Handouts on the Conduct
and Facilitation of
Psychosocial Support
Activities
Presented and Discussed by
MAGIS Creative Spaces, Inc.
Handouts on the Conduct and Facilitation of Psychosocial
Support Activities
This handout is an aid to the Learning Session on the Conduct and Facilitation of
Psychosocial Support Activities, in line with the return to in-person classes for S.Y.
2022-2023.
How To Use
This handout is given prior to the live online Learning Session on the Conduct and
Facilitation of Psychosocial Support Activities to provide time for participants to
read, and familiarize themselves with the concepts to be discussed during the
online learning session. As an aid, this handout is meant to be used to support the
learning of the participants during the online session.
Prepare to have a copy of this handout before attending the online Learning
Session on the Conduct and Facilitation of Psychosocial Support Activities.
While watching the online learning session, read the handout as the facilitators go
through the discussion. The contents of this handout will be best understood with
the guidance of the facilitators’ discussions during the online learning session. Feel
free to write on your handouts and take down notes as you listen to the discussion.
After the online learning session, you can use these handouts again as a reminder
of the key concepts learned during the online session.
1
Resilience in Children
In the context of disasters and/or emergencies, the well-being and mental health of
children are partly dependent on their resilience as this involves an individual’s capacity
to face, overcome, and be strengthened or transformed by the impact of such disasters
and/or emergencies.
The International Resilience Project (1995) posits that there can be three (3) sources of
resilience for children or factors that help children overcome adversities which can be
described and expressed as follows:
I Have
The I Have factors are the external supports and resources that promote resilience in
children. These factors lay the foundation for developing feelings of safety and security
which is the core of developing resilience in children. The International Resilience Project
emphasizes that this foundation is necessary before children can be secure in their
awareness of who they are or what they can do. The I Have factors include:
Trusting relationships
Structure and rules at home
Role models
Encouragement to be autonomous
Access to health, education, welfare, and security services
I Am
The I Am factors are feelings, attitudes, and beliefs within children; these are their
internal and personal strengths. The I Am factors include being:
Lovable and having an appealing temperament
Loving, empathetic, and altruistic
Proud of self
Autonomous and responsible
Filled with hope, faith, and trust
I Can
The I Can factors are children’s social and interpersonal skills which they learn through
interaction with others or from others’ teaching or modeling. The I Can factors include
interpersonal skills such as
Communication
Problem-Solving
Managing feelings and impulses
Gauging the temperament of self and others
Seeking trusting relationships
2
Prioritizing the Well-being of Children
Well-Being
Is a state of health, happiness, and prosperity
which we have influence over.
The different types of well-being, illustrated on
the right, thrive through feelings of safety,
involvement and participation, and our
capacity to adapt and develop.
When we design our psychosocial support
activities, we can consider the different types of
well-being.
A child’s well-being is influenced by different factors significant to
his/her development
Family/Caregiver are primary sources of love,
care, and protection
Community is a secondary source. The school,
teachers, and staff have a significant role in
influencing well-being
Culture and Society is a tertiary source that
affects the community, family, and child through
different beliefs, practices, and resources.
Risk Factors are elements that increase a child’s
susceptibility to a decrease in well-being and
resilience.
Protective Factors are elements that reinforce a
child’s healthy development, well-being, and
resilience.
Risks are present at every level of involvement, so let’s focus on
building and maintaining Protective Factors.
How to build and maintain Protective Factors?
