Anxiety group outline for Third and Fourth graders

Group Session One

A. Introduction to Group- Explain whom you are as the counselor and why each of
those students are sitting in that room with you at that specific time. Explain what
a group is. Have the students sit in a circle and have them introduce themselves
and one thing they do for fun.
B. The objective for this session is to learn about each other and about anxiety as a
whole in terms they can relate to and understand. Make expectations for the group
and allow students to come up with a name for the group.
C. What is anxiety? Ask the children to make a quick list of things that stress them
out or that makes them frustrated, in terms of relationships and daily lives. Then
go around in a circle and share one or two from their lists. As the student is
reading whats on their list have the other children stand up if they have that on
their list also. If anyone else has that same stressor right it on the board, so that
the students can see all of them. Explain that over the course of this group they
will learn better ways to handle or deal with these specific things and maybe some
others that may not have been mentioned. Next have each student take a
questionnaire (appendix A) and read the questions allowed as they follow the
directions on sheet. Have them each turn in the assessment (appendix A) to you
the counselor once everyone has finished circling. Have an exit strategy game.
Have all the students stand in a circle and go around and say their names, then
repeat their neighbors name on either side of them, if they can not remember their

neighbors names have them repeat this phrase Can you please help me with
your name? .

Group Session Two

A. Relationships- What are relationships and who do you have relationships with?
What are healthy boundaries and how to use them in relationships.
B. The objective for this weeks session would be to learn what are boundaries in
relationships and how to make them and break them.
C. Have the students break up into smaller groups. Give them paper and crayons or
markers. Ask them to draw using their own creative imaginations all the people
they have relationships with. Then have them encircle the people that are within
the same boundaries. Example parents and self would have a circle around them
and siblings and self would have another circle and the whole family might have a
third circle around the other two circles. Have them come back as a whole and
have them talk with a talking piece to explain why they drew the circles they did.
Explain why some boundaries are important. Exit activity, one thing you liked,
one thing you learned, one thing you were surprised by pick one to answer.
D. Homework- over the next week look for times where you see the boundaries or
where maybe boundaries should be. When you are taking a shower should your
whole family be in the bathroom or is there a boundary?

Group Session Three

A. Relationships Continued- Protecting your self. Siblings and Friends.
B. The objective for this session will be to teach the students how to stand up for
themselves without breaking relationships. Students will learn how to take time
outs when feeling stressed out or asking for a break from playtime. Children seek
approval from friends and siblings, however it can be overwhelming for a child
when they do disagree, in this session we will practice, asking for a break.
C. The students will get a chance to role-play multiple different times. Make up
scenarios that would induce the need for a small two-minute break. Example two
brothers are playing video games and the older one is telling the younger one how
to play the game even though the younger brother does not want the further
explanation and would rather figure it out himself. The solution would be for the
younger brother to just say, I am going to play something else for a little bit, this
game is frustrating me. The point is for the student to understand they are
allowed and should walk away. If the student doing the role-play doesnt know
how suggest they can ask a friend in the group to help him. Repeat until everyone
in the group has done a few different scenarios. End group by having each student
name one way new way they learned to express their stress or frustration today.
D. Homework- Try using one thing you learn today and come prepared to share that
next week.

Group Session Four

A- Coping Skills for Daily stressors
A. Stand back
B. Talk it over
C. Read
D. Exercise
E. Slow down
F. Sing

B. Tell them that to Stand back means removing yourself from the stressful situation.
Talking to someone can defuse the problem. Reading offers a way to quiet kids down.
Exercise is a great outlet for stress and anxiety. Kids can always use more practice in
Slowing down and taking deep breaths that make them feel centered and back in
control so that they think before they act. And Singing or listening to music is a
favorite way for kids to regain calm.
C. Ask the children to write down one thing that stressed them out in the past day or so.
Now have the children draw a comic strip where the super hero picks one of these coping
skills as his/her power. The villain in the comic strip is the stressor they just wrote down.
Have them draw the cartoon so that the hero defeats the stressors. Allow them to get
creative. Supply as many art supplies as possible. Then have them share their strips. If
any of the other members in the group can think of another super hero Stress Buster could
have helped have them share that idea as well.

D. Homework- Write STRESS acronym and what each letter stands for.

Group Session Five

A. Coping skills for daily stressors continued. Use STRESS. Remind children of what
STRESS stands for and why its so important to use it when you are feeling stressed.
Discuss termination of the group.

B. The acronym STRESS is six ways to help with daily stressors. In this group the
counselors wants the students to remember what STRESS stands for and when would you
use each coping skill.

C. Hand out Index cards, on one side have them write one of the six coping skills then
flip it over and make a picture of yourself doing that skill. Make one index card for each
of the six coping skills. Now the children have just made them selves coping skills flash
cards. Have them present their flash cards to the group. Next have each student take a
questionnaire (appendix A) and read the questions allowed as they follow the directions
on sheet. Have them each turn in the assessment (appendix A) to you the counselor once
everyone has finished circling. This will help you evaluate how the group has gone and if
you as the counselor have accomplished what you wanted. You should have fewer
statements circled if the group was successful.

Group Session Six

A. Termination
B. Talk about what they learned from this group. Also end the group.
C. Celebrate that they have these great new flash cards and coping skills to use
now when they get stressed out. Also talk about the boundaries and which boundaries
they have noticed. Ask them what they liked about group, what they learned from group
and what could be improved about group.
I hope to accomplish teaching elementary aged students (8-11 year olds) coping
skills for anxiety. Students in this group will learn how to better handle daily stressors by
using one of the five coping skills taught, and they will learn how to build appropriate
boundaries within relationship settings. I am going to use a questionnaire to decide which
where on the anxiety scale are they in the beginning to establish a base line. I will then
teach the six weeklong programs for coping skills for anxious feelings and then I will re
administer the questionnaire.
The size of these groups should remain medium to small, four to eight students. First
week for introductions, building expectations of group, group name, and assessments of
what anxieties and stressors that particular group is struggling with currently. These types
of activities leave lots of room for flexibility so the counselor can focus on what is most
needed for their students with anxieties. The counselor should make it a closed group
then the duration of two week per subject should work. The benefits of having it closed
would be that you could teach the group more in depth and do more role playing and
example play of how to use the coping skills there for allowing for the students to have
time to better comprehend more in depth.

Apendix A
Please circle the face that best describes how you feel about that sentence.

1. I argue a lot
2. I destroy things belonging to others
3. I disobey my parents or people at school
4. I feel too guilty
5. I feel worthless or inferior
6. I am self-conscious or easily embarrassed
7. I am stubborn

8. I have a hot temper

9. I threaten to hurt people

10. I am too fearful or anxious

11. I am unhappy, sad, or depressed

Apendix B
Please briefly answer the following questions about your student.
1. Do they argue with you in class?

2. Does the student demonstrate anxious behaviors?

3. Do these behaviors happen during certain times or academic subjects?

4. To your knowledge does the student currently have coping skills for such behaviors?