This spring, a clinical social work intern in the outpatient behavioral health unit of Family & Children’s Agency, Maura Leaden, worked with FCA’s ASPIRE after-school and summer program to design and run a six-week “Wellness Workshop” for high school students. The goal was to incorporate behavioral health lessons into movement-driven activities.
The workshop used yoga, painting, journaling, EFT tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique), and breathwork techniques to introduce the students to positive coping skills that they could use to help themselves through difficult times.
Another goal was to introduce them to mindfulness. Mindfulness can be described as observing your own thoughts and feelings without judgement. It can be used to practice self-compassion, self-motivation, and to feel better mentally and physically. These skills can help with handling emotions and creating healthy relationships with yourself and others.
“I enjoyed spending time at ASPIRE and witnessing the supportive community they had established. It helped every student feel comfortable trying new things like yoga or EFT tapping,” said Maura. “These tools are exciting because they allow students to feel better and feel more in control of their emotions.”
EFT tapping stands for Emotional Freedom Technique. It involves tapping on acupressure points (like those used in acupuncture) on the face and upper body to send calming signals to the brain and help the body get out of ‘fight or flight’ mode.
Although they may have questioned some of the actions at first, the students gave feedback that the exercises helped them feel more calm and relaxed.
In addition to movement, journaling invited students to check-in on themselves and reflect on their thoughts. Mindfulness guided students to notice the pace of their breathing, how their body felt, and what thoughts came up throughout the various activities.
According to the CDC, “In 2023, 4 in 10 students (40%) had persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.” Developing these skills can help students feel calmer, foster connection when done in a group, and act as transferrable skills that can be practiced at home as well.
“The best part of this was seeing students use these skills in real time. I hope that they can continue using these skills on their own to feel better and lighter,” said Maura.
Thank you to Maura for working on this project and contributing this blog post!
