1. Let’s Talk Course
Boost Your Mood Week 1

2. Welcome Housekeeping -fire exits, toilets, refreshments
Introductions, who we are
Questionnaires – which questionnaires? Why we use them. How often we need to take scores.
Congratulations on making it this far!
Handouts

3. Keeping safe
This course is a Psychoeducational course not group therapy and we are not able to discuss individual problems with you
Please refer to your course invite letter with regard to keeping safe
You do not need to discuss anything in the group which may cause you distress
If you feel unable to attend all steps of the course here or online or using the manual at home please go back to your GP to discuss your difficulties
Hand-outs for week 1.
CBT model (Hot Cross Bun)
Mood monitoring sheet
SMART goals

4. Thoughts of harming yourself
Thoughts are very usual
Intent and plans are different
If you are intending to harm yourself, you need to seek further help
Your GP will be informed of the Q9 score
Samaritans Telephone Number is:
Speak to your GP
Speak to someone in your life

5. Increase in Likelihood of Intent
Not likely Very likely
Ask yourself: Where are you now - what is the likelihood of harming yourself today?
If the likelihood was to increase, what would you do?
You can contact:
Samaritans Telephone Number is:
Speak to your GP/Out of Hours Service
Speak to someone in your life

6. Group structure
Weekly from pm but not in any ‘school’ holidays
Psycho-educational group not a therapy group
Weekly tasks to complete in between sessions

7. Ice-breakers

8. Group Contract
What rules would you like the group to agree to over the next six weeks?
Write group responses on interactive whiteboard and print out for group

9. Course Summary Week 1: Introducing low mood and depression
Week 2: Behavioural activation and Looking after yourself
Week 3: Behavioural activation continued and Time management
Week 4: Introducing unhelpful thinking
Week 5: Unhelpful thinking continued, positive self-talk and work-life balance
Week 6: Planning for the future and what next

10. Week 1 Introductions – who we are & how this works
Ground rules and contracts
Ice-breakers
Course overview
Introduction to low mood & depression
The CBT model – how it works.
Motivation to change
Personal Goals
Homework tasks

11. What is low mood/depression?
Group exercise...
Split into small groups; write symptoms of low mood on post-it notes and put into these categories…..
Behavioural
Emotional
Physical
Cognitive (thoughts/images)
…….stick onto body outline on flipchart.

12. What is low mood/depression?
Changes in physical sensations...
Low energy
Changes in sleep
Changes in brain chemistry
Aches and pains

13. What is low mood/depression?
Changes in thoughts...
negative thinking
slow, sluggish thoughts
repetitive thoughts
harsh self criticism
unfair and unrealistic thinking
not being able to concentrate
poor and biased memory

14. What is low mood/depression?
Changes in behaviours…
Avoidance
Increase in risky behaviours
Withdrawing
Not doing the things you used to do
Putting off tasks
Not caring about personal appearance

15. What is low mood/depression?
Changes in emotions...
no or limited pleasure felt when doing
things/seeing people
sadness
numbness
despair
anxiety
anger
irritability
frustration

16. How common is low mood/ depression?
You are not alone. More than 15% of adults will get depressed at some time and 4% are depressed at any one time.
It can happen to anyone. Getting depressed does not mean you are weak

17. What causes low mood? Group exercise....
Split into small groups; write down on post-its what you think are the causes of low mood or depression.

18. CBT model Thoughts Situation Physical sensations Emotions Behaviour
“I’m never going to get better”
“No one will want to be with me”
“I will always feel like this”
Situation
Physical sensations
No energy
Reduced sleep
Emotions
Sadness
Hopelessness
Behaviour
Withdrawing from people
Not eating much
Not taking care of self

19. Motivation to Change Pros of Staying the Same Pros of Changing Cons of

20. Discussion
Collect examples of pros and cons of staying the same / making changes and put on white board

21. Cycle of Change Adapted from Prochaska and DiClemente (1986) NB:
Ask the group to take a few minutes to look at this slide.
Ask them why this slide / cycle is so important.
Emphasise that sometimes people think that change happens spontaneously – one day they will wake up and ‘just feel different.’
Emphasise that we have to take an active role in feeling better. However, how successful we are will depend on where we are in the cycle. Sometimes there are a number of benefits to depression which helps to keep us where we are. Any ideas of possible benefits?
E.g people might ‘look after us.’
We don’t have to take responsibility
We don’t have to face anxiety caused by the unknown
Withdrawal protects us from the possibility of being rejected or disappointed – who has heard the phrase, ‘if I don’t hope / look forward to it I won’t be disappointed.’
Emphasise difference between lapse and relapse
Emphasise that lapses are normal and not always a sign of a full blown relapse.
Talk about the idea that sometimes people think they have to feel differently before they behave differently
Adapted from Prochaska and DiClemente (1986)

22. Setting goals
Setting goals is important to identify what you want to achieve.
Choosing areas that you want to try and change is a key part of successfully moving forward.
Types of goals:
- Long term goal(s)
- Medium term goal (over 6 months)
- Course goal (over 6 weeks)

23. SMART Goals What are SMART goals? Specific Measurable Achievable
Rewarding
Time-limited

24. SMART Goals
Specific – Make you goal specific enough so you know exactly what you are working towards i.e. two sessions of exercise a week.
Measurable – Make you goal measurable, that way you know when you have achieved them i.e. exercise sessions last for twenty minutes.
Achievable – Make your goal realistic!

25. SMART Goals
Rewarding – Make you goal fun and enjoyable, if you don’t find it rewarding it is much harder to keep it going i.e. going to a dance class may be more rewarding than going for a run.
Time-limited – Set yourself a time-limit by when you want to achieve your goal. Without a deadline it is easy to lose motivation.

26. SMART Goals
Putting it all together – example:
“I will go to a Zumba class for 45 minutes twice a week for the next four weeks.”

27. Now It’s Your Turn! Spend 5 minutes setting your own SMART goal for the next 6 weeks
Specific
What specifically do you want to achieve?
Measurable
How will you measure your progress towards your goal?
Achievable
How sure are you that you are able to attain your goal?
Relevant
Why is your goal relevant to you?
Time-limited
Set a date by which you think you should be able to achieve your goal.
Page 15 of GCOYL Depression as handout.

28. Workshop 1 summary The course and how it works
Depression – its signs and symptoms
Setting personal goals
Any questions or queries?

29. Weekly Tasks Complete SMART goal setting
Read through handout and complete the CBT Hot Cross Bun and Goal sheet before next week‘s session