CBT and Mindfulness
For students with symptoms of depression and anxiety
TRAILS CBT and Mindfulness sessions provide students with skills for managing common mental health concerns. Grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness – the gold-standard practices for which the program is named – TRAILS CBT and Mindfulness is designed to be delivered by school mental health professionals, such as school counselors, social workers, or psychologists.
CBT and Mindfulness sessions:
- Help students manage common depression and anxiety symptoms, such as feelings of hopelessness, worried thoughts, decreased energy, and avoidant behaviors
- Don’t require a formal mental health diagnosis for participation
Why CBT?
CBT is widely considered the gold standard for treatment of depression and anxiety.
It has strong evidence of effectiveness in both children and adolescents.
Because our CBT programming is skills-based, it's ideal for the school setting.
School mental health professionals can deliver the full CBT and Mindfulness program in small groups, or select from a range of activities to complete with students one-on-one.
The skills CBT provides are lifelong.
When students engage with CBT, they are learning to cope not only with their current symptoms, but with many other challenges they will face throughout their lives.
Program Close-Up
7 or 10 sessions
Manuals focused on depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, or both
3 developmentally appropriate grade bands: 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12
TRAILS CBT and Mindfulness sessions provide students with education about depression, anxiety, and other common mental health concerns, and a range of effective strategies for coping with their symptoms. Read about each strategy below:
Mindfulness
Focusing on the present moment, and working to accept and manage what we’re experiencing right now
Relaxation
Working to slow down our bodies and minds
Cognitive coping
Identifying negative thoughts, and generating more accurate and helpful ways of thinking
Behavioral activation
Scheduling physical activities to boost our moods and strengthen our well-being
Exposure
Systematically facing our fears to overcome avoidance and manage anxiety
How to get started
TRAILS CBT and Mindfulness materials are:
- Designed to be delivered by school counselors, social workers, or psychologists
- Available to any mental health professional free of charge
Our school partners receive:
- Training from the TRAILS clinical team
- Mentorship from a designated TRAILS Coach
- Ongoing access to weekly Q&A sessions, assessment measures, and implementation tracking tools
“This has helped so much. We have a high needs population that kept coming into our offices in crisis. We were so busy that all we could do was to put a band-aid on it and send them back to class. Now we have a common language and consistency in strategies that has been so helpful.”
Interested in partnering with us?
We currently work with schools in Michigan, Colorado, and Massachusetts, and welcome the opportunity to explore additional partnerships in these states. While our capacity for other partnerships is limited at this time, we welcome potential partners who are located elsewhere to reach out to us so that we can reconnect when TRAILS expansions occur. Send us a message.
Regardless of partnership status, we are proud to offer open access to numerous materials free of charge, including all CBT and Mindfulness manuals and resources. To access free TRAILS materials, create an account.