Stress Management Six Week Small Group Counseling

High School Level

Anna Romero
Brandman University

High school students experience high levels of stress whether it is at home, at school or with friends. High
levels of stress can affect the student’s health and well-being. The goal for this small group counseling is to help
high school students to better manage the stress in their lives. Students will learn what negative effect stress can
do to their body and talk about what is causing their stress in a safe and trusting environment. Students will
learn how to cope with stress, learn stress management techniques, when to seek for help from an adult or friend
at school or outside of school, and how to set goals to build self-esteem and better manage stress. This group is
a great opportunity for students to make friends, share their thoughts and feelings, and practice coping skills
with other students who are experiencing similar feelings as they are.
 SMALL GROUP GUIDANCE
PARENT/GUARDIAN PERMISSION FORM

Teen High School

Your permission is requested for your child to participate in small group guidance activities. The group will
meet six times. Each session will be about 45 minutes long and will take place after school.

The group is titled “Stress Management”. Your child will have the opportunity to learn how to better manage
the stress in their lives. This group is for students who are experiencing high levels of stress with either home,
their academics or personal life. Students will learn about techniques and coping skills that will help them
reduce their stress for their health and well-being. Students will be able to build a support group and learn about
the resources provided at school and outside of school for managing their stress. This group is a great
opportunity for students to make friends, share their thoughts and feelings, and practice coping skills with other
students who are experiencing similar feelings as they are.

By signing this form, I give consent for my child to participate in this small group. Please return this form to the
counseling center.

Thank you.

_______________________________________________________________________
Student Name Date

_______________________________________________________________________
Parent/guardian Date
 Stress Management

Unit Name (Six Weeks)___Session 1

Name of Activity (Week # 1): What is Stress Management?

Domain: Personal/Social development

Standard: 1.5. M Describe how social environments affect health and well-being. 1.9.M Classify personal
stressors at home, in school, and with peers.

❏ Materials Needed (if any):

-Piece of paper/Notebook
-Pen/Pencil
-Video http://bstrongtogether.org/for-students/stress/
-Projector
-Basket

❏ Lesson Objective (s): Students will be able to have an understanding of what stress and stress
management is. Students will also learn how stress can affect the body.

Many students experience a significant amount of stress. Stress can take a toll on the student's health,
happiness, and even grades. Students can learn that there are strategies that can help manage stress.
A website will be provided that has some resources on ways to help manage stress. Students will discuss
the sources that cause them to stress.

❏ Opening/Icebreaker: (10 minutes) Introduction/ Name Game

❏ Hand each student their own notebook/journal.
❏ Discuss confidentiality.
❏ Discuss group rules. Have students suggest their own rules.
❏ A Quick introductory icebreaker. Everyone sits in a circle. The first person starts by using an
adjective starting with the same letter as their first name, followed by their first name (for
example Sweet Stephanie, Amazing Amanda). Then the next person repeats the adjective and
first name of the first person, and then adds their own. Continue around the circle, with the last
person having to repeat all the names in order and adding their own.

❏ Instruction:(15 mins)
❏ Use the Video Provided: How Stress Affects the Body http://bstrongtogether.org/for-
students/stress/. Have the speaker present the video. Have the students write down ways that will
help manage stress that are provided in the link. Also have students write down the link so that
they have access to the websites provided on the link.
❏ Discuss video

❏ Description of Activity: Stress Test (20 minutes)

❏ Have all students get a pen and paper and tear the paper into 6 pieces.
 ❏ On each piece of paper have all students write down 6 situations, one on each paper, that
stresses them out.
❏ Speaker will gather all papers, put them in a basket and pick them one by one. Each piece of
paper will be read out loud by the speaker. Then everyone in the group should vote by a show of
hands, if they find or don’t find that situation stressful in their personal viewpoint.

Purpose: It is helpful to discuss after each vote to see why students find certain situations
stressful, while others do not. Other students may be able to relate to their peers and hopefully
feel like they are not alone and may experience similar challenges as others in the group.
Students can gain self-awareness and awareness of others.

