Aware is organising a number of new positive mental health programmes in Donegal.
A six-week Life Skills Programme open to anyone wishing to learn new ways to tackle life’s challenges gets underway in the Finn Valley centre in Ballybofey on Tuesday February 4 and in Ionad Naomh Pádraig in Gweedore on Wednesday February 5, both taking place at 7.30pm.
The Life Skills programme is designed to give people insights into how we think and how this can influence our actions in both helpful and unhelpful ways.
Based on the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy, each session is guided by a trained facilitator to help people better manage the stresses of everyday life, learning to spot unhelpful thoughts and discovering new and healthier ways of thinking.
Confidentiality is the bedrock of the programme and nobody is asked to share personal information or experiences.
Evaluations show participants experience reduced levels of anxiety and improved mood on completion of the programme.
A four-week Relatives & Friends Programme, for those supporting a loved one experiencing depression or bipolar disorder, gets underway at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Letterkenny on Wednesday February 5 at 7.30pm.
The Relatives & Friends Programme is about providing participants with the emotional and practical skills they need themselves while supporting a loved one who is experiencing depression or bipolar disorder.
The programme offers coping tools to help people deal with their circumstances as well as helping to improve communication skills in their relationships.
It also offers advice on self-care and every person goes away with their own personal action plan to better address challenges at home, which benefits both themselves and their loved one.
People attending this programme really gain from meeting others in similar circumstances to themselves and in sharing that sense of mutual understanding and support.