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Mental Health Film made by children (Anna Freud)

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Mental Health Film made by children (Anna Freud)

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Hi,

I’m Mrs. Pilgrim and I’m the Deputy Head, SENCo and Mental Health Lead at Watling Street Primary School. If you have any concerns about your child and you would like to discuss them with me, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

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Watling Street Primary School Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy

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Watling Street Primary School Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy

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Watling Street Primary School MHWB Policy SEPTEMBER 2023

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Watling Street Primary School MHWB Policy SEPTEMBER 2023

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Hi I’m Sarah and I am a Trainee Educational Health Practitioner (EMHP) I work with children and young people who may have worries or low mood that might be starting to affect them in their everyday life, and help to make them feel better. This could be 1:1 work, groups, parent work to the whole school. Our team is called reflexions and we are here to help with early access to mental health support, I look forward to seeing you around school.

My background is within schools as a Cover Supervisor, Teaching Assistant and Therapeutic Support Worker, I also have a degree in Fine Art and love painting.

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As the cost of living increases, you may be worried about how to pay for food, heating and other bills. Click on the link for some information about where and how to find support across Walsall borough.

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Help with the cost of living | Walsall Council

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The support that’s available in Walsall borough to help with the rising cost of living.

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What is this service?

Severe mental illness is rare in children and young people but mental health problems are common and have a significant effect on them as individuals, their potential and their families. The most effective approach to supporting children and families involves health, social care and education working in partnership.

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Severe mental illness is rare in children and young people but mental health problems are common and have a significant effect on them as individuals, their potential and their families. The most effective approach to supporting children and families involves health, social care and education working in partnership.
What Service is Provided:
A multi agency and multi disciplinary service specialising in the assessment and treatment of moderate to severe mental health difficulties that children and young people experience.
The Service Aims to:

Provide specialist assessment and treatments in accordance with best practice and NICE recommendations.

To provide appropriate information for young people and their families and for other agencies in accordance with confidentiality and consent to share protocols.

Consultation and liaison and training for universal and targeted services including professional carers.

Assessments and treatments in centres that are equipped, family friendly, non-stigmatising and culturally competent.

The service welcomes children, young people and their families view on service review and service development.

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Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

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What is this service? Severe mental illness is rare in children and young people but mental health problems are common and have a significant effect on them as individuals, their potential and their families. The most effective approach to supporting children and families involves health, social care and education working in partnership.

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Emotional Health and Wellbeing Support in Walsall

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Emotional Health and Wellbeing Support in Walsall

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Helping children and young people enjoy good emotional health and wellbeing, and develop resilience is really important to their overall health and development. We contribute, alongside other services to support schools to deliver good quality mental health education. we have groups for children and parents which promote strategies to build confidence and self-esteem. We also have groups for parents that help support with managing children's behaviour. We also offer workshops we are a good starting point to help you decide whether a group is right for you or your child.

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School Nurses have additional training and experience of working with children and young people to assess difficulties with emotional health and/or behaviour. We encourage a child or young person to attend one of our groups and a parent/carers to attend our workshops or groups. If a child or young person is still experiencing problems after accessing these interventions then we will invite the parent/carer to bring their child to a health review. The School Nurse can commence as assessment of their child's needs. We work closely with other health colleagues in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Community Paediatricians and Therapies and we may refer a child or young person to one of these services.
Text Service for parents.
We offer a confidential, anonymous text service called Parent ChatHealth This is a messaging service for parents who can text a school nurse for advice on health matters. Our text number is 07520 634 909. We can provide a range of information, sign post to other services or offer to see the parent face to face if requested to do so. Parents and carers can be reassured that this is a safe and secure text service.
Safety disclaimer "We might inform someone if we were concerned about your safety but we would usually speak to you first. Your messages are stored and can be seen by other health care staff who follow the same confidentiality rules, We aim to reply to you within one working day and you should get an immediate message back to confirm we have received your text. Text will only be seen between 9am and 5pm. If you need help before you hear back from us contact your GP, nearest walk in centre or dial 111. Our text number does not receive voice calls or MMS picture messages. We support messaging from UK mobile numbers only (which does not include messages sent from landlines, international mobile numbers and some 'number masking' mobile apps). To prevent the health professional from sending messages to you, text STOP to our number. Messages are charged at your usual rates."

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Emotional Health and Wellbeing | Health for Kids | Walsall

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Helping children and young people enjoy good emotional health and wellbeing, and develop resilience is really important to their overall health and development. We contribute, alongside other services to support schools to deliver good quality mental health education.

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What is CBT?

