Module 3: Counselling & Mental Health Awareness (Level 1) – Easy Read PowerPoint

 

Slide 1 – Title Slide

Title: Counselling & Mental Health Awareness (Level 1)
Subtitle: Understanding anxiety, depression, and how to help
Visual ideas:

• Smiling face icon 🙂

• Brain icon 🧠

• Heart icon ❤️
  Notes for presenter: Explain that this is awareness only, not training to be a counsellor.

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Slide 2 – What is Mental Health?

Content:

• Mental health = how we think, feel, and cope

• Everyone has mental health, like physical health

• Good mental health helps with stress, work, school, and relationships
  Visual ideas:

• Brain icon 🧠

• Heart icon ❤️

• Stress cloud icon ☁️

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Slide 3 – Common Struggles at Level 1

Content:

• Feeling anxious or worried 😟

• Feeling sad or low (depression) 😔

• Stress at work, school, or college 💼📚

• Feeling lonely or overwhelmed 🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️
  Visual ideas:

• Cloud icons with expressions ☁️😟😔

• School / work / home icons 🏫🏠💼

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Slide 4 – Simple Idea: CBT

Content:

• CBT = noticing thoughts, feelings, and actions

• Changing thoughts can help feelings

• You do not deliver CBT yourself at Level 1
  Visual ideas:

• Thought bubble icon 💭

• Arrow cycle showing thought → feeling → action 🔄

• Happy/sad face icons 🙂😟

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Slide 5 – Basic Counselling Awareness Skills

Content:

• Introduction: Say who you are and that you are listening 👋

• Build rapport: Make the person feel safe 🤝

• Gather information: Ask gently about the problem 📝

• Problem solving: Support small steps or options ✅

• Referral: Know when to get professional help 🚪
  Visual ideas:

• Handshake icon 🤝

• Notebook / pen 📝

• Checkmark ✅

• Door icon 🚪

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Slide 6 – When to Refer On

Content:

• Do not try to solve:

  • Serious crises (suicidal thoughts) ⚠️

  • Complex mental health conditions (e.g., borderline personality) ❌

  • Major life crises / bereavement 💔

• What to do:

  1. Speak to manager or supervisor 👩‍💼

  2. Refer to appropriate service:

     • Anxiety / depression → GP, therapist, mental health charity 🏥

     • Money problems → CAB (UK) / local financial support 💳

     • Bereavement → specialist service 🕊️
       Visual ideas:

• Warning icons ⚠️❌

• Phone / office / service icons ☎️🏢

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Slide 7 – Summary

Content:

• Mental health affects thoughts, feelings, and coping

• Level 1 focus: anxiety & depression

• Awareness of counselling skills, not full counselling

• Know when and where to refer
  Visual ideas:

• Brain + heart icons 🧠❤️

• Arrow icons → to show next steps 🔜

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Slide 8 – Mini Quiz / Check

Questions:

1. Name two common struggles people may face at Level 1.

2. Who should you speak to if a problem is too big?

3. What does CBT help people notice?
   Visual ideas:

• Quiz icons ❓

• Tick/checkmark ✅

• Thinking face icon 🤔