Pesky gNATs

Pesky gNATs helps a young person understand Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

*Be advised that a password is required to access this app. Passwords are provided by Pesky gNATs clinicians*

Pesky gNATs is an App for young people to use as they complete the Pesky gNATs Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) intervention with a mental health professional. A central part of CBT is completing tasks between meetings with a therapist. This helps a young person consolidate their understanding of the CBT model and practice new skills learnt during the intervention. Completing between session tasks is often difficult for both adults and children so we think having an interesting, convenient and fun way to do them will help.

During the Pesky gNATs CBT intervention young people meet regularly with a therapist. Together with their therapist they play the Pesky gNATs desktop game. In the game they visit a 3-D world called “gNAT’s Island” and meet a team of wildlife explorers. In each session a member of this team introduces them to one of seven CBT concepts that unfold during the course of the game. Little creatures called gNATs are used to provide a concrete representation of Negative Automatic Thoughts a key – but typically abstract – concept in CBT. Through the game and with the support of a qualified therapist, the young person learns to apply these CBT concepts to their current difficulties.

Young people use the Pesky gNATs app between meetings with their therapist. The app supports the young person’s application of the CBT ideas they learn in session to their everyday life at home, at school and in their community. The App has weekly CBT tasks, Mindfulness skills, a gNAT gallery, and 3 fun games that unlock when the young person completes the between session tasks!

The App has 5 sections:

1. gNAT Adventures between session CBT tasks: 1. Record a positive and negative Thought Feeling Behaviour Relationship. 2 Trap some gNATs 3. Trap some gNATs 4. Swat your gNATs. 5. Hive hunt 6. Splat a Hive 7. Relapse Prevention.

2. Games - 3 fun games (Man Eating Sheep; Whack a gNAT; Hive Hunt) that unlock only if you complete between session tasks and reinforce ideas from the relevant CBT task.

3. Chill Out Zone includes six mindfulness exercises, one relaxation exercise and one activity scheduling task.

4. The Achievements section allows young people to earn badges for completing tasks.

5. The gNAT gallery contains an illustrated reminder of the 11 different types of negative automatic thinking in the Pesky gNATs game.