Please note the group offer may differ between different locations.

Why choose a course or group?

You can meet other people who may be experiencing something similar. Often we can isolate ourselves or pretend we are fine around others (this can be exhausting). Attending a group treatment gives you the opportunity to be around others who know what stress, depression and anxiety is like and can make you feel less alone as well as help boost your confidence.

Usually due to the nature of the courses we can go through more information and coping skills than in regular one-to-one sessions, so you can learn even more ways to help yourself.

Some of us might not feel ready to open up too much about what’s going on, or maybe we just don’t know how to explain it. Being able to attend a course will mean that the pressure is not on you to talk about your problems in depth. If you attend an interactive course, you will be encouraged to participate in the discussions to get the most out of it, but you won’t be asked to explore your problems in detail or share anything personal that you do not wish to.

Like in all our treatment sessions, we ask you to complete a questionnaire to see how things are affecting you. At the end of the courses we can see that many people who attend are scoring themselves lower and not experiencing as many symptoms as they were prior to attending.

What to expect from your online workshop

Who will be there?

  • There will usually be two facilitators running the course
    • Please feel free to ask any questions during the course
    • If you need to speak to facilitators afterwards, they will advise you on how to reach them
  • There may also be a third facilitator in the background to ensure the smooth running on the course and be on hand if needed
  • The course size may vary but would usually be a minimum of 10 people

Attending sessions

  • After your telephone assessment you will have been sent a letter with the dates and times of your course
  • There will be comfort breaks during each session
  • As each session will cover different topics, it is important to attend every session to get the most out of your course
    • If you know you will miss a session, please let the course facilitators know as soon as possible
    • If you miss more than two sessions, and you do not get in touch with the service, we will assume you no longer wish for support and your referral will be closed
  • If you no longer feel the workshop chosen is right for you, please get in touch with get in touch with your local team to discuss alternative treatment

Questionnaires

  • Before every session you will be sent an online questionnaire to complete
  • These questionnaires help us understand how your difficulties may be affecting you day to day and how treatment can target these areas
  • If you do not complete a questionnaire in advance, a facilitator will contact you to remind you to do this after the course

Resources

  • Resources from the course will be emailed to you separately by your course facilitator
  • Depending on the type of course you are attending, these may be sent out all at once or week by week before each session

Managing my own safety

  • It is important that you are able to manage your own safety during the course
    • If you feel your thoughts of harm or suicide are increasing, please speak to a course facilitator as soon as possible
  • If you are in need of urgent support, visit our urgent help page
  • Please ensure your contact details are up to date
    • We may need to contact you during the course if we are concerned about your safety or need to reach you to discuss treatment
  • If you find the session too distressing and you wish to leave we understand this
    • We will follow this up with a phone call check in with you after the course session

Technical information

  • Please ensure you have a private confidential space to attend the course
    • It is important that you and the other workshop members feel safe to speak and will not be overheard by people in your home that are not in the group
    • Please wear headphones if you are in a shared space/house
    • Please ensure you will not be disturbed during the course
    • Please ensure you will have stable internet access during the course
    • Wherever possible, please use a full monitor – i.e. desktop computer/tablet/laptop. If a smart phone is the only available option, please ensure it is fixed on a stable base so it is not moving around
  • It is important to participate as much as possible during the course as this involvement will help you work through the treatment offered
    • We would encourage you to turn your video cameras on during the course so that facilitators and other group members can interact with you
    • We ask that you mute your audio when not speaking to eliminate any background noise
      • The group facilitator may mute you if you forget; this is not personal, but done to ensure we have a limit to background noise, so everyone can hear and we only have one person talking at once
  • If you get cut off, or experience technical/connection difficulties, please continue to try to reconnect to the session
    • If you are unable to reconnect call your local NHS Talking Therapy admin team and admin can email through to group facilitators

Confidentiality 

  • To ensure your privacy, please use your first name and first letter of surname only (no full surnames/email addresses etc) when you log on to Microsoft Teams
    • Your email address will be visible, you may wish to use a non-identifying email if you prefer (please let facilitators know so they can update your contact details)
  • Under no circumstances should you record sessions or share information disclosed by other group members (including staff) outside of the group, and no discussion of the group on social media
  • Although we will advise participants to respect confidentiality and will take action if this is known to be breached, participants need to be aware that the NHS Talking Therapy cannot guarantee confidentiality or closely monitor the behaviour of group participants in their own homes
  • As a participant you are expected to maintain the confidentiality of the group
    • To do this, please ensure that you use a private room on your own so that other members of your household do not hear other group members talking
    • For this reason, please also use headphones

Group attendance agreement

In order to attend my chosen workshop or course, I give my consent to the following:

