The Therapy Shed

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The Therapy Shed Adult, adolescent and child psychotherapy/art/play therapy & parent support in Kingston upon Thames.

17/09/2026

Rejection sensitivity can present as anger, aggression and blame, but it can also look like withdrawal, perfectionism, people-pleasing or crushing shame. The reaction may seem disproportionate to us, but the emotional pain is real to the child experiencing it. In the peak of that distress, connection and safety come before reasoning. That doesn’t mean removing boundaries or excusing harmful behaviour. It means helping their nervous system settle so they can reflect, repair and learn afterwards. RSD is not currently a formal diagnosis, and more research is needed into it as a distinct condition, but emotional dysregulation and heightened sensitivity to rejection are recognised difficulties for some children with ADHD. Background on RSD and its diagnostic status

17/09/2026

RSD is a popular description, not an official diagnosis. The feelings can still be painfully real. Support the child through the emotional wave first; reflection and problem-solving are much more useful once their nervous system has settled.

17/09/2026

A child’s outward behaviour does not always show their internal effort. If they repeatedly unravel after appearing fine all day, look at sensory load, social demands and the energy spent staying composed. Coping should not be measured only by whether adults were inconvenienced.

16/09/2026

“Everyone else is allowed” is not proof that your boundary is unreasonable, but it is an invitation to listen. Your child may be exaggerating, or they may genuinely be the only one being excluded from something important socially. Stay curious, check the facts and explain your reasoning. Boundaries should protect children, not become rigid rules we defend simply because we have already said no.

16/09/2026

ADHD is often described as a problem with concentration, but it affects regulation much more broadly. Two children can both have ADHD and look completely different. This video offers a quick introduction, not a diagnostic checklist. Save it for someone who still thinks ADHD always looks like a child bouncing off the walls.

15/09/2026

We cannot protect boys from the manosphere by making them feel ashamed of being boys. If harmful influencers are the only people offering them strength, purpose, belonging and a clear idea of what it means to be a man, that message will be incredibly appealing. Boys need positive masculinity modelled and spoken about openly. Strength without control. Confidence without cruelty. Leadership with responsibility. Emotional honesty without shame. We cannot simply warn them about the wrong voices. We need to give them something better to believe in. Comment “PRIVATE” if you want help having the conversations that feel difficult, awkward or easy to avoid.

14/09/2026

Moving between two homes can be tiring for children, even when they feel safe and loved in both places. Predictability, duplicate essentials, calm handovers and time to decompress can make the transition feel far more manageable. Difficult behaviour after a handover does not automatically mean something has gone wrong. Sometimes their nervous system is simply working hard to adjust again.

I am so sick of companies marketing kids vitamins with bogus claims, so how do you know if you can trust a company?A com...
13/09/2026

I am so sick of companies marketing kids vitamins with bogus claims, so how do you know if you can trust a company?

A company saying an ingredient is “clinically studied” does not mean its gummy has been clinically proven. Look for independent, peer-reviewed, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials testing the exact ingredient, dose and age group being advertised. Tiny studies of 20–50 children can identify a promising signal, but they cannot establish that something is effective, equivalent to ADHD medication or safe long-term. Ideally, we want several replicated studies involving hundreds of children, results from both parents and teachers, meaningful effect sizes, transparent side-effect reporting and follow-up lasting months rather than weeks. Testimonials, customer surveys and “no significant difference from medication” are not proof. If the company cannot link directly to the research behind its precise claims, treat the advertising with caution.

13/09/2026

When a child says they don’t want to go to their other parent’s home, don’t immediately dismiss it, but don’t assume you already know what it means either. Stay calm and curious: “Can you tell me what feels difficult about going?” It might be the transition, different rules, missing you, conflict in the other home or something more serious. Listen without leading them, interrogating them or making promises you may not be able to keep. If there is a court order, get appropriate legal advice rather than placing the decision or responsibility on your child. And if they disclose harm or you believe they may be unsafe, treat that as a safeguarding concern and seek professional support immediately.

12/09/2026

If your child behaves beautifully at school and then completely falls apart the moment they get home, it doesn’t mean they’ve been saving their worst behaviour for you. It may be after-school restraint collapse. All day, your child has been managing expectations, following instructions, coping with noise, navigating friendships, sitting still and holding in feelings their nervous system didn’t have space to process. Then they reach the person and place where they feel safest, and everything spills out. So before you start asking questions, checking their reading book or telling them to tidy their shoes away, think decompression. Offer food and water. Keep demands and conversation low. Let them move, be quiet, go outside, listen to music or watch something familiar. Don’t take the explosion personally and don’t immediately interrogate them about what happened. You can hold boundaries around hurting people or damaging things while still recognising that this is overwhelm, not calculated bad behaviour. Regulation first. Connection second. Conversation and expectations can come later.

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