BaseCamp® Program

Help your child understand anxiety, then practise what to do about it

Basecamp® is an 8-week, psychologist-developed anxiety program for children aged 7 to 13. It combines cognitive behavioural principles with stories, creative activities, discussion, fieldwork and repeated practice so children can build practical ways to respond to worry, avoidance and anxious thinking.

The program is set inside a fictional Australian national park. Children move through themed settings, meet characters and complete activities that make psychological ideas more concrete, memorable and less clinical.

Who may benefit

Basecamp® may suit children who:

• worry frequently or seek repeated reassurance
• avoid activities, situations or experiences because they feel anxious
• find separation, uncertainty or change difficult
• become overwhelmed by fear of mistakes or things going wrong
• experience physical signs of anxiety such as tension, butterflies or a racing heart
• would benefit from learning practical ways to understand and respond to anxious thoughts and feelings

Small enough for support. Large enough for shared practice.

Groups are intentionally small, typically four to six children. This gives children opportunities to normalise anxiety, hear how peers approach similar challenges and practise strategies together, while keeping the group small enough for active facilitator support.

Groups are mixed gender and formed with consideration of age and developmental stage. The exact age and gender mix varies depending on registrations.

A structured CBT-informed approach

Basecamp® draws on cognitive behavioural principles and includes direct instruction and practice in areas such as identifying anxiety responses, cognitive restructuring, graded exposure, relaxation, problem-solving and planning for future challenges.

The emphasis is practical. Children learn a strategy, practise it during the program, try it between sessions and return with new experiences to discuss and build on.

An award-winning workbook

Every participant receives their own Basecamp® workbook to use throughout the program and keep afterwards.

The workbook is designed as an illustrated journey through a fictional Australian national park, with interactive pages, stories, psychoeducation, fieldwork and activities that help children understand the science behind anxiety and practise practical management strategies.

Basecamp® has received major Australian and international recognition, including the London Book Fair International Excellence Awards, Australian Book Design Awards and Educational Publishing Awards Australia.

Why 8 weeks?

Anxiety-management skills become more useful when children have time to practise them in real situations. The eight-week format allows participants to learn a strategy, test it between sessions, return with feedback and gradually take on more challenging situations.

Across the program, children work towards understanding anxiety, recognising unhelpful thinking, practising more realistic thoughts, using relaxation, approaching rather than avoiding manageable fears and building plans they can return to when anxiety increases.

Parents are part of the program too

The term program includes two individual 30-minute online parent consultations, one before and one after the program, plus weekly email updates with key themes and practical suggestions for home and school.

This helps parents understand what their child is practising and support the use of those strategies between sessions.

Program structure and inclusions

• 8 weekly sessions, one hour each
• small, mixed-gender groups, typically four to six participants
• groups formed with consideration of age and developmental stage
• two 30-minute online parent consultations, before and after the program
• weekly parent updates with practical ideas for home and school
• one award-winning Basecamp® workbook for each child
• structured activities, stories, cognitive-behavioural strategies and fieldwork

Good to know

Basecamp® is a structured group learning program and does not replace individual psychological assessment or therapy where a child has more complex needs.

Some children with existing diagnoses or more significant anxiety, behavioural or developmental needs may benefit from a brief pre-screening before joining so we can consider whether the group format is appropriate.