Day Programs

The Foundational Blocks for Group Therapy is a group program designed to provide individuals an introduction to the structured group therapy environment. The program draws upon strategies and skills from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy.

Who might benefit: Suitable for people without group experience and for preparing individuals to commence other day program groups;

Duration: Commencement and re-enrolment are permitted at any time;

When: Wednesdays 9:00am-12:15pm

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

The Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) program is an 8-week closed therapeutic group that delivers short-term, skills-focused treatment for patients who experience anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders. The program teaches patients about the connection between thinking styles, emotions and behaviour in relation to their current difficulties. Strategies are taught to assist individuals challenge unhelpful thought patterns and develop helpful coping strategies to their difficulties.

Who might benefit: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is designed for patients requiring assistance with mood disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders;

Duration: 8 week closed group program. Contact our Day Patient Program Co-ordinator for commencement dates;

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00am-2:00pm

Evening Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Evening Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a 12 week, open group program allowing patients to begin at any time. The group is educative and skills focused, covering the basic foundations of CBT through to more complex aspects of CBT. The program focuses on establishing an understanding of thinking patterns and their connection to behaviour and emotion, and assists people in learning to identify and change unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns in relation to their current difficulties. The group also covers mindfulness practice, communication skills and identification of values and goals.

Who might benefit: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is designed for patients requiring assistance with mood disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders;

Duration: Ongoing 12 week program. Commencement and reenrolment are permitted at any time;

When: Tuesdays 4:30pm-7:45pm

Introduction to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

Introduction to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is a group that introduces the individual to the core concepts of DBT and provides the experience of being in a structured group environment.

Who might benefit: Suitable for people who have been referred to the Dialectical Behaviour Program. The Introduction program introduces the core concepts of DBT. Suitable for people without group experience;

Duration: 10 weeks. Commencement and reenrolment are permitted at any time via referral to our Day Patient Program Co-ordinator;

When: Wednesdays 9:00am-12:15pm

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) was designed for individuals with borderline personality disorder and is useful for patients requiring assistance with suicidality and self-harm. The program is also beneficial to individuals with complex mental health issues and/or difficulties managing intense and volatile emotions. The program focuses on four key topics; mindfulness (being in the present moment), distress tolerance (coping with crises and overwhelming feelings), emotional regulation (the balancing of emotions) and interpersonal effectiveness (relationship skills).

Who might benefit: Dialectical Behaviour Therapy is designed for patients requiring assistance with emotion dysregulation, problematic interpersonal relationships and suicidality and self-harm;

Entry requirements: Only open to individuals who have completed five sessions of the Introduction to DBT program. Entry to the program requires assessment with a DBT group facilitator;

Duration: Minimum 6 months commitment is required;

When: Mondays & Wednesdays OR Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:00am-2:00pm

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Young Adults

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) was designed for individuals with borderline personality disorder and is useful for patients requiring assistance with suicidality and self-harm. The program is also beneficial to individuals with complex mental health issues and/or difficulties managing intense and volatile emotions. The program focuses on four key topics; mindfulness (being in the present moment), distress tolerance (coping with crises and overwhelming feelings), emotional regulation (the balancing of emotions) and interpersonal effectiveness (relationship skills).

This DBT program focuses on the above difficulties as they relate to the unique difficulties experienced by young adults (aged 18-25 years). This includes content related to alcohol and drug use, sexual behaviour, developing structure and routine after schooling, developing independence, tertiary study and developing healthy friendships and relationships;

Who might benefit: Dialectical Behaviour Therapy is designed for patients requiring assistance with emotion dysregulation, problematic interpersonal relationships and suicidality and self-harm;

Entry requirements: Only open to individuals aged 18-25 years who have completed five sessions of the Introduction to DBT program. Entry to the program requires assessment with a DBT group facilitator;

Duration: Minimum 6 months commitment is required but it is recommended to plan for attendance for 6-12 months;

When: Mondays & Wednesdays 9:00am-2:00pm

Essentials of Mentalising

An evidenced-based treatment focused on developing skills to build awareness one’s own mental states, while being curious about other’s mental states. This is a psychoeducational group which introduces individuals to the core concepts of mentalising.

Who might benefit: Suitable for people with group experience seeking to further develop emotional regulation skills, awareness of self and others, and interpersonal skills;

Entry requirements: Entry to the program requires assessment with a group facilitator;

Duration: 10 week closed group program. Contact our Day Patient Program Co-ordinator for commencement dates;

When: Fridays 9:00am-2:00pm

Mentalisation

An evidenced based treatment which focuses on developing patients’ mentalising capacities. Mentalising is the awareness of mental states, in the self and in others. Mental States include thoughts and feelings, attitudes, beliefs, intentions, and wishes. The model focuses on what happens to people’s mental states when their level of emotional distress rises. In this state the capacity to “mentalise,” (to maintain a complex picture of one’s own and others’ mental states) is compromised, leading to impulsivity and to misunderstandings which cause further distress. The mental states of other people are often misperceived when mentalising capacities are poor, leading to interpersonal problems or to isolation and high anxiety.

Who might benefit: Suitable for people with group experience seeking to further develop emotional regulation skills, awareness of self and others, and interpersonal skills;

Entry requirements: The program requires assessment with a group facilitator.

Duration: Minimum 6 months commitment is required;

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00am-2:00pm

The Therapeutic Anorexia Nervosa Support Group (TANS) is an eating disorder therapy group that uses cognitive behavioural therapy techniques to address issues underlying eating disorders including eating disorder thoughts and behaviours. TANS also draws from other evidence based therapies such as mindfulness, dialectal behavioural therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. The group covers topics such as perfectionism, guilt, fear foods, flexibility, and values, and includes supervised support for morning tea and lunch.

Who might benefit: The Therapeutic Anorexia Nervosa Support Group is designed for individuals with restrictive eating behaviours or other disordered behaviours such as over exercising;

Entry requirements: TANS requires assessment with a TANS Group Facilitator;

Duration: A minimum of 2 months commitment is required. Group members are encouraged to continue until they have experienced some reduction in symptoms;

When: Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:00am-1:30pm

Life Skills is a day program run on Mondays and Fridays.

The Life Skills group run on Mondays has a focus on relapse prevention. It covers core areas of importance for maintaining mental health recovery and remaining out of hospital. Topics of group include but are not limited to interpersonal relationships, communication, structure and routine and management of distressing emotions.

The Life Skills group run on Fridays has a focus on art therapy. This group focuses on using art as a medium for exploring and expressing areas of mental health and emotional difficulty.

Who might benefit: The Life Skills program is designed for individuals who have recently been an inpatient and require some ongoing support for their mental health concerns, as well as for people who benefit from regular support and psychological assistance to maintain stable mental health. The Friday group is of benefit for people who have an interest in exploring mental health issues through a non-verbal, creative medium;

Entry requirements: There are no entry requirements; enrolment is possible at any time;

Duration: There is no minimum or maximum attendance time required. Group members can continue to attend as long as they need ongoing support for their mental health difficulties;

When: Mondays and/or Fridays 9:00am-2:00pm

The Social Integration group focuses on addressing the social, physical and cognitive impact of psychological symptoms and is suitable for people with longer-term symptoms, memory or cognitive difficulties, recent psychosis or those who are socially isolated.

Who might benefit: The Social Integration group is suitable for individuals who need support and therapeutic input to achieve and maintain stability with their psychological condition;

Entry requirements: There are no entry requirements; enrolment is possible at any time;

Duration: There is no minimum or maximum attendance time required. Group members can continue to attend as long as they need ongoing support for their mental health difficulties;

When: Tuesdays 1:00pm-4:00pm