Cognitive behavioural therapy is a type of talking therapy that aims to change the way we think (cognition) and act (behaviour) in order to help cope with and manage problems we may face in our lives.

It is based on the idea that our thoughts, feelings and behaviour are closely linked and influence each other.

If we have unhelpful thoughts and feelings, this can lead to unhelpful behaviour, which can turn into a vicious cycle of further negative thoughts and so on.

CBT aims to help us learn to recognise these unhelpful patterns, and break down and approach problems in a different way to improve how we feel.

Does CBT work?

When practised with a therapist, CBT has been shown to be clinically effective in improving anxiety, low mood, stress and sleep problems, as well as many other mental and some physical health conditions.

In this section, you will find CBT-inspired self-help strategies, techniques and guidance you can try.

For more information or if you feel you need further support, including how to refer yourself for CBT with a therapist, visit talking therapies and counselling on the NHS website.

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Online self-help CBT techniques - Every Mind Matters

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Find out what CBT is, watch video guides, and try a range of structured self-help techniques to help you boost your mental wellbeing.

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The problems that talking therapies services can treat include:

depression

generalized anxiety

social anxiety

panic and agoraphobia

other phobias

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

body dysmorphic disorder

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Find an NHS talking therapies services - NHS

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The problems that talking therapies services can treat include: depression generalized anxiety social anxiety panic and agoraphobia other phobias obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) body dysmorphic disorder

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The Ultimate Guide to Executive Functioning

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The Ultimate Guide to Executive Functioning

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Did you know that the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for executive functioning, is also known as the “CEO of the brain”?

Unfortunately, some of us have a prefrontal cortex that could use some support with running the company efficiently. This is especially true for neurodivergent individuals, who may experience differences in how their brain responds to tasks that involve executive functioning skills like planning and time management.

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Did you know that the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for executive functioning, is also known as the "CEO of the brain"?

Unfortunately, some of us have a prefrontal cortex that could use some support with running the company efficiently. This is especially true for neurodivergent individuals, who may experience differences in how their brain responds to tasks that involve executive functioning skills like planning and time management.

Chances are, if you've landed on this article, someone has recommended checking out executive functioning coaching.

And it's no surprise why-with the help of an executive functioning coach, individuals can develop personalized strategies to overcome EF challenges and succeed in big ways.

In this ultimate guide, we will dive into everything you need to know about executive functioning coaching, including how it works, the benefits of coaching, and what you need to know to get started on your EF coaching journey.

Let's get started.

What is Executive Functioning?

While there are no set definitions of executive functioning, most professionals agree it includes a set of behaviors that help individuals effectively and efficiently complete tasks and interact with others.

Executive functioning includes common activities like:

Planning and organizing

Managing time

Problem-solving

Working memory

Controlling our emotions and our impulses

Monitoring and learning from our behavior and past mistakes.

The Components of Executive Functioning

It's important to note that "executive functioning" itself isn't an observable behavior.

We don't walk into a classroom or a workplace and say "I'm going to watch you executive function today."

Instead, we observe the by-products of good executive functioning. We know an individual has well-formed EF skills when they can complete assignments on time, problem-solve through a challenge, or respond to a disruption in routine. They engage in the behaviors like monitoring time, organizing materials, controlling impulses or using mindfulness techniques, breaking down large projects into manageable parts, initiating small tasks, and more.

These are the common skills addressed in executive functioning coaching.

For more information and research on executive functioning check out our article "What is Executive Functioning?"

When Executive Functioning is Missing

Just as we can observe the behaviors that contribute to well-developed executive functioning, we can observe difficulties or 'disruptions' in EF skills.

We know an individual struggles with EF skills when we see the by-products of repeated failures - something we call The EF Ripple Effect.

The EF Ripple Effect

Have you ever dropped a stone into a quiet lake or pond just to watch the ripples?

Even the smallest rock that hits the water causes waves to spread out in every direction; every part of the surface absorbs some of the disruptions. The ripple effect works well as imagery for how challenges with executive functioning impact neurodiverse learners:

1. EF skills serve as pre-requisites to managing unexpected disruptions and changes. What starts as a tiny disruption-a homework assignment, a change at work, car troubles-causes a broader set of disruptions to the learner.

2. Without the EF tools to adjust to the disruption, the learner experiences immediate consequences including things like missed deadlines, disappointing others, or losing his or her temper.

3. Over time and EF failures, these consequences add up into broader academic decline, lack of success at work, feeling "stuck" or unable to accomplish goals, and difficulty maintaining healthy habits like sleep and eating well.

