The Temple Formulation Group is a group programme which aims to support people experiencing mental health difficulties.
Formulation is a way in which we can understand our life story. It involves reflecting on our background, our life experiences, the ways in which we coped, and how these factors have brought us to where we are now. It also involves looking at our strengths and how we can build on them.
The Temple Formulation Group helps service users to make sense of their current mental health difficulties and of how their life experiences may have contributed to these. The group focuses on understanding the ways people learn to cope, as well as the intended and unintended consequences of their particular coping strategies. In the group, service users are guided in exploring their strengths and values, and in looking at what resources and supports they may need to move towards a better quality of life.
The programme takes a compassionate approach, informed by up-to-date research in psychology and neuropsychology (a speciality field within clinical psychology which focuses on understanding how the brain and the nervous system affects our thoughts, feelings and behaviours). This is used to empower group members to approach their own struggles with wisdom and a more holistic, or complete, understanding of themselves.
The Temple Formulation Group is run by members of the Psychology Department here in St Patrick’s Mental Health Service (SPMHS). Service users in the group attend a morning session once a week, with in-person or online delivery available. In total, there are 12 sessions: there is a two-week break after the first six sessions, followed by another six sessions. At the end of the group sessions, service users then meet individually with one of the psychologists running the programme for an individual session.
The group is open to service users currently under the care of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) here in SPMHS. Referrals can be made by the psychologist in the MDT.
Read the Temple Formulation Group leaflet here for more information.
