The STILL Method
A positive approach
The STILL Method is a trauma-informed, repeatable anxiety-management framework used in schools, coaching and therapy.
The STILL Method
A clear way to respond to anxiety when it actually shows up
The STILL Method is a trauma informed anxiety and emotional regulation framework used in schools, coaching, therapy and family life.
It was created for one simple reason.
When anxiety takes over, most people are still guessing what to do.
Parents are told to stay calm.
Teachers are told to be firm but kind.
Adults are told to breathe, think positive, wait it out.
That is not a method. It is a wish.
The STILL Method is different.
It is a practical way to respond to anxiety in the moment it appears.
It gives you language, tools and structure so you are not guessing any more.
What the STILL Method actually is
The STILL Method is a repeatable framework that teaches children, teenagers and adults how to understand and respond to anxiety while it is happening.
It is used in:
Coaching and therapy sessions
Schools, children’s homes and residential care
Family homes and parenting support
Workplace wellbeing and staff training
It is not therapy, although many therapists and counsellors use it.
It does not require a diagnosis, a referral or a waiting list.
It does not talk down to people or tell them to try harder.
Instead it gives them tools they can actually use:
To get through panic attacks or shutdowns
To handle intrusive thoughts and fear spirals
To face school anxiety and refusal with more safety and less shame
To manage daily overwhelm, from sleep struggles to social fear
To deal with performance anxiety at work, in exams or on stage
If you have tried CBT, mindfulness, or other support and felt as if something was missing, STILL may be the structure you were looking for.
The five pillars of STILL
STILL stands for:
Stop
Talk
Imagine
Listen
Learn
Each pillar is a phase of work, not just a word.
Stop
We break the loop of panic, rage or shutdown. Short, simple tools interrupt the pattern in the body and brain so the person can think again.
Talk
We create safe conversation about fear, beliefs and stories. The aim is not to convince someone that everything is fine but to help them feel understood enough to look at things differently.
Imagine
We help people picture life beyond anxiety. This might be walking into school, answering a message, taking a test, attending a meeting or sleeping alone for the first time in years.
Listen
We teach people to notice what their body is saying and why. Instead of seeing symptoms as weakness, we treat them as signals of what needs to change.
Learn
We support people to practise new patterns and hold on to progress. Tiny experiments build up into real change in confidence, behaviour and daily life.
Every STILL tool and programme sits somewhere inside this structure. Coaches, teachers, carers and parents can learn it and use it.
Where STILL began
The STILL Method was created by Stuart Thompson, who originally trained as a social worker and now works as a therapist, trainer and public speaker. He has spent more than two decades supporting families, children and professionals.
For years he heard the same story.
Parents feeling blamed and exhausted.
Schools trying their best but stuck with behaviour systems that did not fit.
Children and adults who had done every programme going but still had no idea what to do when the fear hit.
STILL was born out of that frustration.
Stuart took what he knew from social work, trauma informed practice, coaching, positive psychology and creative tools, and built a clear, teachable framework that could be used by:
Parents at home with an anxious child
Staff in schools and children’s homes
Coaches and therapists in private practice
Organisations who wanted something more than a one off awareness day
Stuart has been recognised as a Fellow of ACCPH and was named one of the most influential disabled people in the UK in 2019. STILL was never about that recognition. It was built to meet a daily need
what do you actually do when anxiety hits.
Who uses the STILL Method now
Today the STILL Method is used across the UK and internationally by:
Parents who have a child struggling with fear, sleep, school or social life
Adults living with anxiety or overwhelm who want something practical
Children’s homes and schools that need a shared, trauma aware approach
Therapists, counsellors and coaches looking for a structured way to work with anxiety
Workplaces that are ready for real emotional wellbeing, not just posters and slogans
The method has been delivered to thousands of children and adults in schools, homes, community projects and online sessions. STILL programmes have run with people from early primary years through to older adults.
Accredited STILL Method coaches are currently active in the UK and overseas, delivering:
Six week anxiety coaching programmes
School based and residential care programmes
Grief, sleep, burnout and pain programmes built on the STILL framework
Workshops for parents, teachers and organisations
Wherever you meet it, STILL is the same. Clear structure. Simple language. Tools that fit real life.
