The Supportive Friends program is based on research which indicates young people with personal concerns, worry, stress or depression are more likely to tell their friends rather than adults. The program was first introduced in 1997 and since then has been successfully running in a large number of Victorian secondary schools. It has also been introduced to schools in England in recent years.

Supportive Friends involves selecting student volunteers who are willing to be trained in basic helping skills so that they may respond appropriately when another young person confides in them. The supportive friends are not counsellors; instead they may act as a link to counsellors.

The one-day training workshop for senior students addresses the psychological dimensions of anxiety, depression, suicide, resilience, happiness and fulfilment. The training involves practical exercises which encourage interactive discussion and co-operative group learning activities.

Some Narrative Therapy externalisation techniques are employed in the workshop in order to help students identify problems more objectively and to assist friends to work on their own solutions for difficult situations. Externalising language allows a light-hearted approach to what is usually considered serious business.

In the Supportive Friends program, feelings are externalised by using monkeys as a focus for discussing responses to life situations. During the workshop, students develop their skills to create connections thus empowering them to apply their new skills when supporting a friend in need.

Student Comments

“We learnt how to recognise the warning signs of depression and suicide, how to cope with stress and how to approach friends in need.”
(Yr 11 Student)

“We learned to get help from an adult when a situation is serious.”
(Year 12 Student)

More Information:

• Course Dates
• Course Registration
• Workshop Fees (45KB PDF)