WORKPLACE WELLBEING PROGRAM
Face-to-Face DeliveryOnline via Zoom / Teams
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Designed for organisations that care about their people
The Resilient Mind progrm is designed to be delivered to employee groups, teams, or whole workforces. It’s ideal for organisations whose leaders want a proactive, evidence-based approach to staff wellbeing.
The challenge facing Australian workplaces
Mental health is one of the most significant challenges facing modern Australian workplaces. The costs — in absenteeism, presenteeism, turnover, and workers’ compensation — are substantial and rising. Yet most of this is preventable with the right skills.
$70B – Estimated annual cost of mental ill-health to the Australian economy
$3,200 – Average cost per employee with mental illness per year in lost productivity (up to $5,600 for severe cases)
161% – Increase in mental health workplace compensation claims over the past 10 years
1 in 5 – Australians experience a mental health condition each year — many while at work
Sources: Safe Work Australia (2024); Workplace Mental Health Institute (2026); SafetySure Research (2025); Australian Productivity Commission.
The good news: stress, burnout, and anxiety are not inevitable. When employees are equipped with practical skills to manage their inner world — their thoughts, emotions, and responses — the entire workplace benefits.
What is Acceptance & Commitment Therapy?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a well-researched, evidence-based approach to wellbeing developed from decades of psychological science. Unlike traditional approaches that try to eliminate difficult thoughts and feelings, ACT teaches people to relate to them differently — making room for them while still moving toward what matters most.
ACT is not about positive thinking or removing stress. It’s about building genuine psychological flexibility — the ability to show up, pay attention, and keep moving forward even when things are hard.
🧭 Evidence-Based – Supported by hundreds of randomised controlled trials across clinical and workplace settings.
🛠️ Practical & Skills-Focused – Real tools people can use at work and in everyday life — not just concepts.
🌿 Non-Pathologising – Treats difficult thoughts and feelings as a normal part of being human — not a problem to fix.
“ACT in the workplace has demonstrated positive effects on anxiety, depression, stress, and burnout, as well as psychological flexibility, engagement, productivity, and adaptability.”— Vega-Campos et al. (2025), SAGE Journals
“A workplace ACT intervention led to reliable improvements in psychological distress in 48% of participants — with close to half meeting criteria for clinically significant change.”— Randomised Controlled Trial, PLOS ONE / PMC (2022)
What your people will gain
Over eight sessions, participants build a genuinely different relationship with stress, pressure, and difficulty. These are skills for life — not just for the workplace
📍 Greater Present-Moment Awareness – Participants learn to step out of autopilot and engage more fully with their work and relationships.
🧠 Reduced Cognitive Overload – Skills to unhook from unhelpful thought patterns that fuel anxiety, overthinking, and procrastination.
💛 Emotional Resilience – The ability to make room for difficult emotions without being overwhelmed or derailed by them.
🔭 Clarity on Values – Participants reconnect with what truly matters to them — at work and in life — creating intrinsic motivation.
🚀 Meaningful Action – Tools to move forward on what matters, even when discomfort is present — reducing avoidance and increasing follow-through.
🤝 Improved Relationships – A more grounded, flexible, and self-aware presence at work translates into better communication and team dynamics.
The return on your investment
Investing in employee wellbeing isn’t just the right thing to do — it makes sound business sense. Here’s what the evidence says you can expect when you bring The Resilient Mind into your organisation.
📈 Reduced Absenteeism – Mental health is now Australia’s leading cause of long-term workplace absence. Equipping staff with ACT skills directly reduces the risk of stress-related leave.
⚡ Higher Productivity – Presenteeism — showing up but not performing — costs more than absenteeism. ACT reduces the cognitive drag of anxiety and rumination, freeing up mental capacity for real work.
🔄 Lower Turnover -Employees who feel supported, purposeful, and psychologically well are more likely to stay. Replacing a single employee can cost up to 150% of their annual salary.
🛡️ Reduced Compensation Risk – Mental health claims now carry a median cost of $67,400 and 35+ weeks off work. Proactive psychological safety programs demonstrably reduce claim rates.
🌟Stronger Culture – A shared language around wellbeing, values, and flexibility creates teams that communicate better, handle conflict more effectively, and support each other.
✅ Duty of Care Compliance – Australian WHS legislation requires organisations to manage psychosocial risks. This program is a meaningful, documented step toward meeting that obligation.
