Weekly Stress Management Session Plan

ASSIGNMENT 1 – Psycho-Educational Group Project (25%)
Overview
For this assignment, you will design a six-week psycho-educational group and present it in a PowerPoint presentation. Your goal is to demonstrate your ability to plan, organize, and facilitate a structured group intervention commonly used in counselling and community service settings.
This assignment assesses your skills in program planning, clinical reasoning, communication, and professional writing using APA 7th edition guidelines.

Assignment Requirements
Your PowerPoint presentation must include the following sections:

1. Title and Group Overview
Provide clear introductory information, including:
Title of the Group
Purpose of the Group (What is it about?)
Intended Outcomes (What do you want participants to learn or gain?)
Location, schedule, and duration
Target population (e.g., adults, youth, newcomers, individuals in recovery, etc.)
Number of group members
Your overview should offer a concise snapshot of the group’s purpose and relevance.

2. Screening Methods
Explain in detail how you will determine who is appropriate for the group.
Your description must include:
Type of screening tools (e.g., brief interview, questionnaire, intake form)
Criteria for participation (readiness for change, current concerns, motivation, safety considerations)
What information you will gather
How you will ensure diversity, inclusion, and group cohesion
This section should demonstrate your understanding of ethical and clinical considerations in group formation.

3. Weekly Session Plan (Six Weeks)
Each week must include:
A. Session Overview
A clear explanation of what the session is about.
B. Activities
Describe each activity with enough detail to show how it will be conducted.
C. Duration
State the length of the session (e.g., 90 minutes).
D. Beginning, Middle, and Closing Phases
Each session should be presented as if you are facilitating it in real life. Include:
Icebreaker or warm-up activity (Week 1 must include this)
Group rules / housekeeping reminders (Week 1)
Main teaching or activity components
Assessment tools used that day (if any) and rationale
Dyads, triads, or round-robin activities as applicable
Closing check-out question
Homework or reflection assignments (if appropriate)

4. Evaluation Plan
Explain how you will measure participants’ progress from Week 1 to Week 6. Include:
Pre- and post-assessments (e.g., stress scale, coping questionnaire)
Qualitative feedback methods (e.g., weekly check-ins, reflection sheets)
Outcome indicators (What improvement should be visible by the end?)
Your evaluations should align logically with the group's objectives.

5. APA 7th Edition Writing and Referencing
Your PowerPoint presentation must follow APA 7th edition guidelines, including:
Accurate in-text citations for all theories, tools, and evidence used
A reference list on the final slide formatted correctly
Clear professional grammar and academic tone
a small APA 7 guide is provided at the end of these instructions for support.
APA 7 Quick Reference Guide (Student-Friendly):
a) Title Page: Centered & double-spaced with Title of Paper in bold; Student Name; Course Code & Name; Instructor Name; Due Date.
b) Formatting: Times New Roman font size 12pt Double-spaced margins set at exactly one inch throughout entire work c) In-text Citations Paraphrase example Author Year Direct quote example Author Year page number d) Reference List Alphabetical order hanging indent