Session 1: Understanding Anxiety

I. Introduction
- A. Welcome and Introduction to the Group
- Hi everyone! Welcome to our group where we learn cool stuff together. Today,
we're going to talk about feelings and how to handle them.
- Pre-Survey

- Group Norms (Confidentiality)

- Before we start, let's remember that what we talk about here stays here. We want
to be respectful and mindful, this is a safe space and we want to ensure
everyone feels comfortable sharing.

- B. Icebreaker Activity (e.g., Name Game, Feelings Check-in)

- Let's start with a fun game to get to know each other better. We'll go around and
say our names and how we're feeling today. You can say happy, excited, or even
a little nervous if you want!

II. Explanation of Anxiety

- A. Definition of Anxiety in Simple Terms
- Okay, now let's talk about a feeling called anxiety. It's when we feel worried or
scared about something, even if it might not be a big deal.

- B. Discussion: What Causes Anxiety? (Brainstorming Activity)

- Let's think together about what makes us feel anxious. It could be a big test,
meeting new people, or even just thinking about the future.

- C. Normalizing Anxiety: Everyone Experiences It

- It's totally normal to feel anxious sometimes. Even grown-ups feel it! We'll learn
how to handle it together.

III. Identifying Anxiety Symptoms

- A. Physical Symptoms (e.g., Racing Heart, Sweating)
- Sometimes when we're anxious, our bodies tell us by making our heart beat fast,
making us sweat, or even making our stomach feel funny.

- B. Emotional Symptoms (e.g., Worry, Fear)

- We might feel worried, scared, or even a little sad when we're anxious. It's like
having lots of feelings all at once.

- C. Behavioral Symptoms (e.g., Avoidance, Restlessness)

- When we're anxious, we might want to avoid things or feel like we can't sit still.
It's our body's way of trying to protect us, but sometimes it makes things hard.
IV. Coping Strategies for Anxiety
- A. Deep Breathing Exercise
- When we feel anxious, we can try taking deep breaths to help us calm down.
Let's practice together!

- B. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

- Another trick is to tense up our muscles and then relax them. It's like giving our
bodies a little stretch to feel better.
- C. Positive Self-Talk
- We can also talk to ourselves in a positive way, like saying, "I can do this" or "I'm
brave." It's like being our own cheerleader!

V. Journaling Activity
- A. Introduction to the Journal
- Today, we're going to start our very own journals. It's like a special book where
we can write down our thoughts and feelings.

- B. Prompt: "What Does Anxiety Feel Like to You?"

- Let's take a few minutes to think about what anxiety feels like to each of us and
write it down in our journals.

- C. Sharing (Optional)
- If anyone wants to share what they wrote, they can. But remember, it's okay if
you want to keep it private too.

VI. Closing
- A. Summary of Key Points
- Today we learned about anxiety, what it feels like, and some ways to help
ourselves feel better when we're anxious.

- B. “Homework Assignment” Practice Coping Strategies, Journaling

- Your homework is to try using the coping strategies we talked about whenever
you feel anxious this week. And don't forget to write about it in your journal!
 Session 2: Challenging Anxiety Thoughts

I. Review of Previous Session

- A. Check-in on Coping Strategies Practice
- Start by asking everyone how they've been using the strategies we talked about
last time. Share if something worked well or if there were any challenges.

- B. Brief Recap of Understanding Anxiety

- Let's quickly remember what we talked about last time about anxiety. Remember,
it's when we feel worried or scared about something, even if it might not be a big
deal.

II. Introduction to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

- A. Explanation in Simple Terms
- Today we're going to learn about something called CBT. It's like a tool that helps
us change our negative thoughts into positive ones, so we feel better.

- B. Understanding the Connection Between Thoughts, Feelings, and Actions

- Our thoughts (what we think), feelings (how we feel), and actions (what we do)
are like best friends. When one feels sad, the others might feel sad too. We'll
learn how to make them happier friends.

III. Identifying Negative Thought Patterns

- A. Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs)
- Sometimes our brains have sneaky thoughts that make us feel bad, like thinking
we're not good enough. We'll learn how to spot these sneaky thoughts and kick
them out.