  • I agree that I will not record these sessions or share any content on the internet or social media e.g. Facebook
  • I understand that if there are technical problems my group facilitator will contact me on the phone number I have provided
  • I will contact the group facilitators via the admin team number given and not through any email addresses visible in the course
  • I have the details of how to contact the group leaders if I need a quick response
  • I am aware of who to contact if I require help in a crisis
  • I will use a private room on my own, and use headphones so that other members of my household do not hear other group members talking
  • I understand that while Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Trust will take reasonable steps to ensure security of information in the group, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed and I am aware of the potential risks
  • I have read and agree with the above statements and give my consent to take part in therapy sessions online using Microsoft teams

Find out more about each group or course below

Goal difference is an eight week interactive peer support, self-development group. We can help you better understand common problems and learn self-management strategies.

Sessions

  • Goal setting and supporters.
  • Depression, values, and rumination.
  • Anxiety, fight and flight, worry, and thinking habits.
  • Maintenance, safety behaviours, and exposure.
  • Problem solving, and sleep.
  • Stress management, panic, hyperventilation, and relaxation.
  • Maximising conversations: communication styles.
  • Imagery, relapse prevention, and follow on support.

This course is aimed at people with a persistent long-term condition causing them mental distress.

Giving them a psychological toolkit to reduce stress, anxiety and low mood 

  • Week 1: Common experiences relating to persistent long-term conditions. Understanding your unhelpful cycle and the start of building your psychological toolkit.
  • Week 2: Good sleep and relaxation techniques.
  • Week 3: Managing the good, bad and ugly days! Boom and bust and how to recognise it.
  • Week 4: My long-term condition (LTC) and me! How to PACE.
  • Week 5: Worrying and anxiety - understanding practical vs hypothetical.
  • Week 6: Putting your LTC psychological kit together.

An eight week interactive group with an opportunity for a one to one follow up session, this course offers the benefit of having support and encouragement from other members, and sharing helpful coping techniques.

Homework is set after each session to help build on what has been learned and apply the skills to daily life.

The course is helpful for people who have symptoms of Generalised Anxiety Disorder, OCD, phobias, social anxiety, health anxiety and who are motivated to change.

A six week course that will help you learn how to manage stress. It will teach you how to reduce common stress-related problems including: anxiety and worry, low mood, panic, poor sleep or loss of confidence.

It’s based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques, combining stress management with Mindfulness and Positive Psychology strategies to boost wellbeing.

What will the course sessions be like?

Sessions are weekly and last for 90 minutes with a 10 minute break. It’s non-interactive, so you won’t be asked to talk in front of other people. Classes are supported by slideshow presentations, online hand-outs (paper copies available upon request), video, audio and relaxation and mindfulness tracks. Each session will look at a different aspect of stress and link together to help you become your own therapist!

Sessions

  • Session 1: what is stress?
  • Session 2: controlling your body.
  • Session 3: controlling your thoughts.
  • Session 4: controlling your actions.
  • Session 5: controlling panic feelings and getting a good night’s sleep.
  • Session 6: wellbeing and controlling the future.

Visit the Stress Control website.

A four week workshop giving knowledge and understanding of trauma and how trauma affects us. You will gain information and advice on signs, symptoms and techniques, strategies and resources to help you. You will not be asked to share anything about the traumas you have experienced.

An interactive safe, non-judgemental course over six weeks that will help you learn how to cope with anxiety, stress, and depression and improve your overall wellbeing.

The course is based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques and each session will look at different things that can affect our wellbeing and we will teach you coping strategies.

What will the course sessions be like?

Sessions are weekly and last for two hours with a 10 minute break. Although the Wellbeing Workshop is an interactive course, it is not a therapy group and you won’t be asked to disclose any personal details about yourself or your situation.

We will never make you talk if you don’t want to, however we will encourage you to join in the discussions so you can get the most out of the course. Conversations will focus on coping strategies and practicing the techniques. Sometimes, we might get you into smaller groups to work through and practice particular skills - this gives you the chance to give techniques a go and ask questions. Classes are supported by slideshow presentations, weekly paper hand-outs, video, audio and relaxation and mindfulness tracks.

Sessions

  • Session 1: Getting started.
  • Session 2: Anxiety and graded exposure.
  • Session 3: Worry and uncertainty.
  • Session 4: Depression, motivation, exercise, food, and mood.
  • Session 5: Thought challenging.
  • Session 6: Self-esteem and assertiveness skills.
  • Session 7: Sleep and relapse prevention.

The CBT preparation seminars are specifically designed to help with these typical experiences. These are two hour, conference style seminars delivered by experienced cognitive behavioural therapists. The seminars are open to people who are waiting to access CBT in South Cumbria, as a way to prepare them to make the most of treatment and to learn ways to start to improve their wellbeing straight away.

