Effective Group Therapy Sessions in Winnipeg

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for Teens

The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Teens Program (MBSR-T) is an evidence-based treatment group that has been shown through many research trials to be effective in reducing anxiety and increasing feelings of self-esteem and general well-being. It was developed by Gina Biegel based on the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MSBR) Program created by Jon Kabat Zinn at the University of Massachusetts in the 70s.

Dates for upcoming sessions:
7:00 pm-8:15 pm

Effective Anxiety Therapy in Winnipeg

For obvious reasons, dealing with children’s mental illness requires a set of techniques different from those practiced with adults. Children show different symptoms, have different problems and thus, need a different set of treatments. In no way, however, does this mean that it is not possible to treat anxiety in children.

Group therapy sessions conducted by experienced professionals at Mind Matters Clinic in Winnipeg have worked wonders in resolving anxiety problems in children. In fact, our anxiety therapy sessions focus mainly on children.

The anxiety group is targeted towards children from ages 7-13.

Children will learn that they are not the only ones to have these unusual thoughts or behavior. Secondly, many children who are shy and socially anxious will be exposed to the challenge of talking to others or exposing their vulnerabilities. There is no better therapy than exposure therapy – and what better way to start the process in a safe and controlled environment with other children? For many children, exposure to the group will be an added benefit.

The goal is both to learn better coping skills at the group, and to change behavior both at home and at school. Group therapy from Winnipeg’s Mind Matters Clinic can be beneficial for children battling anxiety.

Causes of Anxiety

Anxiety can be caused by several factors- both genetic and psychological. Yes, it is true that some children have a genetic predisposition towards anxiety. This, however, does not imply that one will have an anxiety disorder. It simply means that they are more likely to develop one. There are also social causes behind anxiety disorders. These could be general stressors in life such as school pressure, trouble at home etc.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Anxiety

Our team uses Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) in order to treat children with anxiety disorders. This is a proven, effective, and world-renowned therapy that will help your child break down and identify factors that trigger anxiety. The therapy will proceed to help your ward stop these triggers and negative thoughts.

Dates for upcoming sessions:
Mondays after school, 4:15 pm-5:30 pm

Adapting to ADHD

The Organizational Skills Group is targeted towards children from ages 8 through 16.

We will teach your child how to organize their responsibilities and maintain both an organized calendar and working space. We will then move on to enhancing attention and concentration. Finally, we will help your children develop better impulse control by teaching them how to stop and think before acting.

Reward systems will be set up for home and school, so that your child is actively seeking positive feedback for a job well accomplished. An introduction to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy will be given, with the goal to decrease black and white all or nothing thinking and to enhance self-esteem.

Please see the brochure below for more information.

New Dates for Upcoming Sessions:

Wednesday Evenings, 4:15 pm-5:30 pm

Overcoming Negativity

The overcoming negativity group is targeted towards children (ages 7-13) who:

• Are frequently unhappy, depressed, or anxious
• Focus on the negative side of situations
• Complain frequently
• Are worried about the 'what-ifs'
• Are rigid or inflexible in their thinking style
• Get stuck in a negative thought cycle
• Give up easily
• Have a negative self-image

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy techniques will be used to help children and their parents understand the role of negative thinking in creating negative mood and maladaptive behaviour. The group will teach children how to change their perceptions so that they can see the glass as being half full rather than half empty.

Dates for upcoming sessions:
Thursdays, 4:15 pm-5:30 pm

Helpful Therapy for Anger Management in Winnipeg

Anger is a common emotion. However, many of us still find it difficult to manage it. This problem is even more intense in children. Mind Matters Clinic has an anger management group in Winnipeg designed to help children ages 6-13 better understand and cope with their natural feelings of anger. It’s our hope that your child can learn to change his or her negative behavior at home or at school thanks to the positive behavior that’s promoted within this unique group session. Our clinicians have years of extensive training with children and adolescents. Because of this, our team learns better and more advanced techniques of distinguishing between subtle emotions i.e., anger, fear, frustration etc. Regular practice and being constantly in touch with developments in the field of psychology also helps us deal with children’s emotions in a healthier way. 

This group is targeted towards children from ages 6 to 13.

We teach them how to identify some of the bodily symptoms of negative emotion. Then, we learn how to more effectively distinguish between anger, frustration, disappointment, hurt, fear, and so forth. Once feelings are more accurately identified, the actions that are taken to feel better can be more successfully implemented.

Please see the brochure for more information.

Our Approach

Cognitive behavior therapy techniques will be used to help children better understand and more effectively cope with their feelings. Cognitive techniques, deep breathing, and alternative ways to diffuse will all be taught. At the same time, you will help us monitor and reward better self-control throughout the sessions - and, we will set you up with a system to maintain positive behavior that is learned within the group session

The aim of each of our group therapy sessions is to improve children’s coping skills. This will help them manage their anger and adopt adaptive behaviours.

Symptoms of Anger Management Issues in Children

There is a fine line between getting angry and having anger management issues. With children, these signs are even more subtle and can be even more frustrating and confusing than they would be in adults. However, if you look closely and observe with a keen eye, it is possible to identify anger management issues at an early stage and get your child the treatment he/she needs.

 Difficulty in Maintaining Relationships

Anger management issues can make it difficult for your child to develop and maintain meaningful and healthy friendships and relationships with family members. We urge you to look out for frequent fallouts and unnecessary and frequent fights.

 Frequent Meltdowns

If small and trivial issues trigger your child and are disrupting your family life, we suggest you consult us as soon as possible.

 Frequent Aggressive Episodes

Often, children with anger management issues resort to displaying violent behaviour and/or aggression when they are unable to solve problems.

 Immaturity

It is normal to expect your child to display more maturity and handle situations with increased patience as he/she grows up. However, this does not always happen. It could be a result of a lack of frustration tolerance. Group therapy would go a long way in increasing this tolerance and help your child live a more holistic and well-rounded life.

New dates for upcoming sessions:

Sunday Mornings
Ages 6–9: 9:30 am-10:45 am

Ages 10–13: 11:00 am-12:15 pm

Social Skills Therapy

The Social Skills Group is targeted towards children from ages 7 to 14.

A variety of self-awareness and interpersonal skills are learned. We start with basic social skills - maintaining eye contact, respecting personal body space, and developing a sensitivity to and understanding subtle social cues. We then teach listening and communication skills. We work at developing the skill and self-confidence to initiate and maintain a conversation with peers. The beauty of the group setting is that all of these skills can be practiced in a very realistic way.

Next, we teach some of the more individual skills necessary for healthier relationships – learning how to recognize ‘black and white’ and ‘all or nothing’ thinking and developing the capacity to think in shades of grey. Finally, we teach children the skills they need to deal with teasing and bullying, and we work at

Dates for upcoming sessions:
Ages 7-10: 5:00 pm-6:15 pm

Ages 11-14: 6:30 pm-7:45 pm

Friday Night Hang

This group is designed for teens who want to connect with other teens. We provide some structured activities that are geared toward your personal interests, and anticipate that you will meet other teens who are like-minded. We will poll group members at the beginning about the games and activities that each member likes and try to accommodate each member’s needs at some point during the six-week group. Once you meet up with others at THE HANG, you can plan your own meetups with the people you connect with.

Dates for upcoming sessions:

Friday Nights: 7:00 pm-9:00 pm