Haven for Staff

Part of my job as a Schools Coordinator entails spending a lot of time in Loreto, and I confess that the students and staff there hold a special place in my heart. Over the past four years of working for Step, I have done so many different things there, but one thing in particular really resonates with the students, and I see it making a real difference to those that attend – and that is the Haven course. Haven is a six-week course that introduces students to a number of CBT based tools to help them navigate their anxiety. Feedback is consistently positive and what has been interesting for me is that the staff have often commented to me on how they would like something similar for themselves.

And it was with this in mind, that a few months ago, at a time when I could see some staff feeling particularly stretched, I felt a prompt from God to offer a Haven course for staff. I sat on this for a while, pondering what it might look like. I then chatted with Claire Banham, the founder of Haven about adapting it, before finally speaking to a key member of staff about the possibility of me running some kind of wellbeing group for staff. To my delight I was given the green light to run one!

So, for the past five weeks, myself and the indomitable Manjit, have met with a small group of staff in the Snug, where I usually run my lunchtime clubs, and it has been so rewarding for all of us.

Right from the outset, I made it clear that I am not a mental health expert, just someone who passionately believes in the power of the Haven course. I explained that my focus was to provide an hour a week to any member of staff who wants some time out and a chance to learn some of the tools from the Haven course.  

The staff attending absolutely love it. Each session we start with tea, cake and chat (of course, this is Step after all!!) before moving into a time of guided relaxation, which always helps bring calm to the group. We then work through different aspects of the Haven course, including breathing, noticing our thoughts, thinking traps, circles of control and most recently the joy of journaling. We make time to practice the tool, before ending by lighting a candle and saying the Haven prayer together. There are always flowers on the table too to help make the space calm and attractive and each week we have got into the habit of giving them to one of the group to take away, and this has brought unexpected joy and delight to them.

Manjit and I have seen fruit from this course already, those attending report back that they are regularly using the breathing techniques and learning to speak kindly to themselves. They even accepted my challenge to try journaling for the next seven days!  Their openness to trying the Haven tools has been wonderful to see, and it is clear they value some downtime, being listened to, and a chance to stop and be still each week.

Manjit and I always pray before and after each session, and we feel hopeful that the tools we are teaching will continue to help those attending in the future, and we look forward to exploring what we might do next once the course has finished.

Amy