The Gift Box
What is The Gift Box?
The Gift Box (TGB) is a 16-week group that supports participants to develop language to express themselves and articulate feelings, thoughts and sensations. It also uses distress and crisis as an opportunity to respond in a different way, moving from a vicious cycle to a victorious cycle.
The recovery model suggests that every crisis can be an opportunity to become more resilient. It suggests that everything is cyclical, so the journey of recovery is not linear. Patterns are developed in our lives, and we can get caught in those patterns and they often become vicious cycles. It takes courage and focus to notice our patterns and to begin to change our thoughts and our actions so that our feelings will change. Feelings are good things, they are important, and they are a guide for what’s happening to us.
The Gift Box is not a self-help tool for one person to take away and use. It is a set of tools to enable services, individuals and family members to support one another to build up awareness and an understanding of ourselves so we can all become resilient together.
The model uses a Feelometer at the commencement & conclusion of each group. This tool checks in on how each participant is feeling, which is an important exercise as it relies on the person articulating what they are experiencing and the reasons why. This optimises understanding and insight, whilst also helping to develop the language to articulate feelings. This is a significant skill to help navigate the situations that occur in a participant’s day-to-day life, supporting them in in the use of words rather than feeling a loss of control. The group also focuses on building a person’s capacity to lean into discomfort and distress to increase resilience and tolerance.
The group includes a Narrative, Open Dialogue and strengths-based approach and includes core skills like mindfulness, mood mapping & identifying supports.
The group works on the premise that we each have experiences and stories that resonate with others in the group and that sharing de-stigmatises and offers connection.
Who is The Gift Box for?
TGB is for those who have experience with:
- limited personal resources to manage distress,
- Emotional dysregulation,
- depressive and anxiety disorders,
- historical trauma
- Complex PTSD,
- personality vulnerabilities, or
- isolation and difficulty connecting.
One participant who completed the group described learning to build a space between “what happened” and “how I responded.” This allowed her to consider different ways of responding and making different decisions as a result of having the capacity to think about what might work and what has not worked. This was a significant shift for them and resulted in improved relationships, both with their partner and wider family members.
What makes The Gift Box unique?
TGB uses cards to help participants to identify appropriate language to express their experience, thoughts and feelings. The model is strengths-focused with a narrative approach, allowing a gentler and less prescriptive approach to group participation.
Group Composition
Each group has two facilitators and includes Peer Workers with their own lived experience.
The first day is an introductory session. The group facilitators provide an overview of the group content, and attendees will be asked about interest or opting out.
The 16-week program comprises of weekly 2.5-hour group meetings and 20 minute weekly coaching sessions via telephone. Additionally, an evening group is held that extends an invitation to family and significant others to attend.
Group 1
Commencing at 1:00 pm on Tuesday 6 May 2025 and concluding Tuesday 19 August 2025 at 449 Burwood Road, Belmore. This is a Male identified cohort.
Commencing at 10:00 am on Wednesday 7 May 2025 and concluding Wednesday 20 August 2025 at 449 Burwood Road, Belmore. This is a Female identified cohort.
Group 2
Commencing at 1:00 pm on Tuesday 2 September 2025 and concluding Tuesday 16 December 2025 at 449 Burwood Road, Belmore. This is a Female identified cohort.
Commencing at 10:00 am on Wednesday 3 September 2025 and concluding Wednesday 17 December 2025 at Darlington Activity Centre, 132-134 Shephard Street, Darlington. This is a mixed gender cohort.
Group 3
Commencing at 1:00 pm on Tuesday 27 January 2026 and concluding Tuesday 12 May 2026 at 449 Burwood Road, Belmore. This is a Female identified cohort.
Commencing at 10:00 am on Wednesday 28 January 2026 and concluding Wednesday 13 May 2026 at 449 Burwood Road, Belmore. This is a Male identified cohort.
Referrals
The group only referral requires that referrers remain engaged with the participant for the term of the group. If concerns arise the PICS group facilitator will contact the identified support person. On commencement and completion of the program, referrers will receive an update from the PICS facilitators.
- Referrals for Group 1 close on Wednesday 23 April 2025
- Referrals for Group 2 close on Wednesday 20 August 2025
- Referrals for Group 3 close on Wednesday 14 January 2026
Contacts for more information
Marina Knox marina.knox@onedoor.org.au 0419 935 833
Tanya Boyle tanya.boyle@onedoor.org.au 0448 103 888