Friendship Lab
Friendship Lab
Our friendship lab is the social skills workshop for young people to learn the science of making friends. Making friends is a science and we coach young people on this. We use the PEERS® model, an evidence based social skills intervention program to help young people who desire to make and keep friends.
What is PEERS®?
PEERS® stands for Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills. PEERS® is an internationally recognised, evidence‑based social skills program for adolescents and young adults, used in 150 countries, who face social challenges.
Origin and who it helps
Developed by Dr Elizabeth Laugeson at UCLA, PEERS® has a strong research base, originally supporting adolescents and young adults on the autism spectrum and now widely used with young people who have ADHD, anxiety, depression, learning differences, or any difficulty with social interaction.
Who benefits
The program is aimed at motivated children & young people who want practical strategies to make and keep friends.
Why it works
By teaching clear, step‑by‑step skills for handling everyday social situations, PEERS® helps young people build more positive, lasting relationships, and help with managing conflict.
The skills required for friendships may feel overwhelming to some children and young people. Here, social skills are broken down into chunks of meaningful, doable steps and learners practise these skills with their peers, which is also carried on outside the session.
Skills children & young people learn
Trading information
Speak more confidently in conversations and keep them flowing
Choose healthy friends and discover shared interests
Use digital communication appropriately
Use humour sensibly and read others’ reactions to it
Join, start, and leave peer conversations smoothly
Plan and host successful get‑togethers with friends
Be a good sport during games and group activities
Resolve arguments and manage disagreements with peer
Handle rejection, teasing, rumours, and bullying
Shift an unwanted reputation through consistent, positive social choices
What to expect
• Duration: 14 weeks
• Participant session length: 90 minutes per week
• Parent Session: Separate weekly 90-minute parent coaching sessions to help child as a social coach
• Format: Small-group, coach-led lessons with role-play, real-time feedback, and structured practice
• Focus: Deep skill-building across conversation, turn-taking, managing tricky moments, emotional regulation, and friendship maintenance
• Outcomes: Improved confidence, stronger peer connections, practical strategies parents can use at home, and measurable social progress for each child
Teaching style and environment
Small groups of 6–12 participants in a safe, supportive setting.
Relaxed, enjoyable sessions that use evidence‑based methods.
Lessons use clear, concrete rules and step‑by‑step guidance.
Socratic questioning to draw out understanding and build insight.
Focus on real‑world skills that socially successful people use.
Learning methods
Demonstrations and role‑modelling of helpful social behaviours.
Behavioural rehearsal through role‑play videos of both socially helpful and risky scenarios.
Perspective‑taking questions to strengthen social thinking.
Ongoing social coaching from facilitators and parents/carers.
Weekly homework assignments practised with caregiver support.
Each session builds on previous weeks to create cumulative progress.
Ready to explore our full friendship lab program? Request a 20 minutes appointment to see if the program is a good fit for your Child
Please complete the form below to request an appointment. A member of our intake team will follow up with you.
Requirements
• Social need: Experiencing social challenges or difficulty making and keeping friends.
• Motivation: Interested in taking part and willing to engage in sessions and agrees to join the programme of their own free will.
• Ability: Typically, participants will speak in full sentences, and be cognitively able to engage in learning.
• Commitment: Able to attend regularly for the full programme.
• Social coach participation: A parent or carer is willing to act as the teen’s social coach. Parent/carer participation is required
Full Friendship Lab (PEERS®) Course Investment £1,400
Join from anywhere
Enjoy the flexibility of online sessions that fit your family’s life while keeping learning consistent and safe.
✅Attend from wherever you are — join sessions while on holiday, travelling, running late, or resting when slightly unwell.
✅Practice in a familiar, low-pressure space — anxious participants can build confidence at home before trying skills in the real world.
✅Comfort and familiarity — children can participate from their own room, with pets or favourite items to help them feel at ease.
✅ Greater privacy — online groups reduce the chance of meeting someone you know, making it easier to feel safe and less self-conscious.
✅ No travel time — removes a common barrier and makes it simpler to commit to a regular programme.
PEERS® Research Evidence
PEERS® is evidence based. Find below some of the publications in pivotal journals of the evidence supporting the PEERS® programs.
