Educational Programs

"Gentle Path is sincerely grateful to have received financial support for our 2011 educational programs from the following organizations".

Gentle Path offers many four and six-week Educational Programs for children and adults that teach life skills, and promote healing and personal growth. Our Group Services offer supportive environments in which individuals are encouraged and welcomed to share at their own comfort level while learning effective ways to deal with family challenges, relationship issues, and appropriate expressions of feelings.

Anonymity is stressed at all group programs.

Registration is required for all Educational Programs, and there are some subsidies available for those experiencing financial hardship. Trained facilitators who identify with the issues of group members guide the sessions. Instruction includes lectures, videos, homework assignments, discussions, and readings. Participants are encouraged to attend all sessions to maximize the benefits of each program.

Below is a list describing all of Gentle Path's current educational programs.

Adult Programs

Anger: Friend or Foe? (For Women)

This is a six-week program for women seeking to understand and cope with anger and depression. If individuals have difficulty expressing anger appropriately, repress it, or feel victimized by another's anger, they could benefit from attending. They will learn how to use anger as a force for positive change and how to resolve conflicts in non-violent ways.

Assertively Yours (for Women)

Goals of this six-week program are to help participants learn the difference between non-assertive, aggressive, and assertive communication and behaviour; learn skills for assertive behaviour, including reducing guilt and anxiety when asserting oneself; improving one's self-esteem and personal empowerment; promoting positive, assertive interactions with others; and developing healthy boundaries.

Backward With Gratitude~Forward With Hope

This program consists of two six-week educational programs for adults wanting to learn how the past impacts the present in their daily lives. Individuals who were raised in non-nurturing environments that were abusive, controlling or non-supportive as well as those who want to improve their relations with others could benefit from this program.

Individuals will learn how to more fully understand the impact of non-nurturing environments on childhood development while also learning how to improve parenting abilities.

Beyond Co-Dependency

This program consists of two six-week educational programs for adults who want to learn and change Co-dependent behaviours, such as: overcoming conflicts in relationships both past and present; establishing a stronger sense of self identity; how to meet adult wants and needs, and how to express reality moderately. This course promotes self-awareness and healthy relationships and confronts addictions, such as work, food and control.

Loving Me ~ Loving You (for Women)

This is a six-week program of personal growth and development for women who wish to feel better about themselves. Areas covered in the course include: Body and Self-Image; Decision Making Effectiveness; Personal Responsibility; Self-Esteem; Values & Motivation; Emotions; Relaxation Techniques; Communication.

Men's Stress and Anger - What's the Connection?

This six-week program for men is offered one night a week for two hours. A trained facilitator who has experienced similar issues guides each of the weekly sessions. Sessions include lectures, weekly homework assignments and group discussions. The program is appropriate for any adult male who would like to learn how to control anger and stress in his life.

The goals of the course are to learn the connection between unmanaged stress and anger; how to practice and use non-violent resolution of conflicts; learn anger management techniques; use anger as a motivation for positive change; increase self esteem and self awareness and understand the cycles of anger.

Rebuilding When Your Relationship Ends

This six-week program addresses important and difficult issues many individuals experience when their love relationship ends. These issues include: grief, loneliness, anger, self-worth problems, letting go, sexuality, and so on.

Secrets to a Successful Relationship

This is a four-session VIDEO based program, designed to help individuals and/or couples who wish to learn how to build and maintain healthy relationships. Sessions will offer clear and practical techniques for couples and individuals who want to bring health and vitality to their relationships

Unchained - Women Breaking Free of Abuse

Would you like to be in a healthy relationship? Do you have low self-esteem because of another person? Does meeting new people frighten you? Have you ever been in an abusive relationship?

Benefits of "Unchained" include: improve your self-confidence; getting educated about abuse; signs to look for in an abusive relationship; how to get help to get out of a bad relationship; practicing new skills in a safe environment, and how to protect your children from domestic abuse.

Parenting Programs

Active Parenting Now

Active Parenting Now is a six-week Parenting Program focusing on children ages 5 - 12 years. The program teaches parents to raise responsible, cooperative children who are prepared to meet the challenges of the teen years. This program provides parents with skills that will help them foster cooperation responsibility and self esteem in their children. Parents will also learn positive, non-violent discipline techniques so they can avoid power struggles.

