Unlocking Emotional Resilience: Introducing the Managing Emotions Programme

Struggling with overwhelming emotions can be a daunting and exhausting experience, impacting every aspect of a persons’ life, from work and relationships to our overall wellbeing.

Recognising the growing need for effective emotional management strategies, we are thrilled to announce the launch of the Managing Emotions Programme as part of our Community Mental Health Transformation programme.

What is the Managing Emotions Programme?

The Managing Emotions Programme is made up of psychoeducational courses designed to equip individuals with the necessary skills to cope with intense emotions, fostering emotional well-being and resilience. Coproduced by mental health professionals and individuals with lived experience of mental distress, the programme aims to enhance your understanding and awareness of emotions and their profound influence on our lives.

Sorana Berry, Head of Personality Disorder Therapies at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said “The Managing Emotions Programme is built on an understanding of the significant impact that overwhelming emotions can have on various aspects of peoples' lives, including work, relationships, and overall well-being. Taking a proactive approach to address this challenge, the programme seeks to increase understanding and awareness of emotions and their influence on our actions, enabling individuals to develop healthier emotional responses and manage difficult emotions more effectively.”

Participants in the programme will have access to three course types, each tailored to meet the level of education needed. Courses vary in duration and depth, spanning over one, four, or eight sessions. A specialised four-session course is also available, for carers and loved ones of individuals facing emotional difficulties, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide effective support while prioritising their own wellbeing. 

The Impact so far

In East Berkshire the Managing Emotions Programme has been holding courses for over a year reporting positive feedback from over 90% of course attendees.

One person said, “I have found the programme to be the most helpful out of the many that I have attended. The education and knowledge shared from the team has really given me insight into my conditions and the practical reasons for the emotions that I feel.” 

Working Together

Berkshire Healthcare has commissioned ‘Together for Mental Wellbeing’ to deliver the Managing Emotions Programme in Reading, Wokingham, and Newbury. Together Director of Operations & Quality, Emma Edwards said “At Together we’re thrilled to continue our work providing mental health support to the community in West Berkshire with this new and innovative programme. It’s great to see the services available to people in the area evolve and we’re excited to adapt and work alongside people in this new way to empower them to manage their own wellbeing. The service aligns with the new community focussed ways of working outlined in the NHS Long Term plan developing strong links with professional colleagues like GPs and Social Prescribers and is something we’re excited to develop.”

The Managing Emotions Programme launches in Reading, Wokingham and Newbury in August 2023 meaning the programme now has full coverage of Berkshire.

Find out more about the Managing Emotions Programme

If you are a healthcare professional, you can refer to the course using the Together for Mental Wellbeing website or the Joy App.