❏ Connection/Closing Statement: Check- in with each student and see how they felt about the activity and
if it helped them realize that they are not the only person dealing with stress. In regards to the video and
website, ask if there were any stress relief tips that stood out to them and that they are willing to try
outside the group. Also ask if students understand how stress can affect their body.

❏ Outside Practice (if any): Ask the students to try one stress relief tip from the website we looked at today
or wrote down in their journal outside of the group. Be ready to discuss during the next session.

❏ Student outcomes/Evaluation component: What are the student’s overall feelings about being able to
find ways to help manage their stress? What are students feeling knowing that they are not the only
member in the group dealing with stress?

Unit Name (Six Weeks)___Session 2

Name of Activity (Week # 2) How to Cope with Stress.

Domain: Personal/Social development

Standard: 5.1. M Monitor personal stressors and assess techniques for managing them. 5.2. M Compare
various coping mechanisms for managing stress. 7.2. M Practice effective coping mechanisms and strategies
for managing stress.

❏ Materials Needed (if any):

-Journal/Pen
-White Board
-Video
-Projector
-Magazines
-Poster Board
-Glue
-Markers

❏ Lesson Objective (s):

❏ Help students learn about healthy ways to cope with stress.
❏ Brainstorm a list of some healthy coping skills.
❏ List some unhealthy ways to cope with stress and explain why they should be avoided.

❏ Opening/Icebreaker: (15 minutes)

❏ Check in with each student.
❏ Ask each student to talk about one stress relief strategy they tried and if it worked or not. If not,
ask why they believe it did not work.

❏ Instruction: (10 minutes)

❏ Use the video provided: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
time_continue=216&v=hW7nVYMYaHw&feature=emb_logo

❏ Description of Activity & Purpose: (20 minutes)

❏ Brainstorm and make a list of all the healthy and unhealthy ways to cope with stress. Discuss
both topics thoroughly.
❏ Have the students write down, in their journal, their top five healthy ways to deal with stress.
❏ Break students into small groups and have them cut out an image from a magazine that
represents one healthy way to cope with stress and glue it on a poster board, write a small blurb
about it, and discuss why they chose that technique.
❏ The groups can come as a whole and discuss as a group.

Purpose: Students will learn the healthy and unhealthy ways to cope with stress. The most important part
is to avoid the unhealthy ways such as drug abuse, bullying, and mental illness and work towards the
healthy ways to cope with stress. Students can share with each other the different healthy ways that they
use to cope with stress. It is better when the techniques come from the students themselves rather than
the instructor. The magazine cutouts give the students a visual of the different ways to cope with stress
such as listening to music, meditating, yoga, sleeping, painting etc.
 ❏ Connection/Closing Statement: Check-in with each student and ask if they have learned about a new
stress coping technique or if they found a different one, they would like to try and which one. Let
students know that next week another strategy they will learn about are the people they can talk to when
feeling stressed.

❏ Outside Practice (if any): Have students try a new technique for managing stress at home.

❏ Student outcomes/Evaluation component: Are the students more aware that there are various ways of
coping with their stress? Students need to understand that there are easy and simple ways to help
manage stress such as listening to music or doing a quick breathing exercise that will not take too much
of their time.

Unit Name (Six Weeks)___Session 3

Name of Activity (Week # 3) Social Support

Domain: Personal/Social development

Standard: 1.1M Describe benefits of having a positive relationship with trusted adults. 3.1.M Access school
and community resources to help with mental, emotional, and social health concerns. 4.1.M Seek help from
trusted adults for oneself or a friend with an emotional or social health.

❏ Materials Needed (if any):

❏ Paper/ Journal
❏ Pencil/Pen
❏ Video

❏ Lesson Objective (s): Students will learn about some resources that they can access when feeling
stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious such as hot lines. Students will also learn about the people they can
also talk to when feeling stressed such as teachers, coaches, school counselors, parents and peers.

