Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition where a child, teenager or adult has reoccurring thoughts and negative behaviours which they cannot control. There are many misconceptions about OCD and frequently, people will refer to themselves as having OCD when they do not. Whilst frequently a throw away comment ‘I’m a bit OCD’, […]
What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? Read More »
Attachment theory is a psychological theory, developed by John Bowlby (1977), that looks at the connections and relationships between humans. Attachments are those deep emotional bonds that we develop with another person, where we feel secure and close with them. In attachment theory, we examine the relationship between children and their parents, and the way
What is attachment? Read More »
So often, I meet children (and adults) who are caught up in a challenging thought process where they are angry with particular features of friends, teachers, parents or peers. One of the activities that we often take part in, is to consider: “How much of that characteristic exists in you” All of us have mirror
Why we need to teach children (and adults) self-reflection Read More »
Previously, I spoke about the child behaviour iceberg (find it here), so in this article, I want to look at the ABC of behaviour. When I started my career working as an early years practitioner, later as a Nursery Manager and then a lecturer of early years, (before eventually finding myself as an inspector) I would
Why we need to look beneath child behaviour Read More »
We frequently discuss that behaviour can be likened an iceberg. However, from my experiences as both a teacher and a therapist, this can unintentionally be forgotten when it comes to managing and responding to children’s behaviour. The iceberg analogy gives us an opportunity to consider all the contributing factors which may be affecting a child’s
The importance of looking beneath the iceberg Read More »
Fight – Flight – Freeze – Fawn Many people are familiar with the concept of the fight – flight response. When our central nervous system involuntary responds to a perceived threat, an acute stress response kicks in and each individual, depending on their own programming will respond accordingly. Fight or flight, in its simplest form,
Fight – Flight – Freeze – Fawn, How do you react? Read More »
Whilst Christmas can be incredibly exciting. For some, it brings struggles with mental well-being, overwhelm and rising stress. Christmas can be magical, but for others, it can create sensory overload and be an overwhelming period of constant change, noises, colours and challenges to navigate. For adults, Christmas can feel like a great deal of pressure
8 Ways to Protect Mental Well-being at Christmas Read More »
Life can be busy, and often, when I work with clients, they can find that it’s a struggle to keep things in perspective. To see the good which sits alongside the bad, or the greys amongst the black and white. When we are stressed, or experience stress for a significant period of time, it can
The importance of gaining different perspectives Read More »
When our mental health declines, it can feel overwhelming, scary and quite exhausting. Our instincts can sometimes tell us to hide, act out or to seek out comfort seeking behaviours. However, sometimes, our instincts offer us solutions which increase the struggles that we are experiencing, and as such, we need to consider how else to
8 Ways to Support Your Own Mental Health Read More »
In December 2019 I wrote a book called ‘Brian and the Christmas Box‘. This story followed a winter adventure of Brian…. When Brian is out for a walk with his mummy he hears a dog crying and doesn’t know what to do. Alongside his friend, Blue Butterfly, Brian finds a way to share the magic
Children’s Activity: Christmas Colouring Sheet Read More »
