At OnePlusOne, we have now launched a new guide for frontline practitioners to support parents using the online  ‘Coping with stress and drinking’ resource.

Designed to work remotely, the interactive guide enables practitioners to support parents following the charity’s ‘Coping with stress and drinking’ course. It offers a step-by-step approach to learning new techniques to cope with stress, reduce the level of conflict in a relationship and improve outcomes for children.

Coping with stress and drinking is a short online programme which parents can work through together to discuss what causes stress and arguments in their relationship, and learn skills for  managing difficult situations more effectively. A series of animations, activities and short films bring to life real examples of what can cause stress at home, and what couples can do to cope better.

Using alcohol to manage stress can have a negative impact on relationships. In addition, alcohol can cause physical and mental health issues which may make it even harder to deal with stress effectively.

With almost fifty years experience of relationship research, we have created a programme to address the causes behind relationship stress and equip couples with the skills they need to manage it together. The new guide for practitioners makes it easier to  offer support to parents remotely, at a time when many people are experiencing more stress as a result of Covid-19, with reduced access to face-to-face support networks.

Verity Glasgow (our co-director) said: 

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“Most couples will experience stressful times during the course of their relationship and arguments are a natural part of life. However, when there are children around, seeing their parents in conflict with one another can be very damaging to their development and mental wellbeing. That’s why it’s essential that we all learn how to argue in a constructive way.

Alcohol can make stress or conflict worse by affecting our judgement and ability to make rational decisions. Our ‘Coping with stress and drinking’ resource is designed to help couples understand the impact of stress on their relationships, the effect their arguments may be having on their children and, crucially, help them develop the coping mechanisms needed to navigate these challenges without resorting to drinking.

I’m delighted that we can now supplement this course with a guide for practitioners which will help them provide support when it is needed.”

The online resource, which is freely available, explains why drinking can be risky and offers a downloadable ‘drinking diary’ to help people keep track of their alcohol consumption. It also offers practical advice and tips about how to handle a stressful situation or argument effectively.

With the help of practitioners using the support guide, couples working through the programme will be able to receive additional guidance  and encouragement to try out different activities and set goals to help them get on better.

The practitioner guide can be found here – oneplusone.org.uk/stress-and-alcohol-guide and the course for parents is on the charity’s digital relationship platform – parents-and-drinking.clickrelationships.org