Evaluating a Train-the-Trainer Program “Taming the Adolescent Mind” for Filipino Youth Practitioners

Abstract Objective Mindfulness-based interventions are increasingly used to support wellbeing across diverse populations, yet their sound implementation depends on adequately training the facilitators who deliver them, particularly in contexts with a limited mental health workforce.

Method: This study evaluated a one-day, train-the-trainer adaptation of “Taming the Adolescent Mind” (TAM), a mindfulness program originally developed for direct delivery to adolescents, delivered instead to 29 school counsellors and postgraduate psychology students in the Philippines. Using a single-group, mixed-methods pre–post design, 29 participants (19 school counsellors, 10 postgraduate psychology students) completed a battery of tests measuring current levels of mindfulness and stress, as well as participants’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding mindfulness immediately before and after training, together with open-ended qualitative items.

Results: Personal mindfulness and counsellor’s self-efficacy increased significantly from pre- to post-training. No significant changes were observed for mindfulness knowledge or attitudes toward mindfulness, largely reflecting favourable and high baseline scores on these measures. Qualitative responses reflected a more enriched and applied understanding of mindfulness and greater facilitation confidence following training, alongside persistent concerns about implementation feasibility, cultural and linguistic adaptation, and time constraints. Discussions Findings suggest that brief, one-day train-the-trainer formats can meaningfully strengthen facilitator self-efficacy and personal mindfulness among Filipino school counsellors, while underscoring the need for extended training dosage and systemic support to translate individual competency gains into sustained program delivery. This study extends the predominantly Western evidence base on brief mindfulness training to a Southeast Asian, collectivist professional context.