Nurture parental resilience
Maintain social connections
Access to child development and parenting resources
Raising social and emotional competence of children
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Psychosocial Support Activities
One of the ways to develop resilience and nurture the mental health and well-being of
children is through Psychosocial Support Activities. Specifically, psychosocial support
activities are:
Activities and interventions that meet the psychological and social needs of
individuals, families, and communities;
Provided in times of crisis to help manage normal distress and prevent mental
health concerns; and
Reduces the risk of vulnerability while strengthening protective factors
Psychosocial Support Activities include:
Psychoeducation and awareness raising on mental health
Life and vocational skills development
Recreational and creative activities
Sports and physical activities
Restoring family links
Child-friendly spaces
Community committees
Cultural and traditional rituals support
Support and self-help groups
Psychological First Aid*
*Note:
As a psychosocial support activity, Psychological First Aid (PFA) is specifically applied in
the context of disasters and/or emergencies or situations that may cause distress or
trauma to individuals. PFA is defined as a humane, supportive response to a fellow
human being who is suffering and who may need support. PFA involves:
Non-intrusive practical care and support
Assessing needs and concerns
Helping people access basic needs (food, water, information, etc)
Listening to people, but not pressuring them to talk
Comforting people and helping them feel calm
Helping people connect to information, services, and social supports
Protecting people from further harm
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Expressive Arts (EXA): The Arts for Self-Expression
One psychosocial support activity is arts. Arts are forms of play that engage children,
which means that as children make art, they are able to express themselves better
since play is a child’s natural language. Different art forms stimulate different parts of
the brain. so; play around, experiment, and create a variety of activities to engage and
have fun with children while nurturing their well-being.
When playing and doing art activities, children are able to:
Increase their ability to concentrate
Solve problems
Gain a sense of mastery
Build self-confidence
Release tension and reduce anxiety
Communicate their ideas
Express feelings that may be difficult to talk about
Develop fine and gross motor skills
Develop social skills
Expressive Arts can be used for the following:
Healing. The arts help us understand and express feelings related to stressful
experiences
Learning. The arts engage us in broader learning concepts
Fun. The arts foster joy and happiness
You may use the SMART Play Table, seen on pages 11 to 17, as a reference for different
art modalities and their implications for healing and learning.
It is simply human to engage in play and create beautiful things; no one can take
this away from us. Let us give ourselves permission to play and make art!
Note:
In order to stimulate proper brain development, socializing, and learning, focus first on
establishing safety. If children do not feel safe, they will focus their attention on survival.
Let children know that the classroom is a safe space and that they can approach their
teachers if they need help or support. Below are some of the things you can do to make
your learners feel safe:
Create a routine to reduce feelings of uncertainty
Take time to do breathing, mindfulness, and movement activities to soothe emotions
and feel balanced
Create space to talk about feelings, and only if they want to share
Work with parents/family to create consistency and continuity
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Principles: The 7 S' of Psychosocial Support
Listed below are the 7 principles of an Expressive Arts-based Psychosocial Support.
1. Safety. Emotional and physical safety are essential for healing to take place; this
builds trust and creates an environment where self-reflection and self-expression
become possible.
2. Self-awareness. In school, at various age groups, there is a growing self-awareness
of one’s body, separateness from others, and ability to express needs and preferences.
Through specific activities, this growing knowledge of self serves as a building block for
gaining more complex developmental skills such as problem-solving and selfregulation, which can lead to health, stability, resilience, and confidence.
3. Self-expression. The process of identifying feelings and sharing this both verbally
and non-verbally, in the presence of a caring adult who is attentive to both the learner
and the creative process, is fundamentally what psychosocial support work in the
classroom is about.
4. Self-regulation. This is the ability to manage one’s emotions. Since the mind and
body are interconnected, this skill is key to achieving a sense of equilibrium mentally,
physically, and emotionally. Since the mind and body are intricately connected, one’s
ability to manage strong emotions is key to healthy daily functioning.
5. Problem solving. This critical life skill can be learned through any process that
involves art making. It can begin with resolving the simple dilemma between choosing
blue or green to color, or deciding what colors to mix to make a new color, or deciding on
one’s own specific rhythm or beat in a song or a dance sequence.
6. Self-confidence. A strong sense of self-esteem and self-confidence is essential to
experiencing success in school and in finding one’s way through adversity, and artbased activities can help encourage children to reflect on, identify, and express their
strengths and values. As a stabilizing factor, the school or any child-friendly space that
builds on children’s strengths become healing spaces particularly for children who do
not receive affirmation in other aspects of their lives.
7. Self-compassion. When children receive empathy in times of distress, they learn how
to demonstrate this towards themselves and others as well. Caring adults who model
compassion and empathy indirectly teach children how to show this to others in times of
difficulty. These activities that involve the facilitation of a trustworthy adult as well as
interactions with others promote the development of empathy and appreciation for
differences and unique abilities, talents, and ways of coping.
