6.3 Program Overview
6.3.3 Setting and Materials
The Taming Sneaky Fears program is implemented in two separate, large enough rooms to comfortably accommodate all participants and therapists. Ideally, these two rooms are located in close proximity of one another.
6.3.3.1 Parent Group Room
The parent group room contains a table (or other surface for parents to take notes) and comfortable chairs set up around the table. On the table, the following items are available at each session: (1) name tags for parents and therapists to re-use at each session (ideally, each name tag has the parent’s name printed in large font at the top and the child’s name printed underneath the parent’s names in smaller font, but large enough to be read from a distance); (2) extra copies of the Parent Manual3for parents who forget to bring their Parent Manual; (3) extra pens (for parents to use as needed); (4) copies of the various recommended books and DVDs (listed in Sect.
7.3); and (5) a box of tissues.
In addition, the following items (summarized in Table6.3) are available in the parent group room at each session: (1) white board and/or flip chart and markers (if a white board is used, information needs to be recorded in some fashion to use at future sessions); (2) dry erase markers, dry erase solvent, and sponge wipe for laminated materials ; (3) large laminated picture of a blank Bravery Ladder that
3The Parent Manual is provided as one of the Supplementary Materials with this chapter.
can be written on, erased, and re-used and is the approximate size of a white board or flip chart (Fig. 28 in the Parent Manual); and (4) laminated copies (on regular 8 by 11 size paper) of the illustration showing the overlap between traditional CBT and the Taming Sneaky Fears program (Fig.6.2of this chapter or Fig. 3 of the Parent Manual), the What to Do to Help list (Fig. 4 of the Parent Manual), and the Feeling Thermometer (Fig. 8 of the Parent Manual). Table6.3summarizes the various aforementioned materials and details about setting that are recommended in the implementation of the Taming Sneaky Fears group CBT program with parents.
6.3.3.2 Child Group Room
Ideally, the child group room is large enough to accommodate all participants.
Comfortable chairs for all children and child group therapists are positioned in a small circle. Alternatively, the children and child group therapists can sit on the floor on a suitable mat. Two small tables (or other surfaces) are available, one to set up the snack and one for the children to use when they complete their craft at each session. Pre-printed, stick-on name tags for children and child group therapists are available. Additional materials required at each child session include: (1) Taming Sneaky Fears—Leo the Lion’s story of bravery & Inside Leo’s den: The workbook (Benoit & Monga, 2018a, b; one per child) in order for each child to complete the various drawings that are part of the workbook section of the book during Craft Time; (2) the Supplementary Child Workbook4that contains the additional crafts to complete during Craft Time at some of the child sessions; the child group therapists bring both of these workbooks to each session for the children to use as needed and these workbooks are given to the children to take home at the final graduation session; (3) crayons and markers in a basket or other container; (4) stickers (to use for incentives or rewards); (5) white board and/or flip chart and markers (if a white board is used, information needs to be recorded in some fashion to use at future sessions); (6) dry erase markers, dry erase solvent, and sponge wipe for laminated materials; (7) large, full body, animal puppets, including puppets to portray the five main story characters: Leo the Lion,5Ellie the Elephant,6 Sneaky Fears,7Missy Mistake,8and Ms. Priya the Panther,9and four to six additional animal puppets10 (the number of additional puppets depends upon the number of children in the group as each child uses a puppet at each session; the puppets for Leo
4The Supplementary Child Workbook is provided as one of the Supplementary Materials with this chapter.
5Leo the Lion: Folkmanis full body lion puppet number 2889.
6Ellie the Elephant: Folkmanis full body elephant puppet number 2534.
7Sneaky Fears:TwoFolkmanis full body gray fox puppets number 3032.
8Missy Mistake: Folkmanis Fire Dragon puppet number 3054.
9Ms. Priya the Panther: Folkmanis Black Cat puppet number 2987.
