“Cool Connections with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: Encouraging Self-esteem, Resilience, and Well-being in Children and Young People Using CBT Approaches” is an innovative resource that integrates cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) into a structured programme for children aged 9 to 14. The programme is designed to prevent anxiety and depression, enhance self-esteem, and promote resilience and well-being through engaging activities, interactive games, and educational materials. It offers a facilitator’s guide, detailed session plans, and activities that encourage children to explore their thoughts, feelings, body signals, and actions.
The programme also includes pre-group materials and home activities to reinforce learning and application of CBT principles. Through group interaction and individual reflection, children are guided to understand and manage their emotions, develop problem-solving skills, and build supportive peer networks. This resource serves as a practical tool for professionals in mental health, education, and social work, aiming to foster emotional intelligence and coping skills in young people.
Contents:
PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Group Facilitators’ Guide to the Cool Connections Programme
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Useful Links and References
PRE-GROUP MATERIAL
Pre-group Material Contents
Individual recording sheet
Assessment tool: What RU like?
Cool Connections Programme self-referral form
Home activity feedback
SESSIONS
Session 1: Getting to Know Each Other
Meet the gang
All change game
Confidentiality
Group rules
Who am I?
Feeling worried
Rate yourself
‘Flipping your lid’
Home Activity 1a: My family
Home Activity 1b: Hopes and dreams
Session 2: Identify Different Feelings
Feelings frenzy
What ‘r’ feelings?
Name that feeling
Different feelings
Act how you feel game
Making cool connections
Home Activity 2a: How do you feel?
Home Activity 2b: Activity and feelings record
Session 3: Body Signals and Biology
Tense and floppy game
Why body signals?
Types of body signals
Your own body signals
What did your body do?
Personal alarms
Stay cool and take it easy
Experiment 3.1
Experiment 3.2
Home Activity 3: Body watching
Session 4: Identifying Thoughts
Thought whisper game
About thoughts
Fill in the thought bubbles
Different thoughts
Thought–feeling cool connections
Catching thoughts example
Catching thoughts
Home Activity 4: Catching thoughts
Session 5: The Connections between Thoughts, Feelings, Body Signals, and Actions
Hoops
The Zog from Zen
Your actions
Different cool connections
Cool connections example
My cool connections
Cool connections game
Home Activity 5a: Quick quiz
Home Activity 5b: Cool connections
Session 6: Types of Thinking
‘Get knotted’
The beautiful hag
Are you a Pollyanna?
The gloomies
Downward diggers
My downward digger
Helping hands
Wise worriers
Home Activity 6: Eavesdropping
Session 7: Exploring Thoughts
Thought–feeling cool connections
Traffic light thinking
Red light, green light
Red, amber, green
Changing those red light thoughts
Traffic lights thought contest
Example: Red light thought challenge
Red light thought challenge
Home Activity 7a: Thinking quiz
Home Activity 7b: Red light thought challenge
Session 8: Goal Setting
Murder mystery
IT solutions
As clear as mud
Hoola hoola
Home Activity 8a: Superstars
Home Activity 8b: Goal setting
Session 9: Panic Cycles and Safety Seeking Actions
The swamp monster
Everyone is different
Don’t panic!
Put safety first!
My safety seeking actions
Home Activity 9a: Hidden worries
Home Activity 9b: What do I do?
Session 10: Facing Your Fears
One two I can lace my shoe
Feel the fear
Cutting your fear down
Step by step
My step plan
Home Activity 10a: Imagine, imagine, imagine
Home Activity 10b: How we face our fears
Evaluation
Re-rate yourself
Cool connections evaluation
FREE PDF DOWNLOAD OF COOL CONNECTIONS WITH COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY: ENCOURAGING SELF-ESTEEM, RESILIENCE AND WELL-BEING IN CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE USING CBT APPROACHES