6
Conducting and Facilitating EXA-based Psychosocial
Support Activities
Some basic considerations in conducting psychosocial support activities in the
classroom include the following:
Age or grade level of learners
What is most appropriate for them given their age or grade level?
Skills and abilities
What are they capable of doing on their own?
What tasks would they still need some assistance with?
Interests
What are most of them into these days?
How can elements of these be possibly integrated into the activities to encourage
more engagement?
Cultural and religious background
What are important things most of them consider sacred?
How should some themes be approached given their cultural and/or religious
beliefs and traditions?
Time and materials available
How much time exactly can we allot for the entire activity?
What existing materials are already available?
What are cost-efficient materials that can easily be sourced?
What are some alternative materials we can consider using?
Activity Flow
End
Beginning
1. Preparation of physical and emotional space
2. Greetings
3. Check-in/ Kumustahan
4. Discussion of Guidelines
Middle
1. Energizer or grounding activity
2. Main activity
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1. Sharing
2. Synthesis
3. Closing
Space Preparation
Emotional Space
This allows both the teachers and learners the freedom to explore during the session,
and the assurance of safety and confidentiality throughout the activities. Creating
Emotional Space will usually require the teacher or facilitator to:
Establish boundaries
Establish a routine
Be observant of how the learners are feeling, and respond with appropriate activities
Communicate in a way that affirms the creative process and supports the emotional
safety of the space
Physical Space
The physical frame around the relationships between teachers, learners, and art is the
classroom or the learning space. It is necessary to establish this frame to offer the
learners the physical and emotional safety to play, discover, and learn, and to contain
overwhelming and chaotic feelings. This frame constitutes the physical and
psychological conditions within which healing becomes possible.
This involves preparation of materials and deciding on the physical set-up of the
classroom or venue where psychosocial support session is to be conducted. This allows
for a smooth flow of activities and decreases interruptions while said activities are
ongoing. It is most important to consider that learners feel a sense of order and are
invited to engage fully in the activities given the set-up.
8
The following diagrams are suggestions on how to go about the set-up that may be
applied to classrooms depending on the activity design, availability of space, and
availability of materials.
9
Tips and Reminders in Conducting Different Parts of the Activity
1 . During Check-in and Grounding: Be compassionate
Try to notice and be attuned to the energy of the group; adjust whenever is necessary.
Remind the group about the agreed upon guidelines.
Create an environment where learners feel safe and cared for.
Recognize each person in the group.
2. During the Main Activity and Sharing: Be curious
Remember that all the insights shared are valid.
If learners have a difficult time sharing, you may encourage any type of sharing or
simply just sit with them.
Meet learners where they are at; provide options and choices.
Echo back what was said by the learner and validate feelings that were expressed.
3. During the Synthesis and Closing Activity: End positively
Deliver summary and final message
Observe your learners and decide on the best way to end
Note down learners who may need extra support
End with a positive closing activity that helps the learners leave the session feeling
strong and grounded
Note:
Watch the Learning Session video to see a demonstration of the activity! Refer to Annex
A for the sample activity guide.
10
SMART Play table © Alfonso, 2017 (Simplified)
The SMART-Play Table or Sensory, Mindful, and Art-based Play: A Trauma-Informed
Guide to Bridging Healing and Learning in the Classroom, is a guide for designing
activities and using the arts for teaching other subjects.
