about

WHAT?

Soccology uses football as a medium to provide mental health education and emotional literacy.

Mental health topics cover counselling, psychology and neuroscience. The emotional literacy work is built from Claude Steiner’s teachings.

We deliver workshops, programs, staff training and consultancy. Delivery style is the combination of theory and practical, with additional access via digital services.

‘I thought the Soccology sessions were brilliant… one of my students who is suffering from severe mental health yet will not take any support from external parties asked to speak to Kevin after his first session with the group because he felt that he resonated with a lot of the issues Kevin discussed during the session. Kevin then held an hours 1-2-1 session with him, and this was a fantastic step for my student in reaching out for help. I would recommend Soccology to any young group to deliver his sessions as it as a process that helps to normalise issues with mental health and provides an open environment for people/students to vocalise their thoughts and feelings in a positive environment.’

-       Rachel Catling, SCL Education Through Sport

WHY?

As a society our response to health is reactive and the problem with this in regards to mental health, is the longer the impact of adversity without adequate intervention, the more likely our happiness, health and lifespan will decline.

1.    Many cannot afford therapy.

2.    Therapy is seen as the solution to our problems. With this being the case, we lack the tools to manage common stressors and then become dependent on somebody else (therapist). Then there’s a reliance on knowing the right modality of therapy to choose, and hoping that the therapist will be effective.

3.    Avoidance and repression are common coping strategies, with this being the case, talking therapy can feel like a threat to safety.

4.    Points 1 and 2, are reflective in 455,000 NHS services drop-out rate (NHS Digital) and compounded by the year long waiting lists to Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and adult mental health services.

Soccology serves all groups however, males are the main group we work with as they’re more likely to be excluded from school, be incarcerated, to join a gang, carryout violent crimes, commit suicide and less likely to use talking therapy. During our first year we provided counselling, over 23% self-referred to this service.