About the InTER-ACT Programme

InTER-ACT is a universal (non-targeted) preventative mental health programme for secondary school aged pupils. InTER-ACT consists of three hour long evidence-based wellbeing workshops delivered to groups of adolescents by facilitators who have attended the two day InTER-ACT Facilitators Training. 

The InTER-ACT programme has been carefully developed and refined over a five year period through a meticulous continuous improvement research programme based at Cardiff University. This has involved comprehensive consultation with young people, teachers and facilitators to ensure a programme that is engaging, relevant and effective.

• The first day background theory and then the second day with the workshop plans, videos and resources….It feels like a complete package that I can take away and deliver with confidence.

• Incredible for professional and personal development. Enhances your way of life by not giving power to your thoughts and living in a more mindful way.

• This fits well with my systemic practice with young people, families and schools.

• Helpful on a personal level as well as enabling growth on a professional level too!

• Thank you it was really interesting and I love the 3 workshops.

• This was well delivered with plenty of resources and considerations. Excellent and insightful.

• A fascinating new approach that helps both ourselves & clients. The training provides a good understanding of the theoretical approach & demonstrates how to put this into practice. The trainers are very knowledgeable in the subject and great to learn from.

• Really enjoyed the training. Can’t wait to start delivering the worshops.

• I have a lot of confidence in this being rolled out to our schools. The content, the delivery, the structure of the day and training were all well thought out. Thoroughly enjoyed!

• Excellent introduction to ACT and how to use with young people. Something you can pick up and deliver without any tweaking!

• Great training, thoughtful and evidence based, providing helpful skills for children to learn early on which can be beneficial for life.

Programme Content 

Workshop 1: Thoughts are Just Thoughts 

• Through fun experiments, students are introduced to the idea that trying to control thoughts tends to be pretty counterproductive. 
• Students learn about why our thoughts are often negative and how this has actually helped us to survive.
• Students are taught effective skills to enable them to ‘unhook’ from difficult thoughts so they are free to do what’s important to them. 

Workshop 2: Pause, Observe, Describe 

• In this workshop, students are asked ‘can we control what we feel’? This is then tested out with a number of interactive exercises. 
• The challenges of having a ‘time travelling mind’ are discussed.
• Students learn how to connect with the present moment using the senses and a simple mindfulness exercise. 
• The skill of taking a ‘POD’ pause is introduced and students are given a chance to practise their noticing skills whilst watching an emotive video.

Workshop 3: Takings Steps Towards What Matters

• In the final workshop we look at how the things we get told are most important in life don’t tally with research about wellbeing!
• Students are given the opportunities to think about what matters most to them in life i.e., when they feel most connected and alive.
• Having identified their top 5 personal values, students get to identify small steps they can take to act in line with these qualities. 
• A summary of key learning points and skills concludes the programme. 

Watch some clips from the InTER-ACT workshops.