| Module title and description | Relevant cognitive-behavioural therapy strategies |
---|---|---|
Module 1 | ‘What just happened to us?!’ | Peer discussion to normalise range of typical parent experiences. |
Processing the cancer experience and getting back to some form of ‘normal’. | Behavioural activation to improve mood, fatigue, and activity levels. | |
Module 2 | ‘How has cancer changed the way I think?’ | Peer discussion to normalise increase in frequency and intensity of worries after cancer. |
Managing upsetting thoughts and worries about cancer and everything else. | Psycho-education about common unhelpful thinking styles | |
 | Cognitive challenging. | |
Module 3 | ‘Out of your head and back into life’ | Peer discussion to normalise existential concerns and highly distressing worries (for example, about child’s possible death). |
Mindfulness and acceptance-based strategies for easing the struggle with ‘bigger’ existential concerns and emotional pain. | Practical problem solving strategies for problems with logical solution(s). | |
 | Cognitive strategies for disengaging from patterns of unhelpful thinking (for example, attention training, mindfulness exercises). | |
Module 4 | ‘Looking forward’ | Peer discussion to normalise changes to relationships and feelings of isolation after the cancer experience. |
Skills for fostering meaningful relationships, accessing social support and living a rich and fulfilling life after cancer. | Supportive discussion and problem-solving strategies to stimulate support seeking from family and network. | |
 | Assertive, effective communication skills strategies. | |
Booster | Individual ‘catch-up’ session with each parent one month after the end of the group. | Assist participant to identify challenging situations in the past month according to cognitive-behavioural model, and review helpful coping skills. |
 | Review goal from the start of the program - discuss what has helped and what remains challenging in this area. |