Berkshire West Managing Emotions Programme

1a Rupert Square
Reading
RG1 3HE
mep@together-uk.org

Services offered:

Psychoeducational courses for people experiencing difficulties managing their emotions

Operations and Development Manager: Carolin Sternecker

The Berkshire West Managing Emotions Programme offers easy access to psychoeducational courses, designed to equip people with a range of tools and skills to enable them to manage emotions more effectively. Experiencing rapidly fluctuating and intense emotions can have a significant impact on wellbeing, relationships, and quality of life and the Managing Emotions Programme looks to support people with that. The programme also offers a separate course for carers of people having difficulty managing intense emotions.

Courses are delivered both face to face in venues across West Berkshire and online, in groups of approximately 8-12 clients. We offer three courses for people experiencing difficulties managing their emotions. Each course is led by two or three members of the team.

Course 1 – Understanding emotions – an introduction – (1 session)
Course 2 – Learning strategies to manage emotions – (4 sessions)
Course 3 – Learning strategies to manage emotions – (8 sessions)
Course for Carers – Supporting someone with emotional difficulties – (4 sessions)

People will be referred to the programme by GPs and other external agencies. The MEP sits within Berkshire’s increased offer for the primary care networks in West Berkshire for personality disorder difficulties and is being delivered by Together for Mental Wellbeing and supported by Berkshire Healthcare Trust.

The courses are available to people under primary care services, aged 18 and over, who are registered with a GP in West Berkshire and who have been identified as having difficulties with regulating and managing their emotions but have overall routine psychological needs and low levels of risk to themselves or others. People do not require a diagnosis of personality disorder to be referred to the programme. Features of the courses include:

They were co-produced with people with lived experience of personality disorder
They provide streamlined access to psychoeducational support
Courses are rooted in the voluntary sector/recovery college model
The programme values lived experience as a means to understand distress and to collectively identify helpful strategies
The shared identity of lived experience is identified and all of the courses are delivered alongside a Peer Mentor
Inclusion and a feeling of empowerment and connectedness will be provided through the use of lived experience and peer-mentors/trainers
The courses look to provide a reduction in distress, whilst improving quality of life for people that take part

Making a referral to the Berkshire West Managing Emotions Programme

Referrals to the Berkshire West Managing Emotions Programme need to be made by GPs registered in West Berkshire at www.together-uk.org/berkshire-west-managing-emotions-programme-referral-form/.

The courses are delivered both face to face and online, in groups of approximately 8-12 clients.

Managing Emotions Programme Resources

Berkshire West Managing Emotions Programme Online Flyer

Further details on the Managing Emotions Programme courses

Course 1 - Understanding emotions - an introduction - (1 session)

A single-session workshop lasting 2.5 hours, giving a basic introduction to the function of emotions and some coping skills to help during times of distress. This course would be suited to clients who have had no previous psycho-education and/or cannot commit to a more in-depth course. All material in this course is also covered in courses 2 and 3.

Course 2 - Learning strategies to manage emotions - (4 sessions)

A 4-week course (2 hours per week) that explores understanding and labelling emotions, coping skills to reduce the intensity of emotions, and beginning to make positive changes. This course is suitable for clients who are looking to build a foundation of emotional awareness and regulation skills; no previous psycho-education is necessary. The material in this course is also covered in course 3.

Week 1 – Understanding emotions and how they affect mind, body and behaviour
Week 2 – Labelling emotions and identifying levels of emotional intensity
Week 3 – Coping skills to reduce emotional intensity during times of distress
Week 4 – Beginning to make a positive change

Course 3 - Learning Strategies to manage emotions - (8 sessions)

An 8-week course (2 hours per week) taking an in-depth look at emotional awareness and regulation, communication, personal values, acceptance, goal setting, mindfulness, and other emotion regulation skills. This course is suitable for clients who are ready to develop a deeper level of emotional awareness and the skills needed to identify/modify harmful emotional responses. Clients do not need to have attended a previous course and can be referred directly to course 3.

Week 1 – Understanding emotions and how they affect mind, body and behaviour
Week 2 – Labelling emotions and identifying levels of emotional intensity
Week 3 – Coping skills to reduce emotional intensity during times of distress
Week 4 – Practicing mindfulness
Week 5 – Identifying your values and setting goals
Week 6 – Practicing coping skills in times of difficulty
Week 7 – Communication and interpersonal effectiveness
Week 8 – Reviewing what we’ve learnt

Course for Carers – Supporting someone with emotional difficulties - (4 sessions)

This 4 part course (2 hours each) looks at the knowledge and skills needed to support someone with emotional difficulties while looking after your own wellbeing.

Week 1 – Introduction to personality disorders, emotions and emotional intensity
Week 2 – Responding to self-harm and risk-taking behaviour
Week 3 – Understanding and responding to suicidality
Week 4 – Self-reflection, boundaries, and wellbeing