I've had some great supervisors over the years, and I've really benefited from long-term, consistent supervision relationships. There is immense value in being able to debrief when something has gone wrong or when you're in the middle of a difficult situation, but for me that's quite different from what develops when supervision is a protected space, held consistently over time. When you meet regularly, you get to know each other. My supervisors have come to know my strengths

This article is the fourth and final part of my Understanding Children’s Emotions and Behaviour series, exploring the brain’s survival system, fight, flight, freeze and fawn, shame, and co-regulation. The theory behind emotional regulation often makes sense until we're activated ourselves. When your child is yelling at you, refusing to get dressed when you needed to leave ten minutes ago, hitting their sibling, or having a meltdown over something that seems completely disprop

This article is the third in my Understanding Children’s Emotions and Behaviour series, exploring the brain’s survival system, fight, flight, freeze and fawn, shame, and co-regulation. A child has hurt their sibling. You try to talk to them about what happened and, instead of showing the remorse you expected, they become angry. “It wasn't my fault!” “He started it!” “I don't care!” Perhaps they refuse to talk about it altogether, insist they didn't do anything, or become i

This article is the second in my Understanding Children’s Emotions and Behaviour series, exploring the brain’s survival system, fight, flight, freeze and fawn, shame, and co-regulation. In the previous article, I explained how our brain’s survival system responds when it perceives danger, and why children can find it much harder to think, reason and make considered choices when that system is highly activated. When our nervous system detects threat or overwhelm, it can move u

This article is the first in my Understanding Children’s Emotions and Behaviour series, exploring the brain’s survival system, fight, flight, freeze and fawn, shame, and co-regulation. One of the things I often teach children and parents in therapy is what actually happens in our brain when we become scared, angry or overwhelmed. Once we understand why our brain reacts the way it does, some of our behaviour starts to make much more sense. Our brain was built to keep us alive

Adults usually communicate their experiences through words. For children, particularly younger children, this isn't always possible. Children may not yet have the language, emotional awareness or developmental capacity to sit down and explain what they're worried about, why they're angry, or what has been happening for them. Instead, children naturally communicate and make sense of their world through play. Play therapy provides children with a developmentally appropriate way

It can be difficult to know when a child is going through a normal stage of development and when some extra support might help. Children go through periods of worry, big emotions, changes in behaviour, friendship difficulties and challenging developmental stages. These don't always mean that something is wrong or that your child needs counselling. Rather than looking for one particular sign, it can be helpful to think about what has changed for your child, how long it has bee

Most of us go into private practice full of hope - more autonomy, more flexibility, a working life that actually matches our values instead of following someone else's program model. And at first, it is fun. You chase the work, build the website, pick office space, design the business cards, land on a fee with not much thought behind it, and find your first clients. You're not thinking of yourself as building a business so much as providing a service to as many people as you

If you're looking for clinical supervision that genuinely supports your professional development - and meets your accreditation requirements - here's what working with me looks like. Who I supervise I offer clinical supervision for social workers, counsellors, and play therapists working with children, adolescents, and families. Whether you're working towards a specific accreditation, maintaining your registration, or simply wanting a thoughtful space to develop your practice

Many of the adults I work with don't arrive describing themselves as someone with childhood trauma. They arrive saying something more like: "I don't know why I keep pulling away from people I love." "I lose it with my kids over small things and then feel terrible." "I promised myself I'd be different from my parents - but I can hear myself saying the exact same things." "My partner says I'm emotionally unavailable. I don't know how to change that." These aren't character flaw

Sleep is a vital part of growing up, yet many children and teens struggle to get the rest they need. Establishing good sleep hygiene and routines can make a world of difference in their mood, behaviour, and overall well-being. I want to share some gentle, practical tips that can help create a peaceful bedtime environment and encourage healthy sleep habits for young ones. Why Sleep Hygiene Matters for Young Minds Sleep hygiene refers to the habits and environmental factors tha