Emotions are a normal and important part of our lives. Some emotions we enjoy experiencing, while others - like sadness, anger, loneliness, or fear - are more unpleasant and harder to deal with. Understanding how to cope with difficult emotions in a healthy and productive way can increase resilience, reduce stress, and help you live a happier life.

One of the topics in our Project Resilience social emotional learning curriculum is “Coping With Feelings.” We describe to students and teachers that coping skills are how you take care of yourself when you have a strong emotion. Learning about coping skills and managing emotions has been critical to many students:

“For me, the most useful resilience skill so far has been coping with feelings because recently, something tragic happened to one of my friends. It really affected all of us. My coping skills helped during that time, and I am still using them.” -Student

“I learned how to cope with different emotions during these hard times. Sometimes I get so mad, I can hardly control my anger, and it leads to me losing control. The tips I learned for coping skills really helped me learn how to control my emotions better.” -Student

In our Collaborative Counseling Program, students gain the ability to cope with trauma and stress through therapy. Our long-term, strengths-based therapeutic approach focuses on building trusting relationships that strengthens resilience and leads to lasting change:

“Counseling has been helpful because my counselor always checks on me at all times. She understands what I'm going through and doesn't ever judge me for the person I am. I’ve learned how to cope with things when feeling stressed.” -Student

“The student entered therapy feeling stressed, sad, and fearful. They increased self-understanding and learned coping strategies through therapy, which significantly reduced distress. The student completed the school year and is now focused on participating in meaningful activities and supporting others.” -Counselor