Theoretical principles behind The FRIENDS Programs
The skills and techniques taught in Fun FRIENDS (for ages 4 – 7 years, FRIENDS for Life (for ages 8 – 10 years) and My FRIENDS Youth (for ages 11 – 15 years) addresses four key psychological processes: Attachment, Physiological, Cognitive and Learning. These processes are seen to interact in the development, experience and maintenance of anxiety with the influence of each area varying between individuals and across situations.
Attachment
The FRIENDS Programs addresses importance of stable, unconditional loving relationships throughout our lives and the benefits of choosing and maintaining healthy friendships. Children can learn to enhance their ability to recognise and understand feelings themselves and in all living creatures as well as learning self-regulation and self-soothing strategies to manage their emotions.
Physiological
Increasing awareness of the physical reactions our bodies experience when we are feeling worried, nervous or afraid helps children and adolescents make the connection between the physical symptoms of anxiety and anxiety-provoking events. Those who experience anxiety are generally tense and unskilled at practicing relaxation. Therefore, ability to relax at crucial moments before or during events is an essential coping skill.
Cognitive
The thoughts that we have about ourselves, others and situations are often powerful. Children and adolescents who experience anxiety tend to engage in unhelpful self-talk which is characterised by negative evaluations about oneself and future events, perfectionist standards of performance, concerns about failure and what others may be thinking. The FRIENDS Programs teaches children and adolescents coping strategies based on the psychological principal that our thoughts, behaviour and feelings are all interlinked.
Learning
Throughout The FRIENDS Programs, emphasis is placed on the concept of resilience, which is perhaps best defined as a dynamic dual process. This describes the ability of an individual to handle various challenges and also be open to positive opportunities. As the definition implies, The FRIENDS Programs aim to equip children and their families with the skills necessary to achieve positive outcomes.
As Licensed Partner of The FRIENDS Programs, Resilience Kit runs developmentally targeted evidence-based resilience programs for the prevention and reduction of anxiety in Perth, Western Australia. Resilience Kit strongly encourages parent/caregiver participation to understand the key psychological processes behind the Programs. Practicing the skills as a family involves not only the child who attends a Program, but also siblings, parents and any other family members living in the household.