❏ Opening/Icebreaker: (10 minutes)

❏ Check in with each student about the stress management process so far.
❏ Get all students to write their name in a piece of paper.
❏ Have each student write down “What I need my colleagues to do when I’m stressed is…” and
have them fill in the blank. Then have them write down “What I need from my colleagues not to
do when I’m stressed out is…” and fill in the blank.
❏ Have each student share their answer to the group.
❏ Leader will collect all papers, type them, and have a handout for students ready for the next
session.

❏ Instruction: (15 minute)

❏ Navigate the Crisis Text Line Website. https://www.crisistextline.org/
❏ Have all students write the Crisis Text Line number in their journal or cell phone.
❏ Navigate the TEEN LINE website.
❏ Watch the TEEN Line video. https://teenlineonline.org/videos/
❏ Have all students write the TEEN LINE number and text number in their journal or cell phone.

❏ Description of Activity & Purpose: Role Play (20 minutes)

❏ Brainstorm a list of all the people who students can go to and seek support when feeling stressed
or anxious (teachers, counselor, parents, coach, or friends). Discuss as a group on how each
person from the list can support a stressed student seeking help.
❏ Have students write the list in their journal.
❏ Discuss that friends or colleagues are also important people to talk to when seeking help or
support when feeling stressed.
❏ Pair students into groups of two.
❏ Have one student role play themselves stressed and have the other student roleplay a teacher,
parent, or friend etc. The student role playing the parent, teacher, counselor etc. should help
support the student and say what they wish this person should say.
❏ Switch roles.
❏ Discuss as a group.
 Purpose: It is important for students to develop trust with adults and friends their age so that they are
able to seek help when feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Students will make a list of all the people they
think will be able to help them when seeking support. If they cannot think of any, it is important to be
able to have access to hot lines where they can contact someone who can help them. Students will also
learn of the people at school who can also help them when seeking support.

❏ Connection/Closing Statement: Check in with each student to see if they have an understanding that
there are people they can turn to when feeling stressed. Have them repeat the two hotlines they learned
about today and make sure students wrote them down. Have them understand the two hotlines are there
to call if they cannot find a person to talk to or they need someone to talk to immediately. Before
leaving, ask each student to name one person they can rely on to talk to when feeling stressed. The role
play activity will help students understand what they want to hear an adult or friend say to them when
they are seeking support and will know what to say when they do seek support from someone.

❏ Outside Practice (if any): Remind students to talk to someone when they are feeling stressed.

❏ Student outcomes/Evaluation component: Students felt more relaxed knowing that there are people they
can talk to when feeling stressed. It is not okay to keep their feelings to themselves as it is not healthy to
their mind, body, and soul.

Unit Name (Six Weeks)___Session 4

Name of Activity (Week # 4) Self Care

Domain: Personal/Social development

Standard: 5.2.M Compare various coping mechanisms for managing stress. 7.2.M Practice effective coping
mechanisms and strategies for managing stress.
❏ Materials Needed (if any):
❏ PowerPoint Presentation provided by leader
❏ Projector
❏ Journal/Paper
❏ Pen/Pencil
❏ Music

❏ Lesson Objective (s):

❏ Students will learn about self- care and some self- care techniques that they can try when they
are feeling stressed outside of the group.
❏ Students will learn about a quick breathing/meditation technique and discuss how they felt after
trying the technique.

❏ Opening/Icebreaker: 10 Things in Common (10 minutes)

❏ Check in with each student to see how they dealt with their stress before coming into this week's
group meeting.
❏ Divide students into pairs for icebreaker activity.
❏ Have students discover 10 things they have in common.
❏ Discuss as a group

❏ Instruction: (15 minutes)

❏ Use PowerPoint presentation: Self Care Tips for High School Students. Have the leader present
the PowerPoint to the class.
❏ Have students write down in their journals all the self- care tips.
❏ Ask students if there was a self-care tip that piqued their interest.
❏ Ask students if there is a technique that they already tried prior to PowerPoint presentation.

