Articles & Resources
Recognising the impact of child trauma
Over the many years I have worked with children and teenagers, and over the last 8 years working in my therapy office I meet so many clients with different backgrounds. Some have scars on the outside, from domestic violence, self-harm, eating disorders or alcoholism. Others have scars on the inside from emotional abuse, neglect, domestic
Children’s Activities: Prioritising Workloads
When we have too much to do, we can quickly spiral into feeling: Overwhelmed Suffocated Panic Stress Which means that we can begin procrastinating, avoiding or starting everything and finishing nothing. For many, it can feel like ‘everything is a priority’ and all needs to be done NOW. So, how do we help young people
Top Tips for Supporting the Return to School
As the world prepares for the return to school, parents up and down the country are getting the uniforms ready, purchasing new school shoes and packing lunch boxes…. But what else do we need to consider to prepare our children for a successful return to school? Get organised Double check school lists and requirements Make
Children’s Activities: Fears Worksheet
Fears and Worries Fear is a primitive response, where the body reacts to potential threat of danger or risk of harm occurring. This can cause the sensation of anxiety, such as a rapid heart rate, nausea, shortness of breath, trembling, sweating. This may present itself as: Becoming angry or irritable over small things Bursting into
Why we need to praise qualities, not outcomes
Praising children and teenagers is something that we all know is important. However, is there a right or wrong way to do it? Do we need to praise qualities, not outcomes? We frequently meet young people who place the value of themselves on: Their academic outcomes (homework, coursework) Their test results Their sporting achievements Their
Children’s Activity: Feelings Wordsearch
Finding creative ways to talk about feelings can open new conversations. Sometimes, just sitting down can feel too confronting for some children, so activities can provide the perfect opportunity to explore what we are feeling and how it affects us. So, we are sharing our feelings wordsearch with you. Download it here How to us
10 Ways that Adults can Support Child Mental Health
Whether we are a parent, an early years educator, a teacher or an education or care professional, mental health is on our lips. How do we best support young people to manage their mental health? How do we promote self-care? How do we educate about well-being. It starts with us. By being advocates and role
Children’s Activity: Self-esteem Chart
Self-esteem Self-esteem is the value we place on our own worth. It is the opinion we have of ourselves. The way we view our worth in the world. It can be positive or negative, and the level of our self-esteem impacts the way that we see the world and the events that occur in our
5 reasons we need to be more active
We all know that we need to be more active, but the thought and the action can sometimes be a challenge to get going. It’s almost crazy that for something that we know improves our wellbeing we can find getting active so challenging. How much do I need? The guidelines for physical activity advise: Infants
Children’s Activity: Mandala Colouring Sheet
Colouring has many benefits: Develops fine motor skills Supports concentration skills Develops colour recognition Strengthens handwriting skills Encourages relaxation Develops focus Creates a focus on the present Calms a restless mind Develops inner quiet Reduces stress and anxiety Can improve sleep Download it here Free Activity So, this week, our free activity is a downloadable
10 Ways to Support Mental Health in the Summer Holidays
Just like that, the summer holidays began. After a long eighteen months, the relief of the holidays and the increased accessibility to favourite activities is much appreciated. However, how can we ensure that we invest in our mental health over the break, so that the return to school is a positive one? Here’s our top
Children’s Activity: Children’s Feelings House
Sometimes, we know that things are bothering us, but it can feel hard to put it into words. So, when someone asks ‘what is bothering you?’ the question feels impossible. Using activities that help children to talk, and explore their emotions in safe spaces helps children to develop their self-awareness and emotional literacy. Download
Why we need buckets full of self-esteem
Self-esteem has become one of those words that we throw around frequently, but do we really recognise the impact of self-esteem in our child’s life? Do we see the impact of self-esteem on children’s lives? Or perhaps you’ve started to look at your child in comparison to their peers and begun to worry about how
Children’s Activity: Summer Journey ‘I’ Spy
Have you ever…. Have you ever been caught on a journey in the summer holidays with the children calling out ‘are we there yet?’, ‘I’m bored’, ‘I don’t want to wait’ ‘I’m fed up’. Let’s face it, car journeys are not always the most fun, and whilst the destination may be amazing, the waiting can
10 Natural Ways to Boost Mood and Well-being
Something that has become quite noticeable recently, is the number of people who are feeling: overwhelmed exhausted tearful apathetic unmotivated out of sorts When we experience significant periods of time which are unpredictable it can mean that our minds become overloaded. Without relief from these feelings, we can find ourselves feeling despondent. So, what are
Children’s Activity: Feelings Iceberg
Managing emotions When we see children’s behaviours, actions and responses we can get caught up in focussing on the symptoms and miss the causes of the issues. Our feelings can be likened to an iceberg. The tip of the iceberg, what is above the water, represents the feelings, emotions, responses, behaviours and reactions that children
Co-Regulation: Why, to help in a crisis, we need to be a cucumber
Have you ever noticed, that when a toddler has a tantrum, and the parent starts to escalate, that the toddler escalates even more? No matter how much you tell someone having a panic attack to calm down, they just don’t calm down? That if you yell at an angry person to chill out, they just
Children’s Activity: Planning and Organising Time
Did you ever struggle to get organised? Faced with lots to do, one of a number of things happen: Some people dig deep, get things in order and get going Some people look at it, feel like it’s impossible and find something else to do Some people feel completely overwhelmed and are frozen in anxiety/panic/tears
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