FACETS fatigue management course

What is FACETS?

FACETS is short for Fatigue: Applying Cognitive behavioural and Energy Effectiveness Techniques to life Style. It is a group-based therapy programme originally designed in 2010 by the psychology research and clinical teams at Poole Hospital, Dorset and the University of Bournemouth. There is good evidence to show it can be very helpful for managing MS-related fatigue.

The course involves a mix of short presentations, group activities and discussions, and homework tasks. Over a period of six weeks, participants devise practical strategies to manage their fatigue, while while working together to discover ways to counter the negative thoughts that can make lifestyle changes harder.

FACETS combines two key elements:

cognitive behavioural approaches to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours
energy effectiveness techniques, which help make the most of the available energy a person has.

Where and when?

We hold up to four FACETS courses per year, each consisting of six 90-minute sessions. These are usually held in our offices at The Vassall Centre, Bristol, a fully accessible space with onsite parking and a café. Since the pandemic, we have also started to offer some FACETS courses online via video conference.

FACETS is becoming more widely available, so if you are not in the Bristol area check with your healthcare team to see if courses are run nearby. To join one of our virtual groups, ask a member of your MS team to refer you to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., the specialist physiotherapist who runs our FACETS programme.

Who is the FACETS course suitable for?

The course is for anyone with MS-related fatigue that is affecting everyday life, and who can to walk either with or without aids. You should also be able and willing to participate in a group setting and carry out home tasks.

"This course has been amazing. It's an awesome thing to do to provide a point of contact and connection for people with MS, the perspectivee gained from shared experience is excellent. It would be, I think, hugely beneficial to newly diagnosed pateints given the misunderstanding and ambiguity around fatigue. Thank you so much for this, it's genuinely changed my life."

FACETS participant

“Thanks for putting this course together, I found it very helpful and found all sorts of things that can be used in other parts of my life, like day planning. One extra use I found for the planning pages was to document my daily activities and see what it is that I spend my time on. And splitting the papers into three batches really helped with not getting overwhelmed.”

FACETS participant

"The course has been highly beneficial for me. It was such a welcome relief to hear how much I had in common symptom-wise with the other attendees. Fatigue is a common symptom, but so are the feelings of negativity when we are unable to do all we would wish. The course dealt with these issues. The small group setting was hugely helpful and supportive."

FACETS participant

How to apply

If you are interested in enrolling in one of our FACETS courses, either in-person or online, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us on 0117 958 6986 for more information and next steps.