Inside your body, you have two nervous systems, which make up our central nervous system: Sympathetic Nervous System Parasympathetic Nervous System Sympathetic Nervous System Our Sympathetic nervous system is our Fight-Flight-Freeze-Fawn reaction. Our Sympathetic nervous system is activated when our AMYGDALA in our brain believes that it is under threat. This can be from something […]
How does your nervous system affect you? Read More »
An eating disorder is a mental health disorder which affects people’s behaviours, attitudes and thoughts around food and exercise.Eating disorders are a way of managing feelings and coping with difficult situations through the micromanagement of food intake. Eating disorders can change and develop new symptoms and behaviours over time. Beat (2020) believe ‘approximately 1.25 million
7 Types of Disordered Eating Read More »
We often hear about the ‘importance of routines’ for children, and their positive impact on child mental health, but why do we say this? Our brains are a complex set of highways, created through millions of neural pathways. The vast array of pathways throughout our brains are connected by neurons which pass signals from one
Why do children need routines? Read More »
Since the 2020 pandemic, there has been an increasing gap in the emotional literacy of children. One of my greatest observations from the last three years in my therapy and coaching work, is that whilst children are catching up academically: Behaviour issues are increasing Dysregulation is happening more frequently Expressing feelings is less comfortable There
What’s the emotional literacy gap? Read More »
A conversation that I have seen more of over the last few weeks resolves around the new Online Safety Bill. The Online Safety Bill is a new set of laws to protect children and adults online. The bill will make social media companies legally responsible for keeping users safe online. The bill is related to:
The Online Safety Bill 2022 Read More »
Sometimes, we just need an activity that allows us to switch off and zone out, to process our thoughts, feelings and experiences. 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
Children’s Activity: Calm Colouring Read More »
Over recent weeks I have had a huge number of conversations about children’s mental health and the increase that parents and professionals are seeing in: Anxiety Health anxiety Separation Anxiety Phobias Emotionally Based School Avoidance Low mood Worries and fears For many, the question is ‘why?’ You may have also noticed that adults are less
Are children struggling more, post-pandemic? Read More »
A frequent conversation I have with my therapist hat on, is surrounding emotionally based school avoidance and return to school plans. Having worked as a teacher, as well as therapist, in addition to supporting many children with return to school plans, the focus is always on: Creating a sense of safety for the brain Rebuilding
Phased Returns and School Avoidance Read More »
An important part of supporting child mental health, is that we recognise areas where we can develop our practice. There is no end point in this, as the world evolves, we can recognise that the mental health needs are ever evolving. Therefore, strategies that we used 10 years ago may no longer work, whilst new
Carrot and Stick – Why punishments rarely work Read More »
A lot of people can be concerned about the word ‘validation’, perceiving that by doing this, we are giving in, or enabling someone. However, validation is a vital part of our connections with children, building trust and supporting mental health. Without it, we are often caught in cycle of resistance, by which the child may
Why threats don’t work and we need validation instead Read More »