4. As the ripples continue out over time, we see long-term consequences in neurodiverse learners including depression and anxiety, poor health outcomes, and less independence Friends and family slowly stop engaging after observing a lack of motivation and repeated failed attempts to help the learner, leading to greater social isolation.

What starts as a tiny disruption in the pond can, over time, cause a damaging ripple effect that without targeted intervention perpetuates across the lifespan.

That's where executive functioning coaching comes in. Executive functioning coaching can help neurodiverse individuals learn protective barriers that prevent life's 'unexpected stones' from causing major disruptions.

What is Executive Functioning Coaching?

As a standard, executive functioning coaching helps to improve the mental processes and establish positive behaviors around EF skills like organization, time management, task initiation, attentional control, and self-monitoring. Executive functioning coaching helps:

Identify barriers and current challenges.

Set goals and expectations of success.

Teach replacement strategies and behaviors for what's not working.

Hold individuals accountable for progress.

Recognize and celebrate progress.

Put supports in place when thing's don't go as planned.

With coaching and compassionate accountability in tandem, individuals can expect to achieve not only better performance home, work and school. Individuals also frequently report a better relationship with themselves and others.

What does an Executive Functioning Coach do?

Executive functioning coaches are qualified individuals with extensive personal and professional experience in helping individuals struggling with executive functioning challenges.

EF coaches may or may not have formal training working with neurodiverse populations, including ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, OCD, and other forms of neurodivergence.

EF coaches are trained to recognize the emotional impacts of executive dysfunction and use informed and evidence-based approaches to help clients overcome their struggles.

Executive Functioning Coaching vs. Therapy and Counseling

While coaching can address some mental health concerns, executive functioning coaches are not mental health therapists, licensed psychologists or psychiatrists.

Coaching tends to focus on tangible actions and strategies, while mental health therapy or counseling services typically delve into emotions, past experiences, and trauma.

However, these approaches can work together, as addressing executive functioning challenges can improve mental health and addressing mental health can improve executive functioning.

Executive functioning coaches often collaborate with therapists, but coaching services should not be used as a substitute for professional mental health or medical care. Coaches should never act as mental health counselors or medical professionals.

Here's an idea of how these two services can work in tandem:

Who can benefit from executive functioning coaching?

Given that executive functioning is core to almost all successful social engagement, a wide range of individuals can benefit from a boost in EF skills. Regardless of neurodivergent diagnosis, skills and abilities, or prior academic/work success, there's likely an area of EF that every learner could improve in.

In general, those that benefit the most from EF coaching are those that can work with a coach to clearly define their own goals and demonstrate a willingness to change. EF coaches see the best results with clients who are engaged, ready to adapt and accept support.

Prior to getting started with executive functioning coaching, have some goals that you'd like to work on, even if they are broad, abstract, or you need help to clarify them.

Who may not be a good fit for coaching?

Executive functioning coaching may not be the best fit for everyone. If any of the following apply to your situation, you or your child may be better served by seeking support from another professional:

Those seeking on-demand services or crisis intervention.

Those who communicate through physical aggression or unsafe behavior towards themselves or others.

Those needing trauma-based or mental health support who are currently not seeking help from a qualified mental health professional.

Those who are unwilling or unable to challenge their own assumptions, to try a different approach, or who struggle to embrace growing into autonomy and independence.

Those who are looking for a quick fix or magic bullet.

Families looking for respite care.

Active users of drugs or alcohol and currently not seeking help from a qualified professional.

Those who frequently need to miss coaching sessions for one reason or another.

Getting Started with Executive Functioning Coaching

At this point, you may be wondering how to get started with executive functioning coaching or what is the next action step you can take. Before diving into the coaching process, it's important to understand and carefully consider how to find the best coach for you.

How to Find an Executive Functioning Coach

There's no one way that individuals find their way into a coaching relationship. The key is to get started and not to let the process of finding a coach get in the way of learning new EF skills. A few different strategies to identify coaching include:

Use Life Skills Advocate - You're already here. So we might as well suggest one of our own experienced executive functioning coaches! Schedule a discovery call here.

Talk to your primary care doctor, clinic nurse, or mental health professional for a referral to an executive functioning coach.

Search online for coaches in your area. Many coaches also share testimonials or reviews of their services online, giving you a chance to see others' experiences with the services.

Check with your insurance provider to see if they cover coaching services. More and more employer-provided insurance carriers cover life coaching or EF skill training as part of employee benefits.

Once you have a few potential coaches, assemble a list of questions you have for the coach to help evaluate the goodness of fit.

What to Look For in an Executive Functioning Coach

When looking for an executive functioning coach, we recommend having a list of questions prepared for the initial inquiry call. Here are some ideas for questions you might ask each coach:

Do you have experience working with individuals with executive function challenges like _______?

