety, but rather helps individuals better cope with their feelings of worry and anxiety, to increase their engagement in the activities and experiences that they want and need to participate in.
Worry-Less is an 8-week group counselling program for youth. Each session is 90 minutes in length.
Worry-Less will be presented through various learning mediums (i.e., visual and written descriptions, handouts, videos, PowerPoint presentations) by multi-disciplinary staff (i.e., social worker, psychotherapist, instructor therapist, etc.). Opportunities to practice the skills within the group will occur through group discussions, activities, games and role-plays. The final session of the program will conclude with a review of all topics discussed and a certificate of completion.
Each session will include a brief parent/guardian discussion component, during which a group facilitator will meet with parents/guardians to discuss topics covered during the sessions, provide take-home strategies, and additional resources.
Worry-Less includes 3 parent/guardian support sessions, which will take place on weeks 1, 4, and 8, at the same time that youth meet for their group.