Adults who are anxious in social settings or children who struggle to express and manage their feelings could benefit from new low-cost group programs offered by the CQUniversity Wellness Centre from late July onwards.

Prior to participation, all participants will have an individual meeting to review their particular needs and, where appropriate, the program may also be offered on a one-to-one basis.

Director of the Wellness Centre, Associate Professor Bernadette Moore

Places are limited so if you are interested please contact the Director of the Wellness Centre Associate Professor Bernadette Moore via 4923 2542.

More generally, the Wellness centre provides low-cost opportunities for individual therapy and assessment services. Referrals can be made through any organisation or individuals are free to self refer.

Anyone interested can contact 4923 2542 or visit www.cqu.edu.au/wellnesscentre for more details.

- Managing Anxiety in Social Settings (4-6  participants per group): A structured, interactive, highly supported 12 week x 1.5  hour program for adults experiencing social anxiety. The program is a cognitive behavioural skills program that is based on the belief that the way we feel and act is largely determined by how we think. This program will focus on learning strategies to ‘catch' the unhelpful thinking, ‘challenge' that thinking and then, using some behavioural exercises, start to work on ‘changing' those unhelpful thoughts.

- Tricky Feelings (3-4 participants per group): This is a structured, interactive and highly supportive program for children aged 8-10 who struggle to identify, appropriately express and manage their feelings. The six-week program will focus on the experience of both positive emotions such as happiness and the more difficult emotions of anxiety and anger. Children will be supported to recognize and describe these emotions and to develop a personal ‘toolbox' to help manage their difficult emotions with appropriate tools. Although a group format will be used, all children will be supported individually within the group. Prior to participation, each individual child's needs will be assessed and recommendations made for participation in either a group or an individual program. All programs involve a six-week commitment of two hours per week and some between session activities to consolidate each week's focus. Parents will also need to be involved to support the learning process.