❏ Description of Activity & Purpose: Meditation (Breathing Exercise) (20 minutes)

❏ Play relaxing music.
❏ Have students sit straight in their chair with both feet on the floor and their hands on their lap.
❏ Have all students close their eyes, if they feel comfortable, and take a deep breath through their
nose. Have them hold their breath for three seconds and exhale through their mouth.
❏ Repeat. inhale through their nose and hold for three seconds and exhale through their mouth.
❏ After a few minutes, have the students slowly open their eyes.
❏ The instructor quietly thanks all students. After meditation, discuss as a group about how they
felt about the activity.

Purpose: Breathing exercises help when feeling stressed. Students will learn a quick breathing exercise
that they will be able to try as one of their stress management techniques. Breathing exercise will help
students relax and is one of the best ways to lower stress in their body. Students can try this simple
 breathing exercise at home or whenever they are feeling stressed.

❏ Connection/Closing Statement: Thank all students for attending this week's session. Check in with each
student to see where they are at compared to the first session and ask if any techniques they have tried so
far have managed their stress. Ask if there is anything they would like to learn about before the group
meetings are over. Encourage students to try the breathing exercises outside the group and be ready to
have them discuss during next week's session if the breathing technique helped or not. If not, discuss
why they think it did not help.

❏ Outside Practice (if any): Have students do the breathing exercises when feeling stressed. Have students
be ready to discuss during the next session if it helped or not.

❏ Student outcomes/Evaluation component: Make sure that all students are trying different techniques for
managing stress and that the techniques are effective and helping the students. Ask each student a
scaling question to see where they are at when it comes to managing stress.

Unit Name (Six Weeks)___Session 5

Name of Activity (Week #5) Goal Breakdown

Domain: Personal/Social development

Standard: 6.1.M Evaluate how preventing and managing stress and getting help for mental and social
problems can help a person achieve short- and long-term goals. 6.2.M Set goal to reduce life stressors in a
health enhancing way.
❏ Materials Needed (if any):
❏ Stress Balls
❏ PowerPoint provided by leader
❏ Journal/Paper
❏ Pencil/ Pen

❏ Lesson Objective (s): Goals are important for building self-esteem and self-confidence. Goals also
creates an action plan and helps manage stress. Students will learn to set and achieve SMART goals that
will help them minimize the stressors they experience in a typical day. Students can also make SMART
goals for reducing their stress by setting some stress management goals such as breathing exercise,
meditation, quick exercise etc. Goal setting creates structure that will help students visualize their
success and reduce stress. Students will be learning about SMART goals.

❏ Opening/Icebreaker: Stress for Success (10 minutes)

❏ Check in with every student to see how they are doing and if the breathing exercise worked for
them or not.
❏ After check in begin ice breaker activity
❏ Have everyone stand in a circle.
❏ One student starts out with one ball and tosses it to someone else, remembering who they tossed
it to.
❏ The next student tosses it to someone who has not had the ball yet, remembering who they tossed
it to.
❏ The third student tosses it to someone who has not had the ball yet, remembering who they
tossed it to.
❏ This continues until everyone has had the ball, and it returns to the first person who started.
❏ The pattern is repeated (each person always tossing it to the same person) until it is remembered
easily. Each person only needs to remember who they toss the stress ball to and who they receive
it from.
❏ Once the group remembers the pattern easily, they introduce more balls into the same pattern,
with the first person tossing one stress ball, then another, then another, to the same person, who
then passes on each ball to the next person in the pattern.
❏ If balls fall or roll, pick them up and continue the pattern until everyone is laughing too hard to
play effectively, or until about five minutes are up.
❏ After activity, discuss the importance of focusing on responsibilities and using time management
to get each one done individually and thoroughly.

❏ Instruction: (15 minutes)

❏ Use a PowerPoint presentation on how to set SMART goals.
❏ Have students write the main key point of presentation on how to set SMART goals.
❏ Ask students if they have ever set SMART goals prior to this week's session.

