Length
8 weekly sessions, 2 hours each
Format/Description
A program that focuses on a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) approach to treating anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, and stress. Learn how thinking differently can affect your feelings, and ultimately your mood, for the better.
Who should attend this group?
This group is intended for adults (18+) with mild to moderate depression and anxiety.
Not suitable for anyone experiencing a life crisis or requiring urgent mental health service; if you have a cognitive challenge that would interrupt your ability to learn, remember and practice new material; if you have difficulty containing and managing your emotions; or if you have been mandated to attend group programming.
Requirements/Expectations
There is a required textbook, “Mind Over Mood – 2nd Edition” by Dennis Greenberger and Christine A. Padesky, which can be purchased at Indigo or Amazon, borrowed from your local library (print or electronic copies) or borrowed from our organization (print copies only). If you need to borrow a book from the Thames Valley Family Health Team, please contact [email protected].
Patients are expected to:
- Complete confidential assessments at beginning and end of 8-week group
- Commit to attend all sessions
- Complete homework between sessions, which may include reading, reflection, trying new strategies, etc.
Benefits/Take-aways
As a participant, you will learn that thoughts, beliefs, and behaviours are connected to your moods, physical experiences and events in your everyday life. You will learn to think about yourself and situations in more helpful ways, and to change your thinking patterns and behaviours that keep you stuck in distressing moods. Coping strategies will include mindfulness, breathing techniques, journaling, gratitude, affirmations, goal setting, action plans, and thought records.
At the beginning and end of this 8-week group, participants complete the General Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). These scales are designed to assess severity of anxiety, severity of depression, and individual stress levels, respectively.
86.8% of respondents have seen improved scores across the 3 scales (described above) after participating in the 8-week group. (November 2024)
Participant Feedback
“I had the wonderful fortune of taking part in your Mind Over Mood program. I wanted to take this time to thank you for the tools, resources and information you helped me to learn that actually changed my life. That is not an exaggeration, I strongly feel that this program along with some other important people made a major difference in my healing journey with anxiety.
[Over] the 8 weeks, what I felt was a transformation. I became aware of what I was really feeling, and began to look into why I was having anxious thoughts and feelings. I learned how to identify my moods and rate them. I began to take the time to analyze my automatic thoughts, without judging them, and to understand what triggers and environments caused them. I slowly started to realize that my ‘worst case scenarios’ thoughts weren’t really as bad as I had originally feared. I could get through them. By slowing down my thought process I could actually see what evidence was true or perhaps non-existent, and therefore choose a thought path that was beneficial. All of these tools that you both provided got me to a much better place in my life and in my head.” (March 2024)
“I’ve learned to be much more mindful. I have acquired helpful tools that allow me to pause before reacting and assess what I am experiencing on a deeper level. This really helps me feel as though I have so much more control over my perception and the way I respond to stress.” (September 2023)
“The reminder of just how much control I have over my own happiness and the way I perceive the world is incredibly empowering. Learning how to recognize, reframe and overcome negative thought patterns has been the most vital takeaway from this program. I now have full appreciation of this as a practice, a skill to be honed, as opposed to a mere idea. I hadn’t fully realized the weight of my negative internal dialogue before starting this program. I leave feeling kinder to myself. I’m grateful for that.” (September 2023)
“It has provided workable solutions to deal with a situation when it comes up, that otherwise might bring on more anxiety as the day goes on.” (September 2023)
Resources
https://www.mindovermood.com/
“A website for the public. Skills to improve your life. Skills to change how you feel.”