What is Life Skills Online?
Based on the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), our Life Skills Online Programme is designed to help you learn more about how we think and how this can influence our actions in helpful or unhelpful ways.Â
The programme is hosted on a platform called Silvercloud, and it comprises of eight modules which you can work through online in your own time from the comfort of your own home.
You benefit from the support of an Aware trained volunteer Supporter for the first eight weeks, who you can choose to share your progress with. To get the most from this programme we recommend you complete one module per week for eight consecutive weeks. Your Supporter will check in with you, once per week online through Silvercloud, to see how you’re getting on with each week’s module. After this eight week period, you will have access to the modules to review and reflect upon for up to 12 months.
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Watch the video below to see what to expect from our Life Skills Online Programme which you complete through a platform called Silvercloud.
Registration for our August Programme is now closed. You can register your interest below, registration will reopen on 13th October, with the programme starting on 20th October.
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Proven Results
Our Life Skills Online Programme is delivered in conjunction with SilverCloud Health. The programme was developed by Trinity College Dublin and SilverCloud Health.
The programme has been independently evaluated by Aware. The evaluation showed a statistically significant improvement in participants’ self-reported levels of anxiety and depression after completion. This means that participants of the Life Skills Programme reported lower levels of anxiety and depression.
Life Skills is also consistent with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the treatment of depression and anxiety. NICE is an organisation which provides independent, authoritative and evidence-based guidance on the most effective ways to prevent, diagnose and treat ill-health.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our programme is aimed at individuals, who reside in Ireland, who are experiencing mild to moderate depression, stress and/or anxiety and would like to learn new ways to deal with life’s challenges.
Eight modules completed in your own time, over eight consecutive weeks. You will be able to review your work and your supporters reviews, for up to 12 months afterwards.
You can use the programme in whatever way works best for you. However, to get the most benefit, we recommend completing one module per week over eight consecutive weeks.
During this time, you’ll receive support from an Aware-trained volunteer Supporter. They’re here to guide and encourage you as you begin your journey through the programme. We encourage you to engage with your Supporter — making that connection can really help you stay motivated and get the most out of your experience
SilverCloud programmes are based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and with CBT, the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it. That’s why the programme includes a variety of interactive tools, activities, mood monitors, and journals to help you apply CBT to your own life. We really encourage you to make use of these as much as possible.
The best way to get the most from your programme is to take what you’re learning online and start applying it in your everyday life. Your Supporter will be there to help you with this along the way.
Yes, only individuals aged 18 years and over may take part in our Life Skills programme.
Most people have never used an online programme for their mental health before, so it’s understandable to feel a little unsure or sceptical about how it might help.
We encourage everyone who signs up to Life Skills Online to give the programme a fair try by engaging with it consistently over a number of weeks. Often, it’s with regular use that people begin to see the benefits.
If, after that time, you still feel the programme isn’t the right fit for you, we recommend contacting your Supporter directly to discuss your options.
No, this programme is self-directed and completed online through the SilverCloud Health platform.
If you’re looking for a facilitated programme delivered virtually or in person, we recommend checking out our Resilience Programme instead here.
What to Expect
There are eight modules and the programme includes the following topics:
Learn how to think and feel better using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
Understand more about depression and how low mood, how it might affect you and how you can
use CBT techniques to manage your symptoms.
Learn about emotions, what impacts them and use physical sensations to tune in to them.
Discover how small changes can help you feel better. Look at new ways of moving from slumps to
action.
Understand how your thoughts affect how you feel and become aware of any negative thinking
patterns.
Learn how to generate more balanced thoughts and tackle negative thinking patterns
Understand and identify unhelpful core beliefs and learn how to create more balanced core
beliefs.
Make a plan to stay well and set goals to build the life you want. This module is designed to help
you bring together the skills and ideas you have gathered throughout the programme, and to
continue to make healthy changes in your life.
Feedback from past participants
- “Thank you so much. Life Skills Online has made a difference to me and my life. I’ve done many courses in the past, but I’ve personally found this course the most useful. Things are looking up for me right now, and I’m enjoying it, if that makes sense.”
- “Allowed me to separate and identify issues I cannot fix”
- “I thought it made a big difference to me but when my wife cried and said she got her husband back I was blown away, I didn’t realise she felt this way in the first place so it was amazing to know I have changed.”
