Creative Therapy: for children and young people

30/08/2026

Today’s podcast..
every single day I listen to something educational.
Something that improves my awareness around mental health, for my work but also for myself.

I embody everything I preach, I practice everything I suggest. Promoting wellbeing isn’t just for when you’re struggling, it’s maintenance.

You don’t go to the gym, achieve your goals then stop going!
Mental health is no different.

This was a great listen, I’ll continue with it tomorrow!

“Humans capacity to sit with things, and tolerate things that they do not find comfortable is starting to tank, and as that starts to tank we’re seeing an explosion of mental illness”

(Dr K uses a lot of medical terms… just to make you aware)

Dr. Alok Kanojia, MD, MPH ("Dr. K"), is a Harvard-trained psychiatr...

28/08/2026

💭

18/08/2026

Are we good at recognising when we’re becoming overwhelmed and losing control,
before it gets to the obvious stage?

We understand the fight flight response.
We know what happens when we’re triggered: we can’t think clearly, emotions take over, our body tenses, heart races and we go into survival mode.

But what about the signs that come before that?

The clenched fists. Tight jaw. Tension in your face. Changes in body language. A shift in your tone.

And are we recognising that even the way we speak to ourselves can activate this response?

When we’re harsh, critical and judgemental towards ourselves, we can send our nervous system signals of threat.

We need to get better at understanding the mind body connection, noticing what’s happening within us before we reach overwhelm.

Check in with yourself regularly.

Relax your face. Drop your shoulders. Speak to yourself gently. Place a hand on your arm. Take a long, slow breath in and an even slower breath out.

These small things can help your body shift towards a sense of safety and calm.

And the more you practise them when you’re calm, the easier they become to access when you need them most.

This shouldn’t just be something we reach for when we’re overwhelmed.

It should become a daily habit.

28/07/2026

I was asked….

My reply….

I think it’s important not to only see the diagnosis.
ADHD has become such a broad label that it doesn’t necessarily tell us much about an individual child’s specific needs. A one size fits all approach is unlikely to be effective because every child will have different strengths, and challenges.

The diagnosis might indicate that the child could experience difficulties with attention, focus, impulsivity…. but beyond that, we still need to understand the individual.
What are their strengths? How can you create more opportunities for them to use and develop those strengths?
What are their particular challenges? What adjustments or support would help them access learning and feel successful/ accepted in the classroom?

Rather than focusing on the diagnosis, look beyond the label and get to know the child. See their strengths, understand their needs and then tailor support accordingly.

See beyond the diagnosis — see the child.

The one thing I would suggest implementing on a larger scale, is teaching regulation skills.

Every child can benefit from learning how to understand and manage their emotions and responses.

This could include introducing allocated quiet or calm times, teaching simple breathing techniques and helping children understand what is happening in their brains and bodies.

Giving children the language and tools to recognise when they are becoming overwhelmed can support them both in and beyond the classroom.

28/07/2026

I finished a second draft of one of my PhD chapters yesterday.
This chapter is really important as it was a stand alone study i completed last year with 122 children.

It showed how just three minutes is long enough to promote emotional calmness and physiological down regulation, in children aged 3-11.

Three minutes was long enough to promote feelings of relaxation and comfort, through using a simple relaxation that included diaphragmatic breathing and Progressive Muscle Relaxation.

Three minutes…

Children as little as 3…

Imagine if they practised this daily!
Starting at the age of 3.
Imagine the impact that could have.

Nothing fancy,
no cost,
no medicalisation.

Just breathing and relaxing! 🤌🏽

22/07/2026

A simple, research based 5 minute morning practice to support your mental wellbeing.

If you start today…

Week 1: You notice the difference.
Week 2: Others may notice the change.
Weeks 3–6: It starts to become part of your routine.
Around 2 months: Many daily habits begin to feel more automatic.

Small actions, repeated consistently, create lasting habits.
The start of the summer holidays is the perfect time to start… 6 weeks to implement these small routines.
The best part is, you can involve your children. We focus on our own wellbeing, let’s teach them some empowering habits.

1. 3 deep breaths – Slow your breathing to calm your mind and bring yourself into the present. Deep inhale, belly expands, slow exhale, belly lowers.

2. 3 things you’re grateful for – Write down three specific things, no matter how small (a warm coffee, a good night’s sleep, a message from a friend). You can do this in the evening if it’s easier, it might be easier for a child once the day has ended.

3. Set one intention – Ask yourself, “How do I want to show up today?” (e.g. calm, kind, patient, confident).

4. Say one kind thing to yourself – Replace self criticism with something you’d say to a friend: “I’m doing my best today”, “I am enough”.

You don’t need to be perfect…
just consistent.
Small actions, repeated daily, are what create lasting habits.

03/07/2026

We begin life in awe of the smallest things.

Interested in everything.
Stopping to notice what others walk past.
Picking things up just to understand them.

No judgement.
No hate.

We love ourselves without question.
We aren’t fazed by our imperfections.
Every opportunity feels exciting.
Every day feels full of surprise.

Then we live a little.

And somehow, we lose it.

We spend the rest of our lives trying to rediscover what once came naturally.

Because it was always within us.

It wasn’t missing.
It was knocked out of us.

Then we call it healing.
Growth.
Self love.
Mindfulness.

We’re really just trying to return to who we were before the world convinced us to be someone else.

Imagine if we never lost that childlike way of being.
🧠🧠🧠