Who We Are

Our courses bring people to their faith by demonstrating care and offering skills that increase their wellbeing spiritually, but also mentally, emotionally, and psychologically. Most of the battles today must be fought first in the mind.

"To get out in front of the mental health crisis is to preserve the thinking faculty for prayer."

- Kathryn Clarke

What We Offer

Online Facilitated Groups

On a semester basis, we run virtual groups, facilitated via Zoom. These are led by our trained Backpack Instructors. Different programs are run each semester.

These groups have led to an ever growing Backpack Community across the globe, with many choosing to continue meeting after instruction is finished.

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Programs for Individuals

All programs are available for any individual to take on their own. These courses are available online (instant access) or via USB as a hardcopy option.

Each program includes a video series and an accompanying workbook. Fathers of the Church will launch Autumn 2022.

Our Courses

Quick-Start Comprehensive Packs

We offer 'Quick-Start' packs to allow groups to implement a single course in a low-cost manner while still gaining everything needed to get going. These packs are perfect for any parish, community, school, or home settings.

Please reach out to us if you're thinking of starting a group and we can help you get started!

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Our Courses

Our programs increase participant’s critical thinking skills, self- awareness, and overall mental and spiritual well-being. The courses take different approaches. When taken in succession, they build on one another. Each course can also be taken as a stand-alone and they are taken in different order by different people in many different settings.

This combination is designed to reinforce concepts and foster sustaining change to thought and behaviour patterns, habits, and self-talk.

Every program is composed of taught video material combined with reflective and interactive exercises. All courses have a corresponding workbook, available in printed and downloadable forms.

We encourage participants to be open to significant changes in their lives and relationships after taking a course.

What People Are Saying

"My stress/anxiety are almost gone, they're now at normal levels. Since taking The Backpack I no longer wake up with pain in stomach and heart. I do contemplative prayer every morning and also have gone through some tough situations successfully because I used the Crossing the Bridge exercise."

- Student from Backpack Adults

"This program combines the finest components of human development with solid spirituality and provides young people with the tools for navigating life's roadmaps. It is worthy of your consideration and is a superb didactic resource characterised by a very personal approach."

- School Principal

"The overall goal of The Backpack Program is to help participants view themselves positively and accurately as both spiritual and human beings with choices. The feedback from the high school students has been remarkable and highly indicative of the efficacy of the program."

- Bishop Leo O'Reilly of Kilmore

"This course helps you to understand yourself as a person, and your relationships with others and God, in a grounded, healthy way. It also gives you tools to aid you in going from unhealthy to healthy perceptions and relationships."

- Student from Backpack AFF

"I don't feel as anxious as I did when I started the course. I find it much easier to reject the thoughts which were causing me to feel very stressed & worried. During the meditation exercises, I was able to calm myself down. What a gift to realize that I have more control over my fears than I thought I did!"

- Student from Backpack for Adults