❏ Description of Activity & Purpose: Wheel of Fortune (20 minutes)

❏ Have students draw a wheel and have them divide them into segments and on each segment,
 students will write important categories in their lives.
❏ Have the students write out SMART goals in each category.
❏ Have the students color and decorate their wheel
❏ Have some students share how they will take the steps to achieve their goals.

Purpose: Instead of overwhelming or stressing themselves, students can start by writing out SMART
goals to manage their stress. SMART goals give you ways of making progress and achieving small wins.
Setting small goals will help reduce stress. Students can talk about the steps they can take to achieve the
goals and the obstacles they might face as well. Also discuss the ways they can overcome obstacles.

❏ Connection/Closing Statement: Make sure all students understand how to set SMART goals. Students at
this point have learned various techniques for stress management and setting goals is a helpful way to
manage stress. Setting goals will help students build self-esteem and self-confidence as well as creating
structure that will help students visualize their success and reduce stress. Since it is almost the end of the
group sessions check in with students to see if the stress management sessions have been resourceful or
not.

❏ Outside Practice (if any): Have students keep the wheel of fortune in a visible place where it will remind
them to achieve their goals.

❏ Student outcomes/Evaluation component: Since it is almost the end of the stress management session,
make sure students have a clear understanding of stress management and if the prior activities have
helped students manage their stress. Evaluate students and compare their improvements compared to the
first session.

Unit Name (Six Weeks) ___Session 6

Name of Activity (Week # 6) Reflection

Domain: Personal/Social development

Standard: 7.1.M Asses personal patterns of response to stress and use of resources. 7.2. M Practice
effective coping mechanisms and strategies for managing stress.

❏ Materials Needed (if any):

❏ Pen/Paper
❏ Evaluation form provided by leader.
❏ Adult coloring pages/Mandala
❏ Color pencils
❏ Snacks and refreshments. Provided by the leader.
❏ Certificate.
❏ Lesson Objective (s): Students will reflect on the past five sessions and all the stress management
techniques that they have learned this past five weeks. Students will also reflect on what has and has not
helped them manage their stress and what they can do differently. Students will also compare and
contrast themselves from the first session to today's session. Although it is the last session, students can
use all the techniques they have learned and apply it to their everyday lives even after the session is
over.

❏ Opening/Icebreaker: Long Story (10 minutes)

❏ Check in with each student and after that let them know that we will be doing a quick fun
icebreaker.
❏ The instructor will start a story which is "open-ended." The story will need continuation.
❏ Then a student will add to the story with his/her own imagination on what happens next.
❏ The cycle continues until the last student shares his/her part of the story. The story can go
anyway.

❏ Instruction: (15 minute)

❏ Sit in a circle and allow students to summarize what they have learned and what they are going
to do differently.
❏ Have each student compare themselves to the first session and reflect on what changes they have
done in order to manage their stress and what changes their peers have made as well.
❏ Have each student discuss their takeaway from the group session.
❏ Have students fill out a group experience evaluation form provided by the leader.
❏ Leader needs to make sure that all students are doing well. If not assure them that their door is
always open for any student should they feel they need extra help after the group is over.

❏ Description of Activity & Purpose: (20 minutes)

❏ Provide students with adult coloring pages.
❏ Free time to color pages or mingle with peers.
❏ Snacks and refreshment will be provided by leader
❏ Hand out certificates to all students.

Purpose: Mandala/ Adult coloring pages are used to aid meditation and an art therapy tool to help relieve
stress. Since it is the last session, mandalas/ adult coloring pages is a good activity for the students to
enjoy while mingling with peers and possibly use in the future to help them manage their stress.