For every $1 invested in a mentally healthy workplace, Australian organisations gain an average of $2.30 in return— through improved productivity and reduced compensation claims.
Source: Beyond Blue / PricewaterhouseCoopers; cited by Safe Work Australia.
Flexible delivery to suit your organisation
The Resilient Mind is designed to be accessible for all teams — whether your people are together in one location, working remotely, or spread across multiple sites.
🏢 Face-to-Face
Delivered in person at your workplace or you can book a venue of your choice. In-person delivery allows for richer group activities, discussion, and connection between participants.
- Best for co-located teams
- Ideal for intact teams or whole-of-organisation programs
- 8 sessions — timing and grouping tailored to your needs
- Includes printed participant handouts and materials (printing charges apply)
💻 Online via Zoom or Teams
Fully facilitated online, using your organisation’s preferred platform. Research confirms that online ACT-based programs produce meaningful improvements in stress, burnout, depression, and anxiety — comparable to in-person delivery.
- Perfect for remote or hybrid teams
- Accessible across Australia and New Zealand (other time zones by negotiation)
- Digital participant handouts and resources
- No travel or venue costs
Programs can be tailored in length, session grouping, and focus area. Get in touch to discuss what works for your team.
The program — module by module
The Resilient Mind is an eight-session program, each building on the last. Participants leave every session with practical skills they can begin using immediately.
MODULE 1
Introduction to ACT
We begin by exploring what ACT is — and what it isn’t. Participants are introduced to the concept of psychological flexibility: the ability to be present, open to experience, and committed to what matters. We explore why our natural attempts to avoid or fight difficult thoughts and feelings often make things worse.
MODULE 2
Being Present
Most of us spend a significant portion of our working day on autopilot — mentally elsewhere while going through the motions. This session introduces present-moment awareness as a practical workplace skill. Participants learn the “Dropping Anchor” technique and begin a daily mindfulness practice — not as relaxation, but as a skill for clarity and responsiveness.
MODULE 3
Defusion — Stepping Back from Unhelpful Thoughts
We think thousands of thoughts each day — and many of them aren’t helpful. Cognitive defusion is the ACT skill of noticing thoughts without being ruled by them. Participants learn to observe thought patterns rather than react to them, using practical techniques like “Leaves on a Stream,” “Name the Story,” and “Thank Your Mind.”
MODULE 4
Acceptance — Making Room for Difficult Feelings
Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation or giving up. It means creating space for difficult emotions — anxiety, frustration, disappointment — without letting them drive behaviour. This session teaches participants to respond to difficult feelings with openness rather than struggle, reducing the secondary suffering that comes from fighting what we feel.
MODULE 5
The Observing Self
There is a part of each of us that notices our thoughts and feelings without being defined by them. This session introduces the concept of self-as-context — the stable, observing “you” that exists beneath shifting emotions and mental chatter. This perspective offers a powerful source of groundedness, particularly in high-pressure situations.
MODULE 6
Values — What Truly Matters to You
Values are the personal qualities we want to bring to our lives and work — our internal compass. When we lose touch with our values, work can feel meaningless or draining. This session helps participants identify and articulate their core values, and explore how they can express them in their current role — creating an intrinsic source of motivation and direction.
MODULE 7
Committed Action — Moving Forward on What Matters
All the skills developed through this program come together here. Committed action is about taking meaningful steps in the direction of your values — even when discomfort is present. Participants learn to set values-based goals, anticipate barriers, and make flexible plans that hold up in real life. This is where insight becomes behaviour change.
MODULE 8
Bringing It All Together
The final session consolidates and integrates everything participants have learned. We revisit the full ACT model, celebrate progress, and — most importantly — help each participant create a personalised plan for continuing to apply these skills beyond the program. Participants leave with a clear map of their values, their tools, and their next steps.
Ready to bring The Resilient Mind to your team?
Get in touch to discuss your organisation’s needs, available delivery options, and pricing. There’s no obligation — just a conversation about what might work for your people.Email John to Enquire
© Sunny Coast Counselling | sunnycoastcounselling.com.au
Statistics sourced from Safe Work Australia (2024), Workplace Mental Health Institute (2026), SafetySure Research (2025), PLOS ONE / PMC (2022), SAGE Journals (2025), and the Australian Productivity Commission.