Teaching CBT in school?

[UhOh4321]

Hi everybody,
I'm a primary teacher and somebody who has suffered badly from anxiety. I've noticed an increase in the amount of children at school who have anxiety and it breaks my heart because as an adult it is bad enough; I can't imagine how hard it is for a child. The skills I learnt in CBT really helped me to manage my anxiety and I wish they were skills I learnt when I was younger. I think it would have saved me a great deal of worrying and suffering. I want to teach these skills in my PSHE lessons. It would be less therapy based but looking at hypothetical situations and how to deal with them. I wondered if that something you would be happy for your child to be taught? Also, do you know if your child's school does anything to help promote good mental health so I can magpie them to help the children at my school. Thanks!

[SnowyAlps]

No my children have not done anything. However both my boys have suffered with anxiety, the eldest (18) had counselling in school and the youngest (14) has had nothing although his anxiety is worse. I would welcome something like this. I say that as an ex primary teacher with bipolar. I believe mental health should be taught properly in schools. I have delivered mental health training to adults for over 10 years. My 'dream' in my head would be to deliver mental health training to schools- but as I say it's just a dream!

[Sickenedbyguilt]

I think it's a fantastic idea. From someone who suffered from adolescent depression at 13 it would have been helpful to know that what I was going through was quite normal. I suffered from ocd and irrational thoughts and I honestly thought I was the only one in the world going through this. Teaching it in schools only enforces the need to speak about this illness and to get help and that it shouldn't be something to be ashamed about.

[PathOfLeastResitance]

I’m a senco and I focus on this a lot. It is a useful tool for everybody - staff included. If you do a search for practical ways to address anxiety in children then you will get lots of simple and easy ways to talk about this with children and give them practical techniques to use.