❏ Connection/Closing Statement:
❏ Check in with each student to see if they have any questions or concerns. It has been six weeks
with a lot of information. Make sure that they understood all the information on managing stress.
Let the students know that the leader’s door is always open for students even after the group is
over.
❏ Let the students know that there will also be a follow up session in a month after the session is
over so that the leader can check-in with all students.
❏ Thank them for taking the time to attend the six-week sessions.
❏ Dismiss students.
❏ Outside Practice (if any): If students feel like they need more help with their stress management, they
are encouraged to seek the leader’s help even after the group is over.

❏ Student outcomes/Evaluation component: Collect all group evaluation from students and before leaving
ask each student a scaling question of their overall experience. The evaluation will help determine if the
students have learned from the group sessions or if they will need further assistance. The evaluation will
also determine which students to check in with often.

References

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https://www.time-management-abilities.com/icebreaker-games-for-small-groups.html

Bergquist, S. H. (2015, October 22). How Stress Affects Your body. Retrieved June 14, 2020, from

http://bstrongtogether.org/for-students/stress/

Anat, B. (Writer). (2014, January 21). Choices Magazine Presents: How to Deal with Stress [Video file].

Retrieved June 15, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?

time_continue=216&v=hW7nVYMYaHw&feature=emb_logo
Cullins, A. (January 4). 7 Fun Goal Setting Activities for Children. Retrieved June 18, 2020, from

https://biglifejournal.com/blogs/blog/5-fun-goal-setting-activities-children

Elizabeth Scott, M. (2019, July 17). Top 10 Stress Management Techniques for Students. Retrieved June 14,

2020, from https://www.verywellmind.com/top-school-stress-relievers-for-students-3145179

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https://stress.lovetoknow.com/stress-management-techniques/stress-management-group-activities

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2020, from https://blog.trainerswarehouse.com/stress-management-activities

Paramita, P. (2019, December 12). Self-Care Tips for High School Students. Retrieved June 14, 2020, from

https://ingeniusprep.com/blog/self-care-tips-for-high-school-students/

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https://harbormentalhealth.com/conditions-treated/teen-anxiety-and-stress/?

gclid=EAIaIQobChMImo3w1PiE6gIVWR-tBh10qQLGEAAYASAAEgIYAvD_BwE

Sammy, Luke, Victoria, Van, Nthabiseng, Fourie, Z., . . . Dianne. (2019, March 28). 34 Quick Icebreakers.

Retrieved June 14, 2020, from https://icebreakerideas.com/quick-icebreakers/

Stress for Success. (n.d.). Retrieved June 19, 2020, from http://belmontwellness.com/wp-

content/uploads/stress-for-success.pdf

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Management.pdf
 T. (Director). (2015, November 3). Teen Line Help Line [Video file]. Retrieved June 17, 2020, from

https://teenlineonline.org/videos/

Text HOME To 741741 free, 24/7 Crisis Counseling. (2020). Retrieved June 17, 2020, from

https://www.crisistextline.org/

C. (2019, September 03). Tips for Coping with Stress|Publications|Violence Prevention|Injury Center|CDC.

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stresstips.html

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stress-management/

Lesson Presentation

Stress Management Group Role Play link:

https://brandman.zoom.us/rec/share/9dJcP73d2zJOX6-Sz0rNRqx7E4HJT6a81Hcc-PFYxBt0hOHS-
ntEWDOHrb145MVL

Password: 5P^.$6S1

Above is a link to a zoom recording of my Stress Management small group role play. The recording is the first
lesson of my six weeks session. Although my recording is 28 minutes long, the first 10 minutes is the ice
breaker/ introduction and instruction of the session one/week one. At 11 minutes of the video, it focuses on the
activity part of the lesson where students get to share more about situations that stress them out. My friends and
I were having a good time doing the entire lesson, and I could not stop recording. It was challenging to get
people together due to COVID I could not get everyone in the same room. A zoom meeting was the easiest to
get together. I wished that zoom was able to capture all group members' reactions, instead you see a lot more of
me but you work with what you have. You are welcome to watch the entire video if you like but the first 10
minutes should give you an idea of my lesson plan. Enjoy!