DRAWING
HEALING
Helps with
focusing,
centering, control
Excites the internal
visual processing
system to recall
reality or create a
fantasy
Helps make
feelings visible
Helps develop
one’s internal
ability to change,
manage, or shape
things
LEARNING
Helps with
concentration, focus
Facilitates the
development of
mental
representations of
what is observed or
imagined
Develops fine & gross
motor skills
Helps with pre-math
& pre-writing skills
Helps with
communication
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IMPLICATIONS
Non-verbal medium for
externalizing trauma
Creates distance
Non-threatening medium
(if person can enjoy
drawing/painting)
Engages non-verbal
communication part of
brain
PAINTING
HEALING
Excites curiosity,
creativity
Texture gives one
the experience of
‘going with the
flow’
Promotes
relaxation
Promotes
experimentation &
problem-solving
Promotes fluidity
LEARNING
Encourages
experimentation &
curiosity
Helps develop spatial
intelligence
Helps develop the
ability for symbolic
representation
Helps with fine and
gross motor skills
Helps with pre-math
& communication
skills
IMPLICATIONS
Same as DRAWING
Non-verbal medium for
externalizing trauma
Creates distance
Non-threatening medium
(if person can enjoy
drawing/painting)
Engages non-verbal
communication part of
brain
DANCE/MOVEMENT
HEALING
Promotes body
awareness
Helps ground self
in the here & now,
or time & space
Promotes
creativity,
invention,
problem-solving,
self-regulation,
relaxation
Offers release of
endorphins
(physiological
effect)
LEARNING
Increases brain
function & learning
Increases blood
transport which
causes an increase in
oxygen in the blood,
and therefore
increase in cognitive
performance
Develops balance
Develops fine & gross
motor skills
Enhances math skills:
numbers, counting,
rhythm
12
IMPLICATIONS
Movements allow
students to safely reexperience stress
sensations
Help express feelings and
sensations through the
body
Body is able to release
tension
DRAMA, THEATER, STORYTELLING
HEALING
Promotes selfexpression, selfconfidence,
problem-solving
Heals through the
re-telling of one's
scary or traumatic
story
Develops the
imagination
Promotes
spontaneity &
social interaction
LEARNING
Promotes writing &
language skills
Promotes selfexpression &
creativity
Develops problemsolving skills
IMPLICATIONS
Heightened emotions are
modulated through the
mastery of feelings at a
neurological level,
restoring executive brain
functions, building
competence
Helps body learn/relearn a different way of
responding to stress or
specific situations
Develops a sense of selfagency & mastery
POETRY
HEALING
Promotes selfconfidence
Promotes selfexpression
Helps in
identification of
feelings
LEARNING
Expands vocabulary
Enhances language &
speech development
Promotes memory
development
Teaches various
poetic forms,
rhythms, rhymes
13
IMPLICATIONS
Calms and centers the
self
Externalizes the
experience
Coordinates left and right
hemispheres of the brain
Awakens executive
functions
Stimulates memory
SCULPTURE
HEALING
Encourages shaping
and reshaping (one’s
life)
Encourages multiple
perspectives
Helps with sensitivity
& control over
materials
Exposure to
experiencing sensory
things (texture,
pliability, flexibility,
etc)
Creates an
opportunity to
discover the joy of
making something out
of junk
Being messy!
Creativity
LEARNING
Helps with pre-math
skills: shapes, color
Helps with math skills:
dimensions,
measurement
Helps with pre-science
skills through the
experience of making
playdough, mixing &
measuring, pliability
and adhesion
Lessons around
recycling can be
encouraged &
developed through
making sculptures of
found objects/junk
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IMPLICATIONS
Molding & shaping
wakes up the
executive functions of
the brain, where
decisions about form
need to be made; the
experience of shaping
& creating into being
evokes memories of
experiencing mastery
over something
Tactile experience
may evoke memories
in a way that is safe &
held with a
compassionate adult
MUSIC
HEALING
Helps de-stress &
promotes relaxation
Captures/expresses
unexpressed emotions
Enhances self-esteem
Helps one find his/her
voice
Helps with listening
Helps with
experiencing or
creating harmony
Helps with selfregulation
LEARNING
Develops pre-math
skills: beats, counting,
sound, volume,
rhythm, patterns
Promotes language
development
Teaches concepts:
loud, soft, high, low
Helps with pattern
development &
recognition
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IMPLICATIONS
Helps person get in
touch with selfenergy, a centered
place within through
sound; helping gain
mastery of feelings at
a neurobiological
level by being given
the opportunity to
make choices
Helps wake up longterm memories &
restore executive
brain functions
Soothes and reduces
stress reactions
RELAXATION AND BREATHING EXERCISES
HEALING
Centers the self
Promotes
relaxation, calm, &
balance
LEARNING
Promotes creativity &
