Reaching Out
Our latest emotional health project is extremely exciting, pioneering and innovative and is funded for 3 years by Big Lottery money. The project is called Reaching Out and follows on from the success of the Emotional Health programme which ran in primary schools last year. Reaching Out is designed to help the emotional health and well-being of Key Stage 3 pupils in the five comprehensive schools in Llanelli. There are three strands to the project: counselling; holistic therapies and yoga therapy. The counselling service provides the pupils with an opportunity to talk about dificulties and share their issues in a way that can help them to develop the confidence and personal strength to find answers to their own problems. Massage and meditation provides an opportunity for the pupils to physically and mentally relax, thus offering therapeutic help to those suffereing from stress, anxiety and depression, amongst other things. Yoga promotes a sense of calm and emotional wellness, resulting in a sense of peace and a positive outlook. This combined approach is extremely beneficial for the young people as they are able to discuss any worries, relax mind and body during a treatment or become emotionally balanced and physically well via yoga. We feel that this offers a hugely beneficial package to the schools, where the staff no longer have time to deal with emotional issues that the pupils are experiencing. We do not believe that there is anything like this project going on in Wales and possibly not even in the UK.
The Emotional Health & Well-being team has been employed since the beginning of March 2007 to carefully plan the project and liaise with the schools and teachers and they have been up and running in the schools since early April. So far, we have met with a great deal of success with the three elements of the project. Comments have already been made by teachers of the postitive change they have seen with some of the pupils.
There is a great deal of interest in the project and the BACP (British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy) wish to evaluate it. In addition to this, Swansea Bay Radio have been in to interview the team for the At Work Network which is being broadcast on Thursday 7th June at 11.00am.
Tracy Pike, Manager said “We are so thrilled that we have three years to really make a difference, and even though we have only been in the schools for a short time, that difference is already starting to show through. We would like to have a team like this in all schools throughout the country to help support our young people who increasingly have to deal with emotional issues such as family break-ups, loss, drug or alcohol abuse, etc.”
The emotional health & well-being team is made up of: Val Taylor - Counsellor; Debra Byers - Holistic Therapist; Roanna Harstad - Yoga Therapist. For further information on each of the individual project areas, please click on the following links: Counselling; Holistic Therapies; Yoga Therapy.
The Team is currently delivering additional Training Workshops for Teaching Assistants in Promoting Emotional Health and Well-being and pupils have also been given the opportunity to attend "Healthy Lifestyles" workshops where they learn about healthy eating. Best practice training, consultancy and advice is also available on request.
The team are also involved in promoting self-help, self-sufficiency and self-resiliency to adults in the community during a Friday morning workshop which covers a range of topics from basic massage techniques to stress management to meditation. Our yoga therapist is also providing an opportunity to toddlers aged 18 months-4 years old via the Centre's Teddy Bears and Jellytots groups to participate in Tatty Bumpkin classes which inspire and motivate children on a journey of creativity, learning and fun.