- B. Common Thinking Errors (e.g., Catastrophizing, All-or-Nothing Thinking)

- We'll talk about mistakes our brains make, like thinking everything is going to be
really bad (catastrophizing) or thinking things are only good or only bad
(all-or-nothing thinking).

IV. Challenging Negative Thoughts

- A. Cognitive Restructuring Exercise
- We'll practice changing those sneaky bad thoughts into strong, happy thoughts.
It's like training our brains to be superheroes!

- B. Reframing ANTs with Positive Thoughts

- We'll learn how to turn those bad thoughts into good ones, like turning "I can't do
this" into "I can try my best!"

- C. Reality Testing: Is the Fear Realistic?

- We'll check if what we're scared of is actually real or just something our brain is
making up. It's like checking if a monster under our bed is real or just our
imagination.
V. Journaling Activity
- A. Prompt: "Identify a Negative Thought You've Had Recently. How Can You
Challenge It?"
- We'll write about a time when we felt bad and think about how we can make it
better by changing our thoughts.

- B. Reflection and Personal Insights

- If anyone wants to share what they wrote, they can. It's okay to talk about how
we feel.

VI. Closing
- A. Summary of Key Concepts
- Let's remember what we learned today: how to turn our sad thoughts into happy
ones and how our thoughts, feelings, and actions are all connected.

- B. Homework Assignment: Continue Practice, Journaling

- Practice makes perfect! Try changing some negative thoughts into positive ones
this week. Don't forget to write about it in your journal!
 Session 3: Building Resilience and Self-Care

I. Review of Previous Session

- A. Check-in on Challenging Negative Thoughts
- Hi everyone! Before we start today's session, let's talk about how we did with
challenging negative thoughts last time. Did anyone try it? How did it go?

- B. Brief Recap of CBT Concepts

- Remember when we talked about changing our sad thoughts into happy ones?
Today, we'll learn more about taking care of ourselves, especially when we're
feeling down.

II. Introduction to Resilience

- A. Definition and Importance
- Resilience is like being strong inside, even when things are tough. It helps us
bounce back from hard times. We'll learn how to be strong together!

- B. Identifying Personal Strengths and Resources

- Each of us has things that make us special and strong. Let's talk about what
makes us awesome and how we can use those strengths to feel better.

III. Self-Care Strategies

- A. Importance of Self-Care for Mental Health
- Just like we take care of our bodies by eating healthy and exercising, we need to
take care of our minds too. Self-care is like giving ourselves a big hug when we
need it most.

- B. Exploring Different Self-Care Activities (e.g., Exercise, Hobbies, Mindfulness)

- There are lots of ways to take care of ourselves! We can play outside, draw,
listen to music, or even just take a deep breath and relax. Let's explore some fun
ideas!

IV. Creating a Self-Care Plan

- A. Personalized Self-Care Activities
- Now it's time to make our own self-care plans! We'll choose activities that make
us happy and calm. What makes you feel good inside?

- B. Developing a Routine for Self-Care

- We'll also talk about when and how often we can do our self-care activities.
Having a plan helps us remember to take care of ourselves every day.

V. Journaling Activity
- A. Prompt: "Create a Self-Care Plan for Yourself. What Activities Will You Include
and When Will You Do Them?"
- Let's take out our journals and write down our self-care plans. What activities will
you do to take care of yourself, and when will you do them?

- B. Sharing and Discussion (Optional)

- If anyone wants to share their self-care plan, they can. But remember, it's okay to
keep it private too.
VI. Closing
- A. Summary of Session
- Today, we talked about being strong even when things are tough and how to take
care of ourselves with self-care activities.

- B. Reflections on Growth and Progress

- Let's think about how much we've learned and grown together. It's amazing to
see how strong we can be!

C. Farewell and Encouragement for Continued Self-Care

- As we say goodbye for today, remember to keep taking care of yourselves. You're all
superstars, and you deserve to feel happy and loved!
- Post-Survey