imagination
Promotes selfawareness
IMPLICATIONS
Creates emotional safety
Emotion regulation skills
are developed to manage
hypersensitivity or
hyperarousal
Centers person back into
the present moment
POSITIVE VISUALIZATION ACTIVITIES
HEALING
Allows for a
positive sense of
the future & the
courage, ability to
achieve one’s
hopes and dream
Awakens the idea
of what is possible
LEARNING
Promotes creativity &
imagination
16
IMPLICATIONS
Develops a positive
attitude toward the future
PLAY/GAMES
HEALING
LEARNING
Promotes social
interaction,
cultural exchange,
& physical activity
Promotes creativity &
imagination
Develops problemsolving
Develops language
skills
Promotes
collaboration
Promotes selfconfidence & social
skills
IMPLICATIONS
Happy hormones leave us
feeling good
Helps with emotion
regulation
CONNECTING WITH OTHERS & SAFETY IN COMMUNITY
HEALING
Develops sense of
identity
Promotes trust
LEARNING
Builds social skills
Promotes
independence &
collaboration
Promotes inclusion &
sense of belonging
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IMPLICATIONS
Emotion regulation and
other skills can be
modeled from safe and
emotionally competent
adults
Caring for Carers
Caregivers are also affected by disasters and/or emergencies, which may threaten their
ability to offer safety, stability, and nurturance therefore interventions or activities
promote the well-being of caregivers should also be prioritized so they can provide the
psychosocial needs of our learners.
As a caregiver, remember the following:
Eat well, get enough sleep and physical exercise
Do something fun or meaningful every day
Speak up and reach out to others
Minimize substance use
Be realistic about what you can and cannot control
Identify your own signs of stress
Make time for relaxing activities
Practice gratitude
Be kind and gentle with yourself
Seek professional support when needed
As caregivers, we have the capacity to help others but we
need to take care of ourselves first. Your own well-being is
your responsibility - you deserve to thrive and be healthy!
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Annex A.
Demonstration Activity: Confidence Drawings
Purpose
For learners to grow in confidence, by revisiting experiences where they were proud of
themselves and identifying their strengths from those experiences.
Healing Objective
Deepen self-awareness, appreciation for the self, and self-confidence
Learning Objective
Exercise fine motor and visual thinking skills; explore use of symbols, language, and
storytelling.
Activity Details
LEVEL
Grade 4 - 6
Time
40 minutes
Groupings
Large group or smaller groups depending on the size of the class and the time
available.
What you will need
Paper, and drawing materials (e.g., crayons, oil pastels or markers)
Where to do the activity
Learners can work on their desk
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Directions
1. Give your learners paper and drawing materials.
2. Tell the learners that today, they will be drawing something about themselves.
3. Ask the learners to divide their paper into quadrants, or into four.
4. Ask the learners to write down these statements as titles of the following
quadrants:
a. First or top left quadrant: “Something I love”
b. Second or top right quadrant: “Something I love about myself”
c. Third or bottom left quadrant: “Someone who loves me”
d. Fourth or bottom right quadrant: “Something I am good at”
5. After, ask the learners to draw what corresponds to the statement in each
quadrant. For example, in the first quadrant, learners will draw something that
they love. They may draw more than one thing in each quadrant, if they feel like
doing so.
6. Give the learners ample time to finish drawing.
7. Divide the class into groups of five or six. Ask your learners to share their drawings
with the group. Remind learners that they may offer affirmations to each one who
shares in their group.
Wrap Up Discussion Guide
Synthesis Questions and Points
1. How often do you think about your positive qualities (things you are good at,
people who love you, etc.)?
2. How did you feel drawing about yourself and your positive qualities?
3. Ask learners to share about something new they have learned about themselves
through the activity.
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4. How do your positive qualities/strengths help you overcome challenges in life or in
school?
5. How did you feel hearing your classmates share about themselves and their positive
qualities?
Thank the learners for their hard work and for sharing their works.
Key Message
You are enough just the way you are. While we make space for hard feelings in our
lives, it’s good to also remember that there are many things to be proud of in our lives.
It is good to notice all the good things about yourself, including the things you love and
the people who love you. Bringing these into awareness helps build self-confidence.
