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Using photocopiable and electronic resources, Erica Frydenberg provides teachers with strategies that will enable students to combat stress and depression in the classroom. Depression is being experienced in epidemic proportions in many Western societies, and there is great concern over the number of young people who are suffering, sometimes to the extent of committing suicide. This book aims to help prevent stress and depression by taking a positive approach to the promotion of health and well being in young people, giving them the skills to cope with the problems of everyday life at school and at home.
Erica Frydenberg introduces the theory behind a cognitive behavioural approach to coping skills and offers a program of modules that teachers or other professionals can use with young people to train them in coping skills. The principle that underscores this program is that we can all do what we do better. If we do not like how we cope in certain contexts we can learn new strategies.
It is possible to enhance and develop one's coping if we have a framework within which to do that. The program is designed to have universal application and can be taught in any group or class setting. Nevertheless, instructors will be able to bring their own experience and adaptations to the sessions.
Foreword Tom Oakland
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Section I: Positive psychology, cognitive behavioural theory and the field of coping: what we know
Section II: The modules of the program
Section III: Coping Skills for Particular Groups
Learning Disabled
Children who have Experienced Divorce
Dealing with Depression
Chronic Illness
Young people with Asperger's
Working in small groups
Concluding remarks
References
"Welcome to the Age of Resilience! Think Positively is a timely summons for teachers and parents to actively assume responsibility for making declarations such as "look on the bright side," or "the sky is the limit" to be more than just encouragements and instead become the way of life for young people. Erica Frydenberg's course is carefully grounded in developmental theories and empirical research on stress and coping. This resourceful book offers very practical templates for teaching children and teenagers productive coping strategies with past, present and future stressors. Yes we can, with the aid of this volume, coach our children to make well-informed choices regarding different ways of coping."
- Krys Kaniasty, Professor of Psychology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA & Opole University, Poland
"Erica Frydenberg's Think Positively! is a highly important and valuable manual that should be widely consulted. So much of the popular literature on positive thinking offers advice that is well-meaning but poorly evidence-based. However, this text is different. Its uniqueness lies in its promotion of coping skills and empowerment strategies based on principles drawn from empirical research. In adopting this approach, Frydenberg can be credited with providing an important service to young people and their mentors. This is a vividly written, well researched, and highly practical text."
- Brian Hughes, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, National University of Ireland, Galway
"I think Erica's new book serves two valuable purposes: one is giving a reliable picture of the latest research in the topical area of positive psychology. The other, even more important purpose is its practical usefulness in the classroom....I think it's a perfect text for schools and teachers who might want to start up or develop their positive thinking programs for students."
- Glyn Davis, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Melbourne, Australia