Evidence from other services suggests that attending the seminars have helped people get more out of their one to one CBT and as a result are less likely to drop out of treatment. Evidence also suggests that if people complete both the seminars and their one to one CBT, they make a better recovery compared to people who only attend CBT.

Attending the seminars will help you to:

  • learn some effective coping strategies and tips to improve your emotional health;
  • learn about key principles of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT);
  • be well prepared to make the most of your CBT when you start therapy.

You can choose to attend any or all of the 3 seminars, each of which covers a different topic.

Manage your mind: this seminar focuses on problematic ways of thinking (like excessive worry), how this causes anxiety and low mood, and how to prevent this from taking over your life. This seminar may be helpful if you tend to be troubled by your own thoughts.

Do what matters: this seminar focuses on common obstacles to living a fulfilling life and achieving your personal goals. This seminar may be helpful if you feel stuck and low in mood.

Cope with your feelings: this seminar focuses on strategies to deal with overwhelming emotions and physical symptoms. This seminar may be helpful if you constantly struggle with emotions.

Although attending the sessions in person is likely to be most beneficial, for people that cannot attend the groups, recordings of session content is available below.

Frequently asked questions

What will happen when I get there?

You will be welcomed by the seminar facilitators who will take your name. They will ask you to complete a brief questionnaire every time. The seminar will start promptly at the advertised time. After each seminar you will be asked to complete an evaluation form. This allows us to review the seminars, and make changes if we need to.

What will I have to do?

During the seminar, you will not need to say anything and the material is presented in a conference style. At the same time you are welcome to make comments or ask questions or to clarify anything. You will never be asked to talk about yourself or your difficulties.

We ask that all group participants are respectful of others on the seminar, and this means that we ask everyone to keep information within the group.

What will I have to bring?

You will be sent a questionnaire prior to the seminar starting and will be given one to take away each seminar. It is important that you complete this and bring it back and hand it to one of the facilitators. Don't worry if you forget, we will have spares.

Who else will be there?

There may be around 20 people attending the workshop, who will have similar problems to you. They are people who have been referred in the same way you have, and will have been assessed as suitable for the seminars and are on the CBT waiting list.

How long do the workshops run?

Each seminar is two hours long, with a 10 minute refreshment break. The series of seminars is three sessions long, and you can attend all three or pick and choose depending upon your needs.

What happens if I am late or if I can't make it?

If you cannot attend the seminars you will need to let us know in advance. If you don't contact us this may affect you being offered one to one treatment. If you decide that you do not want to attend the seminars and you inform us in advance, you will still remain on the waiting list for one to one CBT treatment.

We will start the seminars promptly, but if you are late don't worry, try to come in quietly without disturbing others. The facilitators will be around in the break if you need to speak to them.

What if I have questions?

If you have any questions, we would be happy to hear them. You can ask questions throughout the seminars, but if you prefer you can wait until the break or the end of the seminar and ask then. We can't guarantee to know the answers, but if we don't, we will try to find out for you!

This sleep group is an eight-week therapy course based on CBT for sleep (CBT-I). This group teaches you how to identify barriers preventing you from a balanced and efficient sleep. During this group, you will be able to incorporate effective coping mechanisms and strategies to improve your sleep patterns as soon as you identify those barriers and maintain that progress.

The tools and strategies shared in the Sleep Group have been developed after research and evidence base practice led by Colin Espie (Professor of Sleep Medicine in the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences) and his CBT programme for Overcoming Insomnia.

The very first four sessions of this group entail psychoeducation and keeping a sleep diary for the clients who struggle to achieve sleep efficacy and improvement. Also, clients practice particular techniques i.e. Mindfulness, Diaphragmatic breathing etc, to help them build a better sleep routine.

The last four sessions entail techniques for those people who wish to receive an extra input for sleep if their difficulties are more persistent i.e. Sleep restriction, Nightmares restricting, and Stimulus control. In the final session people are able to review their progress and make a relapse prevention plan to sustain this progress they have made.

It is your choice should you wish to share your story and viewpoint around sleep in these sessions without any pressure. You can either join in with your camera on or even you can attend the meeting without any concerns.

Can I access this?

Service users from Chorley, South Ribble and Central Preston are able to attend. The Sleep Group will start on the 9 of April 2024 onwards at 14.30-16.00pm via MS teams. Then, the group will run every Tuesday from 14.30 to 16.00pm, online.

Clients will be able to access 4 (Low Intensity CBT) group sessions based on CBT-I for sleep and then their cases will be reviewed (2 weeks’ gap) to determine if another four sessions needed of High Intensity CBT.