Self-Care: Use Cutting Edge Psychotherapeutic Methods (CBT, IFS) with a Matched Buddy or Support-Group

By Inga, John Drummond @ 2024-05-22T12:44 (+32)

We [at Rethink Wellbeing] offer different versions of our mental wellbeing program for ambitious altruists starting now! Apply until July 12th, via this form in ~15 min. You can choose between: 

We have some exciting news! We have 3 new program offerings coming up to help you to:

People who are well do good better. In a rapidly evolving world where adaptability and innovation are paramount, compromised cognitive function due to mental health issues can severely limit one’s own and one's team's performance and potential [e.g., 1, 2, 3]. 

Explore the options below to find the ones that suit you best and apply here. No worries if you can’t decide, you can apply to all at once and let us assign you.  Groups start in June and July, maybe also in August.


Which methods are for you?

CBT-inspired: Cognitive Behavioral Treatment: 

  1. Focused on changing behaviours, emotions, and thinking in the present moment
  2. Ideal for those who aim to improve their daily coping strategies and self-management skills
  3. Available as buddy and support group version, with standard and minimum guidance intensity (see below)

 

IFS-inspired: Internal Family Systems:  

  1. Focused on working with inner parts, that have evolved in the past, improving internal dialogue, internal conflict, relationship to self
  2. Ideal for those seeking to potentially resolve deeper seated issues
  3. Only available as support group version with standard guidance intensity at the moment (see below) 

 

Which formats are for you?

Standard guidance group:

  1. Receive online guidance from 1 facilitator and RW psychologist
  2. Get matched support group of 4-6 people and 1 facilitator
  3. Join 9 sessions over 16 weeks (Week 1-6, 8, 12, 16)
  4. Ideal for those who appreciate peer bonding, connection and shared problem-solving in small groups of like-minded people

 

Standard guidance buddy:

  1. Receive online guidance from 1 facilitator and RW psychologist
  2. Get paired with a buddy for weekly check-ins for Week 2-7, 10, 14 week.
  3. Join 3 sessions (Week 1, 8, 16) with 25 participants for onboarding, interim check-in, and offboarding
  4. Ideal for those who enjoy 1:1 interactions, who e.g. are afraid of group settings or who prefer to have a specific accountability and problem-solving buddy to practice together

 

Minimum guidance:

  1. Join 3 sessions (Week 1, 8, 16) with 25 participants for onboarding, interim check-in, and offboarding
  2. Receive online guidance on demand from 1 facilitator and RW psychologist
  3. Ideal for individuals who prefer learning on their own, want to learn on their own schedule with least possible time investment, who know they can keep themselves accountable on their own

You can learn more about how our overall program (version: CBT standard guidance group) works in this former EA forum post.

This is our first related demo video of the program. Check it out!

 

Apply Now

  1. Individuals: Secure your spot in our upcoming cohort and embark on a journey towards better mental health and productivity. Spaces are limited, so don't delay
  2. Organizations: Invest in your team's wellbeing. Express interest to offer our program to your members or employees. 80,000 Hours e.g., covers the program for their employees already

Join us at Rethink Wellbeing and experience the benefits of evidence-based mental wellbeing programs tailored to ambitiously altruistic individuals.

Apply here today in ~15 minutes and start your path to mental wellbeing, resilience, and productivity!

Accessibility and Cost

A multitude of time slots convenient for people on different schedules and in different time zones are available because we train facilitators all over the globe. Also, we are committed to making this program accessible, offering it at a fraction of the cost of typical mental health-related services. It is $31 per session hour ($550 overall for the full program and $300 for the minimum guidance program). If you can't afford to participate or wouldn't attend if you had to cover the costs of your attendance, you can apply for a stipend in <2 min. We offer the program for lower costs or for free using donations and grant funding we receive. Applying for a stipend doesn't affect your chances of getting accepted to the program. For those who contribute to covering the operational costs of their attendance by paying a small fee, we also offer a money-back guarantee. 

 

[1] McEwen, B. S., & Morrison, J. H. (2021). The brain on stress: vulnerability and plasticity of the prefrontal cortex over the life course. Neuron, 109(1), 46-56.

[2] Arne Beck, A. Lauren Crain, Leif I. Solberg, Jürgen Unützer, Russell E. Glasgow, Michael V. Maciosek and Robin Whitebird. The Annals of Family Medicine July 2011, 9 (4) 305-311; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.1260

[3] Goleman, D. (2020). Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Effectiveness. Journal of Applied Psychology, 105(4), 379–393.



 

Sarah Weiler @ 2024-05-26T05:46 (+9)

Thanks for organising this and sharing the programme here! Is there any reason you did not put the price in the description posted here? I think that this is - at least for someone like myself - a significant decision criterion for a potential applicant, and it is a bit strange/inconvenient only to learn about it after filling in the entire application form.

(For other readers: the normal price is $550 for the entire programme, and there is an option to apply for financial support within the application form)

Inga @ 2024-05-27T13:23 (+2)

Thanks Sarah, for pointing this out. I added the section, about accessibility, to the post, but also want to strongly encourage NOT to use the price as a decision criterion because: 

  • applying for a stipend only costs you ~2min, and
  • doing so doesn't affect your chances of being chosen as a program attendee.
Charlotte Darnell @ 2024-05-23T10:32 (+6)

I’m not super familiar with your work but I can imagine this is a great resource for lots of people, and I recognise that therapy or similar support can be really hard to access. I think it's was worth noting though, that I’ve really valued having my main therapy and some of my support be outside of EA.

I think this actually allows me to look more honestly at my feelings and feel more psychological safety when exploring them. I do think the shared context of EA can be really helpful (I do seek support from EA friends about things) - but just wanted to note that there are pros and cons, particularly if you’re aiming to work on “deeper seated issues” which is quite a vulnerable spot to be in.

For those considering this, it might be worth taking a minute to check in with yourself about if you’d benefit more from the shared context this provides, or you’d benefit more from being able to talk about your hard stuff with people who you’re much, much less likely to cross paths with professionally.

Inga @ 2024-05-27T13:17 (+2)

Just a note on data protection and potential conflict of interest:

  • Data protection: We work with Google Workplace. We inform our participants that for some this might not represent the highest level of data security and that they are free to work with an anonymized email address as well as an alias or just their first name when interacting online during the program. Our online community can also be accessed using an alias (Telegram). The "only" people who will definitely have seen you are the other people in your 5- people support group (if you choose the standard guidance), or only your buddy (if you choose the 1:1 guidance).
  • Conflict of interest: We carefully match our participants so that none accidentally runs into their colleague, or other people they might have professional relationships with.
Julia_Wise @ 2024-06-25T14:31 (+9)

My experience is that it's more possible to avoid current conflicts of interest, but as people work in the same ecosystem they often have multiple interactions in different contexts over time. I'd want people to keep in mind that the person in their group now may later end up being their colleague, funder, etc. To me, this is still a reason to seriously consider mental health resources outside the community.

Inga @ 2024-07-04T21:59 (+2)

Thank you, Julia, for pointing out that there might be potential future conflicts of interest. 
In our minimum guidance and buddy guidance version, this risk is very low because participants in those versions only share more personal information with one other person (their buddy) or only abstractly about applied methods in a larger online community without their real names (minimum guidance).

Dave Cortright @ 2024-05-22T23:24 (+1)

Minor grammatical correction: "deeper seated" is the more apt idiom, rather than "deeper suited" 🤓

John Drummond @ 2024-05-23T02:50 (+2)

Thanks Dave <3