Kardia is an 8 week course, but the benefits will last a lifetime
The course takes the young person on a journey over 8 weeks but is a lifelong tool for good mental health. There are 8 sessions each with a teaching point and activities to complete in the Kardia Workbook.
There is teaching around neuroplasticity and the basics of how our brains work, encouraging us that you can take control of your thought life and therefore your mental health.
Alongside the course, you will be given the Kardia Journal to take away for daily reflection. This is where neuroscience moves from theory to practice in changing neural pathways through focused daily reflection.
Course overview
The Kardia course has 8 sessions which take each individual on a journey to good mental health
The course takes you, the young person, on a journey over 8 weeks but is a lifelong tool for good mental health. There are 8 sessions of 90 minutes each and each session has a teaching point and activities to complete in the Kardia Workbook.
Session 1: My story
Learning outcome: Each of us is on a journey to positive mental health.
Session 2: Change your mind
Learning outcome: Through neuroplasticity, we can change the way the brain works and functions.
Session 3: Decisions, decisions
Learning outcome: We have a choice in how we feel and respond and can make good decisions for our mental health
Session 4: I am worth it!
Learning outcome: There are certain things that can make our self-esteem higher or lower and these are different for everybody.
Session 5: Forgiving others, forgiving me
Learning outcome: Forgiveness helps us to let go of past hurts and move forward. It is within our power to forgive ourselves too.
Session 6: Inside out
Learning outcome: Exploring ways in which we can use our own gifts and abilities to help other people.
Session 7: Like me!
Learning outcome: Looking at comparison and how we use social media and the impact it has on our mental health.
Session 8: A great achievement!
Learning outcome: A look at how we have moved forward over the last few weeks. Putting things in place to continue heading in the right direction.
Each session includes
Teaching
Every session we have a learning objective, and we have a few moments of teaching relevant to the theme of the week. We learn how our brains work, in particular thinking about neuroplasticity and neural pathways.
We are taught how to combat negative thinking as a life skill that can be used for years to come. We learn different techniques for dealing with anxiety in the moment. We also think about other factors that can impact our mental health such as comparison and our use of social media.
Workbook
Every participant is given a workbook with engaging exercises to be completed in each session. Some of these are done individually and will ask participants about their own personal journey. Others are completed together as a group.
There is always plenty of guidance to help participants with completing these tasks. It is an expectation of the course that everyone tries their best on every exercise.
Journal
The journal is a vital tool that we use to change negative thinking patterns. This is where theory becomes practice as we daily reflect on a specific thought pattern and strive to change our neural pathways.
The journal is introduced in the third session and is taken home to work on for just 5 minutes each day. It's up to each participant to motivate themselves to make use of this. As with the whole of the course, the more you put in, the more you get out!
Discussion
As we go through each session, we often pause to discuss our thoughts and opinions on what we are learning. We know that talking in a group setting can be daunting so participants can contribute as much or as little as they’d like to.
We don’t expect participants to share personal details in discussions as this work is done privately in the workbook and journal.
Activity
We will often do activities as a way to consolidate our learning and help us to remember the main points. We learn about self-esteem using a paper cup and a jug of water.
We learn about self-esteem using a paper cup and a jug of water. We learn about the brain by taking a walk. We learn about forgiveness using a paper shredder or maybe even a fire pit!
Faith Focus
Each week we look at a short Bible verse to see what God has to say about mental health. We discover how much God loves us and how he wants us to live in wholeness.
God doesn’t want any of us to suffer with poor mental health and He comes alongside us to help us through life’s challenges, transforming us and showing us how to change the way we think.
