The Practical Well-Being Programme: Activities and Exercises

This book is intended for all those interested in well being and a holistic approach whether it is in schools colleges, social settings, family support or business. The development of the programmes came out of work in Liverpool supporting families of children with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties. This book introduces readers to the underlying principles and approaches associated with a holistic approach to well-being in educational and other social contexts.

Originally a specialised 'within schools' programme of therapeutic support for pupils experiencing social, behavioural and /or emotional difficulties. Based on the concept of 'holism' in its fullest sense, it utilises both traditional and complementary approaches in support of the whole person - mind, emotions, body and spirit, in the context of their whole life, incorporating support for the individual, the family, school staff within the environment and where applicable, the wider community.

Each chapter consists of two main parts: information and background; activities that may be used by the teacher as well as in the classroom. The exercises at the end of each chapter are developmental in nature and divided into: Reflective Journal - encourage reflective practises and the development of emotional and spiritual intelligence by recording feeling as well as thoughts and actions; wordsmith - to encourage the development of interest in words, playing with words and defining their terms, interpreting meaning and investigating their source, etc; Activities - Knowledge tree - using the internet to develop their own knowledge tree and allow imagination to develop; activities for the classroom - fun ideas that reflect the key points of each chapter; and Things to do - ideas to develop outside the classroom, places to go, etc. The book also includes Guided Visualisation- learning through the use of 'altered states' and relaxation exercises. These include a series of guided visualisations which include physical, emotional, intellectual and creative practices.