Overcoming Low Mood

Our Overcoming Low Mood Course introduces you to some helpful techniques to improve how you feel.

It’s also an opportunity to meet others who may be feeling similarly to you, although the session is not group therapy and you will not be asked to share your personal experiences with others.

The course is free and runs for five weeks. You can choose between online or face to face. The online course is 1.5 hours each week and the face to face course is 2 hours each week.

I want to learn techniques to manage my mood
I am aged 18 or over
I can attend all sessions
I am willing to practice some of the techniques at home between sessions
I am happy to be involved in a group format

A bit more about the course

The online and face to face courses cover the same content and they are delivered by two of our experienced Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners.

The Low Mood course is one of our Improving Wellbeing Sessions which aims to improve your understanding of low mood and give you practical techniques to help make changes to feel better.

Online Course: Microsoft Teams, 1.5 hours long with a break half way through.

You will be provided with a downloadable course handbook with some techniques for you to practice at home.

Face to face course: Small group (upto 12 people), locations across the city, 2 hours long with a break half way through.

You will be provided with a downloadable course handbook that you can use in session by bringing your own laptop/ipad or other device. We can also provide a printed copy in session.

Below you can see the different topics we will cover each week.

The first session begins by defining what low mood is and how it can affect us. You will also prepare for the next five sessions by setting goals to work towards.

The second session focuses on how low mood can affect motivation and how we can start doing more to feel better.

The third session identifies how unhelpful thinking can affect mood and how this can be managed by challenging unhelpful thoughts and thinking more realistically.

The fourth session includes information about health behaviours that can improve mood. There is also a guide to a technique that can help us solve practical problems.

The final session brings everything we have learned so far together and helps you maintain the progress you have made as well as prepare for the future.

Course dates

Our Overcoming Low Mood course runs on a regular basis throughout the year. We have courses on different days and times, including daytime and early evening.

First, you need to book an assessment with a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP). They will discuss the course and how it will help you. The PWP will be able to book you onto the next course.

How do I book a place?

If you would like to book a place on this course all you need to do is fill in our online referral form.

Select the ‘Overcoming Low Mood’ course as your preferred treatment option.

You can also call us on 0114 226 4380 and speak to one of our team.

Once you have completed your referral you will be invited for a short assessment call with one of our Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners.

Feedback from attendees

Hundreds of people attend our Overcoming Low Mood course every year. Here’s some of the feedback they have shared about the course:

“The sessions were brilliant and made me realise I’m not on my own.”

“I was anxious initially but my confidence grew and I enjoyed the sessions.”

“I was spending more time on my own because I was feeling worried and down, these sessions helped me learn ways to get better and feel like me again.”

Frequently asked questions

We know that coming to a course like this for the first time can be quite daunting and you’ll have lots of questions about what to expect.

Below is a list of some of the most common questions we are asked and some answers to help put your mind at ease.

Once you have completed your referral, you will have an assessment call with a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP).

During the assessment you will be asked some questions to help us make sure that the course is the right one for you. You will also have an opportunity to ask any questions you have.

Before the course starts, you will also have an opportunity to have a welcome call with the course facilitator. During the welcome call you will be able to meet the facilitator, understand how the course can help you, and discuss any worries about the course. We find this welcome call can help participants get the most from the course.

Please note all our calls come from a withheld number.

Two days before each course session you will receive a text or an email (depending on your preference) with a set of questionnaires. The text will be sent from ‘SHEFF NHS’, and the email will be sent from webform@myprogress.info please add this to your contacts so the email doesn’t get lost in your spam.

These questionnaires will ask you about depression and anxiety, and what symptoms you have noticed over the last two weeks. It is really helpful to complete them each week, as they allow both you and us to keep a track of any improvements in your mood.

A week before the course, one of the course facilitators will call you. They will introduce themselves and give you more information about the course. They can also answer any questions you might have.

In the week before your course is due to start you will receive an email from our administration team. The email will provide you with a link to the meeting, instructions on how to join it and a downloadable copy of your workbook.

This email will come from sheffieldtalkingtherapies@shsc.nhs.uk, please add this to your contacts so the email doesn’t get lost in your spam.

We hope you will find the course helpful, but sometimes it can take time to put the techniques into practice and notice improvements in your mood. We would encourage you to keep using the techniques in your workbook and give yourself a chance to practice them after the course.

We will contact you if you are still struggling with symptoms of depression or anxiety to see if our service can offer any further treatment or recommend any other services to help support to you.

If you did not attend the whole course we may also contact you to check in.

Your telephone review will be booked with a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner and will give you a chance to discuss the course, give you an opportunity to ask any questions and discuss further options for treatment.

We invite your participation in both the virtual and face to face courses. Yet, there is no expectation that everyone will want to join in. You are welcome to listen, or if you feel comfortable you can contribute to some of the the questions. We often find that people feel more comfortable and able to join in as the course goes on.

We will never put you on the spot or ask you directly to speak. We also ask that people do not share any personal information.

Virtual: Everyone's video and microphone is turned off. You can use the group chat, or come on the microphone if you would like to speak.

Face to face: There will be opportunities to talk to the person next to you and feedback to the wider group. It is not group therapy.

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