Therapeutic Mentoring; Wrap Around, Intensive Support and Training Programmes
Programmes run from monthly or fortnightly mentoring to intensive packages of regular fifty or ninety minute sessions with activity sessions between. Each one is designed with the young person rather than for them, and reviewed as their life changes. Self referrals and professional referrals both accepted.
You can ask for this yourself. Nobody has to refer you, and nothing is decided for you.
You would meet the same person each time. You decide what you want to work on, you can say when something is not working, and what you talk about stays between you and your mentor unless you agree otherwise. If you want to know what the first session is like, just ask.
Designed around each young person
Our fully comprehensive programmes range from basic Mentoring to Intensive Support Packages, and are always designed in full consultation with the Client. We can also involve consultation with Social Workers, School, College, or other Professionals where relevant, and agreed with the Young Person.
Each individual programme differs in content and structure, but the core purpose remains the same: to develop knowledge and skills that enable healing, stable progression, generate motivation and a healthy sense of well-being and self-esteem. We aim to achieve this by exploring emotions, resolving traumas, teaching coping strategies and practical skills and abilities to enable independence, success and security, such as attending interviews, job hunting, house hunting, budgeting, accessing services and time management. Packages consist of a balanced combination of solution based therapy; emotional literacy; therapeutic mentoring; social and life skills training and support.
Each programme is specifically designed around the Young Person's needs and aspirations, regularly reviewed and surveyed, so as to be adaptable and responsive to current events, changes and progress in the Client's life.
Intensive to Basic Support Packages
Usually an Intensive Support Package consists of regular one to one sessions lasting 50 or 90 minutes, plus additional planned informal activities or outings, designed to reinforce and support the learning taking place in the formal sessions. The frequency of formal and activity sessions may taper off towards the end of the programme, as the Client becomes able to take more responsibility for targets and goals to be achieved between sessions.
A more Basic Mentoring and Support Package therefore might involve less frequent formal sessions (fortnightly or monthly) and fewer or no extra activity sessions. The more basic the support package, the more the expectation is on the Client to carry out agreed tasks, activities and targets independently between sessions.
Confidentiality
We work to a strict confidentiality agreement between Mentor and Young Person. We can also work to a shared confidentiality with Parents, Carers or Social Workers if the Client is in agreement. This way we can ensure we are all working together with clear communication and in unison to support the Young Person.
We accept self referrals from Young People themselves and third party referrals from professionals / organisations working with Young People. Please contact us for a referral form or to ask any further questions.
All profits made through Engage are put straight back into the organisation's funds to enable us to provide free and low cost support and training for young people and organisations who work with them.
Example Intensive Programme Structure
Programmes usually consist of three phases. Rather than having a rigid timescale, each Phase ends as the Young Person achieves a certain level of progress, thus providing the foundation for the following phase. Using regular reviews, feedback and good inter-agency communication, the programme will be responsive and adaptable, allowing a space to process unforeseen events or issues in the Client's life that may occur during the process.
Note: Individually designed programmes contain different combinations and elements and do not necessarily contain ALL of those listed below. This example is to illustrate some of the areas it is possible to cover with a client. It may contain a greater emphasis on practical activities and support, or on emotional support and talking sessions, depending on individual needs.
Three Phase Programme
Phases are divided into three general areas with overlap:
1. Looking Back and Letting Go: Emotional Understanding, Forgiveness, Release and Resolution
2. Being in the Present: Building Self Image, Establishing new Patterns and Self-beliefs
3. Looking Forwards: Life skills and Strategies for Success and Well-Being
Looking Back and Letting Go
- Establishing Trust and Ground rules
- Setting Aims, Targets and Goals
- Identifying boundaries, limitations and unreal expectations
- Exploring Hopes and Fears
- Building Emotional Vocabulary, It's OK to feel
- Overview of history, identifying key traumas and original sensitising events
- Breaking Trances and Stopping Transference, leaving the past behind
- Releasing Blame and Forgiving Self and Others
- Managing Relationships, Formal, Acquaintances, Families, Friends and Lovers
- Sex and Sexuality, feeling OK about who I am
- Resolving Guilt and Shame
- Allowing Self-Love and Acceptance
Being in the Present
- Increasing Self-Esteem and Confidence
- Establishing healthy routines, habits and thought patterns
- Identifying Negative thought Patterns and Beliefs
- Examining Self-defeating behaviours
- Releasing Anger and Rage and channelling it positively
- Managing Fear and Anxiety
- Learning about Healthy Eating, Exercise, and Physical Self Care
- Accepting and Being "Good Enough"
- Building a positive Self Image
Looking Forwards
- Building a vision for the future
- Life skills and strategies for success
- Setting goals for the future
- Establishing positive interests and hobbies
- Anchoring healthy thought patterns, self-beliefs and self-love
- Establishing routines for school, work and career
- Feeling safe, being safe and keeping safe
- Learning from failure, reframing and turning it round
- Managing the home, Budgeting, Health, Hygiene and Maintenance
- Accessing Services, How, Who and When?
- Endings and Beginnings, Letting go and moving on
Note: Although the entire process contains embedded psychotherapeutic techniques, it is important to be clear that it does not involve intensive or intrusive psychoanalysis. Rather it is a holistic mix of solution focused, client centred, resolution therapy, mentoring, and life skills training and support. A majority of the work is delivered through engaging practical exercises and activities designed to enable and empower, providing Clients with the understanding, insight, skills and tools to better maintain mental and emotional stability and achieve a more successful future.
Intensive and Wrap Around Therapeutic Mentoring Packages
We have a number of free and reduced rate spaces. Please get in touch to discuss your individual needs.
Each programme will be created specifically for the young person, including parents and professionals in the process as applicable. They will vary in intensity and regularity as agreed. Therapeutic Support Programmes may include aspects of the following:
Formal Therapeutic Mentoring Sessions (60 mins)
Face to face counselling, exploration of issues and therapeutic strategies.
Note: Formal sessions are always conducted in a fixed setting, therefore own transportation should be considered.
Extended Therapeutic Mentoring Sessions (90 mins)
Include face to face counselling and a regular therapeutic activity designed to increase abilities in agreed areas (e.g. social confidence, physical exertion, co-operation). Will include pick up and drop off.
Informal Structured Activity Sessions (60–90 mins)
Regular informal activity. Can include training, education search, applications or job search and interview support etc.
Informal Activity Support
Support to attend meetings, interviews, pick up, drop off etc.