Clinical review
Reviewer: Emma Sutich, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Private Practice and Central Region Eating Disorders Service.
Date of review: April 2022
Comments: Small Steps is advertised as a “digital tool to help you maintain wellness, find relief, or get help for yourself or whānau”. It specifically looks at strategies to reduce anxiety/stress and improve mood. Small Steps appears to be based on broadly CBT type approaches. It is an easy to navigate and visually pleasing website. It also links people to other websites and I like that there is the option for accessing 1737.
The techniques that are especially good include mindfulness to the breath and guided relaxation. I also like the surveys that people can do to look at aspects of life that may be contributing to low mood. These would have some benefit for people with mild anxiety and mood difficulties and there are techniques in there that I would suggest a client work their way through.
Safety concerns: None. The ability to link into 1737 if people are feeling more overwhelmed is useful.
New Zealand relevance: Yes, relevant to a New Zealand audience.