Active Parenting of Teens

This is a six - session VIDEO and DISCUSSION program to help parents: meet the challenges of parenting teens and pre-teens in today's turbulent society; develop the skills they need: to communicate effectively with their teens, encourage better behaviour, use positive discipline techniques and to teach responsibility; and to learn how to address sensitive issues that are vital to today's teens, such as, drug & alcohol use, sexuality, and violence.

Active Parenting for Stepfamilies

This is a six-session video program to help parents and stepparents raise children in the challenging stepfamily environment. Some topics covered include communications; problem solving; discipline; anger; power struggles; differences in values; self esteem, and success.

Children's Programs

I'm Special! (Ages 6 - 7 Years)

A Self-Esteem Program for Children (ages 6 - 8 Years), this program is particularly for Children who have low self-esteem or Children who are at risk of developing low self-esteem.

Goals of the Program are to: Increase self-worth, discover and promote personal strengths, and develop a healthy self-esteem & self concept in the child. This program also aims to help the child to accept his/her strengths and weaknesses and to learn ways to overcome challenges to self - esteem.

Fire in My Belly ( Ages 6 - 8 Years )

This is a six-session program for 6 - 8 year old boys and girls which will help them to handle their anger in healthy ways. As an Anger Management Program sessions will teach children how to express their emotions in positive ways specifically feelings of anger or frustration. The main goal is for the boys and girls to learn what ANGER is, why it is important and healthy ways of dealing with it constructively.

I'm Not Bad .. I'm Just Mad (Ages 8-10 years)

A six-session program for children 8 - 10 years who are experiencing difficulty with anger. Those who could benefit include children who: have difficulty expressing anger appropriately with parents, teachers, siblings, friends; who stuff their anger, and suffer from depression and/or a sense of powerlessness; who act out anger in ways that are harmful to themselves and others; and children who want to use their anger in more productive and appropriate ways.

The Self-Esteem Garden (Ages 8 - 10 years)

This is a six-session program for boys and girls (8-10 years of age) intended to help children increase their levels of self-esteem. Course focuses on behavioural, cognitive, verbal and emotional skills using the gardening analogy to involve children in a fun way!

Good self-esteem helps children to understand that they have the capacity to make good choices and to deal with various life situations in healthy ways; that they are worthwhile, and that their needs and wants are as valid as the needs and wants of others.

Seeing Red ( Ages 10 - 12 years)

This is a six-session program for 10-12 year old girls and boys who have learned to express anger in unhealthy ways. This Anger Management Program will help girls and boys to discover the things that trigger their anger and will offer healthy solutions for dealing with the anger in positive ways. Social skills are another important aspect of this program. The boys and girls will learn positive ways of communicating with their friends, siblings, parents, and authority figures.

Who Am I? Discovering Me! (Ages 10 - 12 Years )

A six-week program developed to help children ages 10 - 12 develop a positive self esteem. Those who could benefit include: children having difficulties developing a sense of self concept; children struggling with behavioural issues due to lack of self esteem; children dealing with concerns stemming from family issues (ie: divorce), or children struggling in school both socially and/or academically. Goals of the Group are for children to: learn to develop a positive sense of self; learn to appreciate and value their uniqueness; uncover and identify the positive qualities that make a person who he/she is; learn to take risks in sharing ones genuine self with others; learn ways to communicate and trust others, and learn to deal with others opinions of oneself.

Braving the Bully (Ages 11 - 13 years)

This is a six-week program for children ages 11-13 years who have been the victims of bullying. The program emphasizes coping with bullying, teaches what bullying is, who becomes a bully and why. The program assists children in learning ways to deal with bullying, assists with self-esteem and self-confidence building and provides assertiveness and social skills training. As well, children are offered opportunities to learn how to build supportive peer relationships.

The Best You (Ages 13-15 years)

This six-week self-esteem program is for teen girls' ages 13- 15 years to develop and increase self-esteem. Participants will learn what self-esteem is, explore factors that influence self-esteem, and learn ways to increase feelings of self-worth. The program will encourage participants to explore the link between body image and self-esteem and to discover how self-talk can be used to boost confidence. Participants will have the opportunity to socialize with peers while in a safe environment.

PRE-REGISTRATION & PRE-PAYMENT IS REQUIRED FOR ALL PROGRAMS.

Click HERE for the current schedule of Educational Program offerings.

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Gentle Path Counselling Services, Ltd.
20 Alma Street
Saint John, NB, Canada
E2L 5G6

Phone: (506)-652-7284
Toll Free: 1-888-394-4022
E-Mail: path@nbnet.nb.ca