How is STILL different from other approaches
There are many good models for anxiety support. STILL sits alongside them, but with a few important differences.
It is used in the moment, not only in reflection
A lot of anxiety work happens after the event. STILL is designed to be used while the fear is happening. It gives people something to do when their nervous system is already flooded.
It is simple to teach, but deep enough for professionals
The language is plain and accessible. Children understand it. Parents understand it. Staff understand it. Under the surface it is grounded in trauma informed practice, neuroscience and evidence informed tools.
It is trauma informed and neurodivergent aware
STILL does not expect people to sit still, make eye contact or fit a neat textbook picture. It respects sensory needs, past experiences and the ways different brains process threat and connection.
It does not depend on diagnosis
You do not have to wait for an assessment before you start helping someone manage fear. STILL can sit alongside clinical support and does not get in the way of existing plans.
It is built for real world fear
School refusal, sudden shutdown in class, intrusive thoughts at three in the morning, fear of leaving the house, dread of work meetings. STILL was built in those realities, not in a lab.
Above all, STILL is not just a loose toolkit. It is a method. One you can learn, one you can pass on, one that sticks.
What you can do with STILL
Because the method is flexible, you can use it in different ways.
As a parent or carer, you can:
Use STILL language at home so children know what is happening inside them
Support your child through meltdowns or panic without making them feel ashamed
Give older children and teens their own tools rather than doing everything for them
As a school or residential setting, you can:
Train staff in a shared approach to anxiety and emotional regulation
Reduce behaviour incidents by understanding what sits underneath them
Replace outdated reward and consequence systems with something more humane
Offer group programmes that give children and young people a common language and set of tools
As a coach, therapist or practitioner, you can:
Add a clear anxiety framework to your current work
Offer six week programmes or ongoing support using STILL tools
Join a network of practitioners who share ideas, resources and mentoring
As a workplace, you can:
Help staff spot anxiety patterns in themselves and colleagues
Offer real tools for managing pressure, uncertainty and change
Support managers to respond to fear in teams with more understanding and less judgement
You can begin by experiencing the method for yourself, or by training in it so you can support others.
Frequently asked questions about the STILL Method
Is this just like therapy
No. The STILL Method is a structured coaching and education framework. Many therapists and counsellors integrate it into their work because it gives them a practical way to move through anxiety with clients. It is not a replacement for therapeutic or medical care where that is needed. It sits alongside it.
Do I need to be a professional to use it
No. We train coaches, parents, teachers, support workers and people changing career. The method is designed to be teachable without a psychology background. What you need is care for people and a willingness to learn.
Can I use this with my child
Yes. STILL is used with children from early primary age upwards, as well as teens and adults. Tools are adapted so they make sense for whoever is in front of you.
I have tried other things. Will this be any different
That is the most common thing we hear. STILL is not try harder advice. It does not tell people to be brave and then leave them to it. It gives them a framework and tools that match what their nervous system is doing.
Is the method accredited
Parts of the STILL Method, including the coach training, are accredited by external bodies such as ACCPH and IPHM. This means the training meets recognised standards and that coaches can work with confidence.
What happens next
If you have read this far, it is probably because anxiety is already playing a big part in your life or your work.
You might be a parent who is tired of guessing.
You might be a teacher, support worker or carer who wants something that fits the children you actually see.
You might be someone who has lived with anxiety for years and is ready for something more practical.
Or you might be thinking about training so you can support others.
Wherever you are starting from, the next step does not have to be dramatic. It just has to be clear.
You can:
Get support
Explore our coaching programmes for children, teens and adults and see how STILL could help in your situation.Train in the method
Find out about our accredited Anxiety Coach Training and other specialist courses if you want to work in this field.Bring STILL into your setting
Discover the STILL Model for schools and care settings, or our workplace offers for teams under pressure.
The STILL Method exists to change the way the world understands and responds to anxiety.
From fear to safety.
From confusion to clarity.
From surviving to living with more choice
The STILL Method is an accredited anxiety support model used by coaches, families, schools and organisations across the UK and beyond. Designed for use in real moments of fear, it offers structured tools for emotional regulation, panic response, and confident support. STILL is trauma-informed, neurodivergent-aware, and grounded in real-world results