Cardiff Child Therapy

10/09/2025

From assemblies to 1:1s

03/09/2025

From Panic to Problem-Solving: How To Help Children Face Anxiety With Confidence

As a child therapist working with children across Cardiff, one of the most rewarding aspects of my work is watching children shift from fear into action. When children learn to stop, think and problem-solve their way through a worry, rather than panic or avoid it, they take a huge step toward long-term emotional strength and better mental health.

This transformation doesn’t require a personality overhaul. It just takes practice, encouragement and the right tools. That’s where Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) comes in:- by teaching children how to approach their thoughts with curiosity and creativity, we help them unlock the problem-solver that lives inside them.

The Power of “What If?” Thinking 🤔😰

Children with anxiety often fall into a spiral of “What if something bad happens?” It’s a form of future-focused fear and it can feel paralysing.

I once worked with a 12-year-old girl from north Cardiff, who constantly worried about friendships at school. She’d ask, “What if they laugh at me?” or “What if no one wants to sit with me tomorrow?” These questions were keeping her up at night, creating stomach aches in the morning and leading to full-blown school refusal.

In therapy, we used an NLP technique called Reframing the Question. Instead of staying stuck in “What if it goes wrong?”, we explored:
• “What if it goes better than I expect?”
• “What could I try if that happened?”
• “Who could help me if I got stuck?”
This shift empowered her to start brainstorming solutions. She even created a ‘Plan A / Plan B’ notebook for tricky situations. As her problem-solving confidence grew, her anxiety began to shrink.

Read the full article to learn more about how to turn worries into action plans at home: https://cardiffchildtherapy.nlp4kids.org/from-panic-to-problem-solving-how-to-help-children-face-anxiety-with-confidence/

07/08/2025

Help Your Child Transform Anxiety Into Actionable Steps

As a child therapist based in Cardiff and specialising in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), I often meet parents who are concerned about their child’s growing anxiety. It’s becoming increasingly common, whether it’s related to school, friendships, social media or simply the pressure to succeed. The truth is, anxiety isn’t always a problem in itself. In fact, when channelled constructively, it can be a powerful signal that something needs attention.
One of the most empowering things we can do for our children is help them articulate their worries—to name them, understand them, and most importantly, learn what to do with them. That’s where the power of NLP and therapeutic conversation comes in.

Children, especially younger ones, often don’t have the vocabulary or confidence to express what they’re feeling. What shows up instead is irritability, clinginess, tummy aches, sleep problems or even outbursts. Beneath those behaviours lies unspoken anxiety.

Recently, I worked with an 11-year-old girl from a Cardiff suburb whose parents brought her in due to increasing anger at home and reluctance to go to school. Through gentle NLP questioning and metaphor work, we discovered that she was deeply worried about falling behind in maths and feeling "stupid" compared to her peers. These worries were tangled in her head with no clear beginning or end, so they simply turn into overwhelm.

Read the full article here to find out more about how to help your anxious child https://cardiffchildtherapy.nlp4kids.org/turn-worries-into-wins-helping-your-child-transform-anxiety-into-actionable-steps/

09/07/2025

📌 https://childtherapytelford.nlp4kids.org/perfectionism-the-silent-saboteur/

“The child who avoids trying isn’t unmotivated - they’re overwhelmed by the fear of failing.”
So many children aren’t lacking motivation. They’re not being ‘difficult’. They’re paralysed by anxiety, perfectionism, and shame. What looks like laziness is often self-protection. Because if you don’t try, you can’t fail, right?

I see this a lot in my therapy sessions, especially with neurodivergent kids and teens.
And trust me, behind that “I don’t care” attitude is usually a child who cares deeply, but is terrified they won’t be good enough.

In my article, I break down what’s really going on when kids avoid effort, and how we can respond in a way that builds safety, trust, and confidence.

👉https://childtherapytelford.nlp4kids.org/perfectionism-the-silent-saboteur/

📞07966 819194
📧[email protected]
📅Book A Discovery Call Here 👇
https://louisa-nlp4kids.youcanbook.me/

02/07/2025

Quote of the Day

25/06/2025

The words we choose in hard moments matter.

When a challenge shows up—big or small—we can model resourcefulness without rushing to fix everything.

Try these gentle, empowering prompts next time things don’t go as planned.

What other things do you do or say to encourage creative problem-solving?

25/06/2025

13/06/2025

Completely agree! GCSEs shouldn’t be one size fits all and having to cram all learning into a few weeks of what you can remember.