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ADDITIONAL NOTES
Understanding and Communicating with Learners
Understanding the emotional language of learners
Knowing the emotional language of your learners is part of being attuned to where each
of them might be - mentally, emotionally, psychologically - at any given time. This also
comes with the understanding that humans, including children, have ways of
manifesting their feelings without necessarily using words. Here are some of the ways
you may observe your learners’ expressions and how they are:
1. Facial expression. What does your learner show on his/her face? This may include
tense expressions or a lack of expressiveness.
2. Quality of speech. Do your learner’s words become disorganized? Is he/she rambling
or having a hard time getting the words out? Do his/her words seem more babyish or
regressed than usual?
3. Tone of voice. Does your learner’s voice become louder, softer, higher pitched?
4. Posture. What does your learner’s body look like? Is he/she curled up? Are his/her
fists clenched? Are his/ her muscles tense or loose? Is his/ her posture closed or
open?
5. Mood. Does your learner’s mood overtly change? Is he/she normally even-tempered
but becomes more reactive in the face of intense emotion? If so, pay attention to
signs of moodiness - it can serve as a warning that something is wrong.
6. Affect modulation capacity. Does your learner have a harder time than usual being
soothed? Does he/she start to need more comforting from you or from somebody
else? How receptive is he/she to comfort? Does this change in the face of stress?
7. Approach and avoidance. Does your learner become withdrawn or retreat? Does
he/she become overly clingy? Does he/ she seem to want to do both at the same
time?
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Communicating with learners about their art
Taking on the role of being a gentle companion to your learners, it is best not to assume
or interpret or give your own meaning to their works of art. Allow them the space to
freely express themselves through their art, by sharing about their own creation. The
following questions are suggested to help facilitate this process, whether via one-onone sessions or within a sharing group:
1 . Ask about CONTENT
What is the story of your art?
What do you see?
Does something surprise you?
What do you like about it most?
What title would you give it?
2. Ask about PROCESS
What do you feel about making your art?
What was going on in your mind while you were making this?
If the work could speak to you, what would it say?
If you were to speak to your work, what would you say?
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Red flags to watch out for
Red flags are thoughts and behaviors that may manifest deeper mental health concerns
and may need further screening or assessment by the school’s guidance counselor or a
mental health professional. As teachers and psychosocial support facilitators, you
should be mindful and observant of these thoughts and behaviors to be able to quickly
link a learner to more appropriate care; you are not expected to handle such thoughts
and behaviors by learners alone. Should you observe any of the red flags, connect and
coordinate with your school guidance designate or division guidance counselor as
needed.
Below are the usual red flags that can be manifested by learners from different age
groups:
Children ages 6-12
Isolate themselves and/or become quiet around friends, family, and teachers
Have nightmares or other sleep problems
Become irritable or disruptive and have outbursts of anger which often leads to
fights
Refuse to go to school and have difficulty concentrating
Complain of physical problems
Develop unfounded fears
Become depressed and become filled with guilt
Feel numb emotionally
Do poorly with school and homework
Adolescents ages 12-17
Flashbacks to the traumatic event (flashbacks are the mind reliving the event)
Avoiding reminders of the event
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use and abuse
Antisocial behavior, i.e. disruptive, disrespectful, or destructive behavior
Physical complaints
Nightmares or other sleep problems
Isolation or confusion
Depression
Suicidal thoughts
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References:
Doing What Matters in Times of Stress (WHO):
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240003927
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings (scroll down):
https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/iasc-task-force-mental-health-andpsychosocial-support-emergency-settings/iasc-guidelines-mental-health-andpsychosocial-support-emergency-settings-2007
Psychological First Aid Guide for Field Workers:
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241548205
PFA Field Guide:
https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/pfa_field_operations_guide.pdf
Psychosocial Interventions, or Integrated Programming for Well-Being:
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?
doi=10.1.1.602.6744&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Community-Based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Humanitarian Settings:
https://www.unicef.org/media/52171/file
THRiVE (Trauma-informed Healing and Resilience-building in Vulnerable
Environments through the Expressive Arts) Program (MAGIS Creative Spaces, 2016)
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