10Any of the following Folkmanis full body puppets could be used for the four to six additional puppets (puppet number in brackets): Chimpanzee (2877), snowy owl (2236), ostrich (3026), tiger (2869) baboon (2914), peacock (2539), small panda bear (2364), koala (3057), sloth (2927),
Table 6.3 Setting and materials
Parent group Child group Large room to comfortably accommodate all participants ✔ ✔ Comfortable chairs for participants (positioned in a small
circle in the child group; around the table in the parent group)
✔ ✔
White board and/or flip chart and markers (if white board is used, information is recorded in some fashion to use at future sessions)
✔ ✔
Dry erase markers, dry erase solvent, and sponge wipe for laminated materials (if a white board is used)
✔ ✔
Name tags with pre-printed names—stick-on for children for each session; pin-on for parents to re-use at each session (parent name in large font at the top and child name in smaller font but large enough to be read from a distance at the bottom)
✔ ✔
Snack lista(if parents are providing snack for the children) ✔ Table so participants can comfortably take notes ✔ Parent Manual(one for each parent distributed at the
Introduction Session, plus extra copies at each subsequent session for parents who forget to bring their Parent Manual;
provided as one of the Supplementary Materials with this chapter)
✔
Pens for parents to use as needed ✔
Laminated copy (on regular 8×11size paper) of: 1. The Taming Sneaky Fears program (Fig.6.2of this chapter or Fig. 3 of the Parent Manual)
2. What to Do to Help list (Fig. 4 of the Parent Manual) 3. Feeling Thermometer (Fig. 8 of the Parent Manual)
✔
✔
✔ Children’s story & companion workbook:Taming Sneaky Fears—Leo the Lion’s story of bravery & Inside Leo’s den:
The workbook(Benoit & Monga,2018a,b)
✔
Supplementary Child Workbook—one per child (provided as one of the Supplementary Materials with this chapter)
✔
Animal puppets, including the five main story characters:
Leo the Lion, Ellie the Elephant, Sneaky Fears, Missy Mistake, and Ms. Priya the Panther, and as many puppets as there are children in the group; all puppets except Sneaky Fears and Missy Mistake (that are for the exclusive use of the child group therapists at specific child sessions) are easily accessible, but partially hidden at the beginning of each session so children do not gravitate towards them when they enter the group room
✔
Stickers (or other form of incentive/reward) at each session to be used for incentive/reward for practicing strategies between sessions or participating in session
✔
(continued)
Table 6.3 (continued)
Parent group Child group Large (size of a flip chart) laminated materials that can be
written on, erased, and re-used
1. Bravery Ladder (Fig. 28 of the Parent Manual)
2. Body outline (for Body Scan; Fig. 6 of the Parent Manual) 3. Feeling Thermometer (Fig. 8 of the Parent Manual)
✔ ✔
✔
✔ Laminated pictures/drawings of each step of My First Bravery
Ladder for Being Friendly with __(a specific person) (modified Fig. 25 of the Parent Manual) with Velcro - large enough to be placed on each step of a large Bravery Ladder (see Sections “Groups of Children Who Have Various Fears”
and “Groups of Children with Selective Mutism and/or Social Anxiety Disorder” for details)b
✔
Small table or other surface for children to do craft ✔
Crayons and markers at each session ✔
Snackc—be mindful of food intolerance or allergies ✔
Small toy or stuffed animals for children to use when learning Balloon Breathing
✔
Story book or game (e.g., a Franklin the Turtle Story or Matching Pairs game) for use during Snack Time, if time permits
✔
Graduation certificate (Fig.11.1) ✔
aIf the parents are providing the snack for the children, a snack list is generated with the parents at the Introduction Session (to determine which parents bring the snack at which session) and at each subsequent parent session, the parent group therapists remind the parents of who is bringing snack to the next session bFor use with children during C-Sessions 6 and 7 (Fig. 25 from the Parent Manual is modified as described in Sections “Groups of Children Who Have Various Fears” and “Groups of Children with Selective Mutism and/or Social Anxiety Disorder”)
cIf the therapists are providing the snack at each child session, an appropriate snack (e.g. granola bar and juice box) is available for each child at each child session
the Lion, Ellie the Elephant, and Ms. Priya the Panther can be used by the children during sessions; however, the Sneaky Fears and Missy Mistake puppets are used by the child group therapists only during the Story Time portions of specific child sessions); (8) a story book (other than the children’s story section of the Benoit and Monga’s Taming Sneaky Fears—Leo’s the Lion’s story of bravery & Inside Leo’s den: The workbook) or game typically enjoyed by four- to seven-year-old children to be used at the end of each session to encourage socialization if time permits (e.g., a Franklin the Turtle Story or Matching Pairs game); and (9) snack such as fruit or granola bar and drink provided by therapists or parents (see Sect.6.3.3.3).
chameleon (2215), bob cat (2199), ant eater (2973), lion mountain (3045), slow loris (3072), armadillo (3043), camel (2979), parrot (2592), macaw (3078).
In addition, various materials are needed at specific sessions in the child group, including (1) a large blank body outline (e.g., Fig. 6 of the Parent Manual), approx- imately the size of a white board or flip chart (or a large body outline can be drawn on the flip chart) for use in child sessions (C-Sessions) 1 and 2; (2) small toys or stuffed animals for the children to use when learning Balloon Breathing at C-Session 2 and each subsequent session; (3) the Sneaky Fears puppets starting in C-Session 2 and the Missy Mistake puppet starting in C-Session 6; (4) a blank laminated Feeling Thermometer (Fig. 8 of the Parent Manual) the size of a white board or flip chart (or a Feeling Thermometer can be drawn on the flip chart at C-Session 5 and each sub- sequent session; (6) a large laminated Bravery Ladder (Fig. 28 of the Parent Manual) along with laminated stick-on illustrations of the ‘steps to being friendly’ with Velcro on the back of each illustration (as detailed in Sect.10.3.3.1.1); and (7) a graduation certificate for each child at C-Session 8 (e.g., Fig.11.1). Table6.3summarizes the various aforementioned details about setting and materials that are recommended in the implementation of the Taming Sneaky Fears group CBT program with children.
6.3.3.3 Snack
Snack could be provided either by the professionals running the group or by the parents attending the group program. If parents provide the snack, a list of which parent is responsible for bringing the snack at which session is established during the Introduction Session (Sect.7.2.4). Prior to the end of each parent session, the parent group therapists remind the parents of who is responsible for bringing the snack to the following session. Socioeconomic and other variables can help to determine whether snack is provided by the professionals running the program or by parents attending the group. Snack typically consists of healthy and nutritious foods such as cheese and crackers, cut-up fruit, or a granola bar along with a juice box or water.
Allergies, other food tolerances, and/or specific dietary requirements must be taken into consideration when determining the snack. The role of Snack Time is detailed in Sect.8.4.6.1.