In times of pressure, your skills for relationship health and resilience become more important than ever. Start an I Matter® Relationship Health Learning Journey
Build understanding and practical skills so you can respond more effectively at home and at work and everyday life
Why this matters now?
We are living in a time of high stress and uncertainty. Many adults and young people feel overwhelmed.
Relationship challenges often sit at the heart of stress, mental health difficulties, behaviour challenges, and burnout.
Yet, most people have never been explicitly taught how relationships work and about the important role they play.
Now however there is a science that can help us find the way forward both as individuals and collectively.
So the question is:
What can you do right now to respond more effectively and support yourself and others in your home and work and community roles?
A shared learning approach for professionals, parents and individuals
🟦 What is I Matter?
I Matter offers a relationship health education learning system that helps motivated adults build understanding they can apply in real-life situations.
It has been designed for use by professionals, families and individuals, across schools, and primary care and community settings as a foundation to support more joined up thinking and more prevention and early intervention.
It is not a clinical treatment or therapy service.
It is a structured learning process for building relationship health understanding and skills.
🕯 The I Matter Microproject Approach
Most meaningful change happens in small, practical steps.
The I Matter approach supports people to:
- get clear on their priorities
- learn relationship health
- apply it in real situations
- reflect on what works
- build confidence through practice
For professionals this often begins with helping just 1–3 families .
We call this the Microproject approach — it involves investing in small, steady practice that builds understanding and impact over time.
I Matter is not a passive course. It is a learning system designed to support active reflection and application.
Learn (Open Access)
Start exploring ideas and understanding relationship health in your own roles.
Explore at your own pace
+ Free resources
+ Introductory learning
+ YouTube + guides
Start LearningJoin the Journey
For professionals and practitioner-parents ready to apply learning in real situations.
+ Mini Candle training pathway
+ Work with 1–3 families or cases
+ Reflect and develop practice
Join the JourneySupport a Journey
For schools, GP practices, and organisations building internal capability for RH informed practice.
+ Support a motivated practitioner
+ Enable Mini Candle practice locally
+ Build real-world insight
Support a Journey🧭 Important
All routes begin with shared learning.
From there, some people choose to continue into applied practice depending on motivation, readiness, and role.
🟦 What the I Matter Learning Journey helps people do
I Matter helps people:
- understand relationship patterns affecting wellbeing
- make sense of stress, behaviour, and communication
- respond more calmly and confidently in difficult situations
- improve connection between adults and children
- build shared understanding across home, school, and work
🟨 Evidence-informed foundation
The I Matter framework draws on established fields including:
- child development
- mental health
- communication and conflict research
- family systems understanding
It translates this research evidence into a practical, accessible learning system for everyday use across settings.
Getting started
👉 Join the Journey
👉Support a Journey
I Matter helps people make sense of relationship health in everyday life.
With greater understanding, people can respond more calmly, think more clearly, and support others more effectively — even in challenging situations.
-
I Matter Training
The Kendal Integrated Care Community has adopted the I Matter Framework as a foundation for our thinking about how to work together in our community to help those who are struggling. Professionals and non-professionals are learning together. It feels good.
Dr Amy Lee , GP Safeguarding Lead Kendal Integrated Care Community
-
I Matter Training
The I Matter approach of considering the adults needs alongside those of the children is such a useful way to look at things and has turned the dynamics on its head for me. I have realised my stress levels are having a huge impact on all of us as a family and learning to change this is starting to make a difference.
Parent , parent of teenager with challenges
-
I Matter Training
EVERY teacher and parent would benefit from this programme. Parent carers are a group of people I would like to get this to. This would be a fantastic opportunity to bring a very isolated group of people together to improve the situation they are in.
Carer support professional , Children and adults of all ages
-
I Matter Training
I am a HLTA but also a parent and foster carer. I work with primary aged children, have 3 teenagers, and foster toddlers! This programme has been so valuable for each and every relationship I encounter on a daily basis.
Higher Level Teaching Assistant and Foster Carer , Trained for work and home purposes
-
I Matter Training
This programme has had a big impact on my own well-being which has meant that I have been more able to cope better with the expected and unexpected aspects of life in a calmer rational manner!!
School Leader , Key Stage 4 Leader and Parent
-
I Matter Training
The first videos and questions really got me thinking. I realised how isolated I had let myself become and that this was not helping me or my child. I took action the next day and phoned a friend. I also made another follow-up appointment to speak with my GP.
Anonymous , Parent
-
I Matter Training
The first time I worked through the videos and questions I didn't really understand what they were all about. By the third time I really understood what was being asked. At first we were really stuck. However It has been exciting to see the progress.
Parent , Parent of child with explosive behaviour
-
I Matter Training
This training has been so much more than I expected it to be. I have learned so many things that have changed my understanding of myself and of my child. I have worked with many services before this but this has really made the difference. Now I know why I Matter
Anonymous , Parent of child with additional needs
WHY RELATIONSHIP HEALTH MATTERS?
When relationships struggle, everything struggles.
We see it locally and globally.
Stress states, conflict, mental health, behaviour issues, anxiety, depression, burnout, and communication difficulties commonly have their roots in relationship health difficulties. Yet most people have never been taught how relationships really work.
Training in the I Matter Framework helps you take charge of what you can change, and let go of what you can't so you can feel more confident, more connected and more aware of the important contributions you can make even in challenging everyday situations.
WHY INVEST YOUR TIME NOW?
"The world is becoming more challenging for young people and adults — at home, at work, and in our communities. Investing in your own understanding and skills for relationship health and confidence is urgent and time well spent".
"By learning about relationship health and an I Matter Approach, and developing your confidence and skills, you’ll be better equipped to navigate challenges, support your children and family members and teams, and create lasting positive change in home, work place and community."
I Matter Training grew from 20+ years of clinical experience across child and adult mental health, education, community practice and family support. Today it provides grounded, accessible learning for people who want to progress healthier relationships in everyday life.
Dr Cathy Betoin, Clinical Psychologist, Teacher, Parent
53 Stramongate
Kendal
La94BH
United Kingdom
