All the World's a STAGE Learning System

STRESS

The focus here will be on challenging the myth that stress is the sign of a weak individual. A more holistic understanding of the complexities will be provided, alongside guidance on realistic steps that can be taken to prevent and/or alleviate stress.

All the world's a stage and we are but players on it...

What’s Shakespeare got to do with MENTAL HEALTH?

TRAUMA

Trauma-informed care is now beginning to receive the sustained attention it deserves. Our emphasis here will be on how traumatic experiences can be a major factor in the development of mental health problems and how a process of recovery can prove highly beneficial.

ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

We present these issues as closely connected, explaining that to a certain extent they are normal, everyday helpful experiences but they can become highly problematic in certain circumstances. We explore how anxiety and depression arise and how they can be addressed.

GRIEF

Decades of experience in the mental health field have taught us that unresolved grief can be a major factor in mental health problems, based on the idea that grief is a reaction to any major loss, not just to bereavement. We explain the significance of grief and offer guidance on how to deal with it.

EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES

We acknowledge here that how we experience emotion underpins each of the other four elements and we offer a model of ‘emotion management’ that can be very helpful in preventing and responding to mental health problems.

Developed by best selling author

The mental health and education expertise underpinning STAGE comes from Professor Neil Thompson, who has a doctorate in social work and a higher doctorate in wellbeing.

Neil Thompson is an independent writer, educator and adviser and a visiting professor at the Open University. He has held full or honorary professorships at five UK universities.

He has taught about mental health at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and has run many courses on mental health issues with a variety of mental health professionals.

Holder of a Lifetime Achievement Award from BASW Cymru, Neil has been a keynote speaker at conferences and seminars in the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, Norway, the Czech Republic, Turkey, India, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada and the United states.

He has over 40 books to his name, including Loss, Grief and Trauma in the Workplace (Routledge, 2009) Childhood Trauma and Recovery (with Mary Walsh, Pavilion, 2019); The Managing Stress Practice Manual (Avenue Media Solutions, 2019), Mental Health and Well-being: Alternatives to the Medical Model (Routledge, 2019); Promoting Resilience: Responding to Loss, Adversity and Vulnerability (edited with Gerry Cox, Routledge, 2020); The Managing People Practice Manual, 2022, Age and Dignity, 2024).

VR & Multi-Platform Access

STAGE is provided as a system on a VR headset, with access to an online platform for users to complete all 30 Steps of the STAGE system. Users can login online to STAGE with their mobile phone, tablet or any computer.

The 30 Step

STAGE System

1: Introduction to the STAGE system materials.

2: Identify what you want to achieve with STAGE.

3: Watch the introductory video.

4: Watch the Stress meditation VR session.

5: Watch the Stress video lesson.

6: Complete Stress exercise in workbook.

7: Complete Stress action plan.

8: Watch the Trauma meditation VR session.

9: Watch the Trauma video lesson.

10: Complete Trauma exercise in workbook.

11: Complete Trauma action plan.

12: Watch the Anxiety and Depression meditation VR session.

13: Watch Anxiety and Depression video lesson.

14: Complete Anxiety and Depression exercise in workbook.

15: Complete Anxiety and Depression action plan.

16: Watch the Grief and Loss meditation VR session.

17: Watch the Grief and Loss video lesson.

18: Complete Grief and Loss exercise in workbook.

19: Complete Grief and Loss action plan.

20: Watch the Emotional Challenges meditation VR session.

21: Watch the Emotional Challenges video lesson.

22: Complete Emotional Challenges exercise in workbook.

23: Complete Emotional Challenges action plan.

24: Watch the SEE & HEAR video lesson.

25: Complete SEE & HEAR exercise in workbook.

26: Complete SEE & HEAR action plan.

27: Watch the concluding video.

28: Complete STAGE vision plan.

29: Make use of the What next? Guide to further learning.

30: Complete Review Plan three months after finishing programme.

Who can benefit from

All the World's a STAGE?

Mental Health Providers

A resource for specialist providers of mental health services, utilising VR headsets installed with STAGE, making this technology and system available for service users and mental health patients.

Students

Many students face mental health challenges around workload stress, anxiety and depression around exams and assignments and the emotional challenges of living away from home for the first time.

Investing in the programme gives a clear positive message that the company is taking staff mental health and wellbeing seriously, helping to reduce sickness absence and other problems associated with mental health difficulties.

Employers

Professor Neil Thompson talking about STAGE

What is therapeutic education?

All the world's a STAGE is not a programme of therapy. It is a programme of learning that should have therapeutic benefits by helping participants to develop a fuller and deeper understanding of the key issues that affect mental health and wellbeing. This improved understanding can not only help people feel better equipped to deal with mental health challenges, but also more confident in doing so.

What's involved?

The programme involves 2½ hours of video materials, including guided mindfulness sessions, plus a wide range of additional resources, all within a structured step-by-step system that is easy to follow. The video materials can be viewed in conventional video format on computers, tablets and phones. But, for the best results, we recommend using a virtual reality headset to get the powerful immersive learning experience that only VR can produce.

What is a learning system?

A learning system is more than a conventional course. It is a structured, step-by-step programme of learning that offers a clear learning pathway. All the world's a STAGE has 30 steps for participants to follow. The step-by-step approach prevents people feeling lost and overwhelmed by the different aspects of the learning.

How can the resource be used?

As a direct self-help resource: Headsets to be made available at mental health centres, GP medical centres, universities, colleges, in the workplace and at other community resources concerned with promoting positive mental health and wellbeing.

As a group resource: A group approach could be facilitated by watching the materials together and then holding a discussion, thereby creating the opportunity for mutual and collective support.

As a supplementary resource: Individuals who are receiving counselling or other forms of therapeutic support could be given the opportunity to use a headset as a supplementary form of help.

What is provided with the STAGE System?

1: VR Headsets:

We provide VR Headsets with the STAGE, SEE & HEAR, 4 R’S and GUIDED MINDFULNESS sessions installed directly onto the headset. We can supply between 1 and 50 VR Headsets per organisation and we will discuss the required number of units based on your delivery needs.

2: Online platform access:

Access is provided to all users for the online STAGE platform, so users can access all of the materials, complete the quiz and obtain a certificate of completing the programme. Users who may not want to watch the content inside of the VR Headset, can instead watch content online.

3: Onboarding pack:

To ensure a successful launch of STAGE in your workplace setting, we provide a pop-up roller banner, A5 flyers and posters for marketing and raising awareness of STAGE to users. The posters and flyers can be on display in areas like notice boards, dedicated rooms where STAGE can be accessed and so on.

Do you want STAGE in your College, University, Workplace or part of your Mental Health Provider toolkit?

Fill in the contact form now