Transcript

This is one of those things where the more time and thought you put into it, the more you’ll get out. Each module will contain exercises and an opportunity to think about how they apply to you. Then at the end of each module, you will have exercises to practice in your day to day life. It isn’t always easy to form new habits and break old ones, so sometimes, this may take concerted effort.

You can of course progress at whatever pace suits you, but I would suggest taking at least a week between each module to practice.

I need to tell you that I am not a clinical psychologist. My focus has been on how to get from good to great. Which means I don’t have the expertise to diagnose and treat mental illness. If you are very distressed you would probably benefit from more intense support than I can provide. I don’t work in this role full time, and am certainly not on call 24-7. So if you are very distressed I recommend that you seek out someone better positioned to provide ongoing clinical support. You can get a referral from your GP. And I’ve also listed some 24 hour helplines.

In the next lesson there are a series of self-assessments. The first looks at your general level of distress, the next is a measure of psychological flexibility, and finally, resilience. These serve two purposes, firstly, I’m hoping they will help you to reflect on yourself, how you are coping, and how resilient you are already. I also want to check that this course really is helping you, so I’ll ask you to complete the same questions before and after the course. I would really appreciate your responses, because they will help me to evaluate and improve this course, but whether you choose to complete those is entirely up to you.

OK, so please complete those questions if you are so inclined, and we’ll get started.

Helplines in Australia

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Samaritans: 135 427

Kids helpline (5-25 year olds): 1800 551 800

For more specific helplines in Australia see the Australian Institute of Family Studies list of helplines.

Helplines in the UK

Samaritans: 116 123

For more helplines in the UK see the Helplines Partnership find a helpline service.

For helplines in other countries see World Helplines.