What is your specific training in this area?

What is your track record of success with similar clients who want to accomplish ______?

How would you describe your coaching style? Are you hands-on and directive? Collaborative or client-centered?

How do you accommodate different learning styles? Do you have experience working with clients who learn best by _______?

What tools do you use to evaluate progress and client outcomes?

What is your availability for meetings? Do you meet in person, online, or hybrid? How often do you meet?

What are your fee and payment polices?

As the inquiry call continues, make notes about the answers, but also make notes about how you feel during the call. Do you feel comfortable talking with the coach? Is it someone you trust? Do you think this person could hold you accountable for completing tasks and meeting goals?

Look for an executive functioning coach that's compassionate, non-judgmental, and supportive, and who is willing to tailor their approach to meet your specific needs and goals.

The Executive Functioning Coaching Process

The first sessions

After the initial inquiry session, intake paperwork, typically the first sessions in executive functioning coaching services involve meeting with the client and family to discuss strengths, challenges, and gain a deeper understanding of goals, desired outcomes, and overall readiness to tackle them.

Goal Setting

The next step is Exploration and Goal Setting.

Usually consisting of two or three sessions between the coach and the client, during the Exploration phase, the focus is on building trust and rapport while gathering insight about the client's level of buy-in and understanding their goals in their own words.

During this phase, coaches should be seeking to understand a client's values on a deeper level, set and align realistic expectations, and clearly define the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved.

The coach may start to introduce small homework assignments assigned to help gauge readiness and the resources available to help accomplish goals.

Developing a plan of action

Once a general idea of the areas of strength and challenge are identified coaches start to introduce tools and assessments aimed to write out goals in a thoughtful and quantifiable way.

It's important in this phase that coach and client work closely to identify a strong "why" or motivation to accomplish a goal.

A final plan of action is drafted and the executive functioning coach will start to gather the tools, interventions, and exercises to use in the next several sessions to accomplish the written goals.

Download our free .pdf sample SMART goal setting worksheet for a sample tool for what you may encounter in this stage of EF coaching.

Working through the plan

Working through a coaching plan involves many different facets. Sometimes these can be months of weekly or bi-weekly sessions with the coach. The focused work is on tackling goals, refining, and evolving along the way. The work expected between sessions becomes more intensive in this phase.

Working through the plan requires the most amount of change and growth on the part of the client. This often evokes emotions like fear, anxiety, and self-doubt (and subsequently a high probability of quitting coaching altogether.)

Coaches are well-trained to recognize these signs and should be prepared to provide you with tools and strategies in order to work through barriers and stumbling blocks.

Work during this time can include real-world practice, interventions, skill-building exercises, and reflection activities. For a sample of actual coaching activities used, check out our Real-Life Executive Functioning Workbook (coupon code LSA20 for 20% off at checkout).

Monitoring progress

As goals begin to progress towards fruition, clients begin feeling more confident about their ability to generalize skills across multiple and related skill areas.

In this phase, EF coaches work closely with clients and family members to reflect on and celebrate accomplishments and begin mapping out the final stages of their coaching plan.

During the progress monitoring phase, coaches will provide continued exposure to experiential learning opportunities and independent practice with the skills and tools learned. In this phase, clients may decide to work more intensively on a new set of goals, returning to the goal setting process again.

Or clients begin to lean less on coaches and more on the systems and tools readily at their disposal, demonstrating their readiness to flourish on their own, without coaching. They move then towards the final stages of coaching.

Final Stages

In the final stages of coaching, clients start to achieve greater independence without the ongoing support of their coach. Appointment schedules may start to thin because clients now have skills to document what's working, what isn't, and what level of support they think they will need (if any) going forward.

At this point, clients may still contact an EF coach when they need help, but coaches may recommend limiting intensive support to evaluate the independence and proficiency of a client's new skills.

When the client and coach agree, no additional coaching appointments are scheduled and executive function coaching is considered officially "discontinued" or "discharged."

Timelines for Executive Functioning Coaching

Even though the steps and progression of coaching may look similar for some, the process should always be highly individualized to your learning style and needs. Some individuals receive EF coaching services just once in their lifetime, for only a short intensive period of time of a few weeks. Others find EF coaching helpful on a consistent basis for longer, sometimes months or even years. You may find EF coaching helpful in one particularly stressful season, not needed in another, and later down the road find it helpful again.

Every individual's path toward effective coaching is different. There's no one-size-fits-all plan.

Frequently Asked Questions About Executive Function Coaching

How long does executive functioning coaching take?

As alluded to above every individual and situation is unique and therefore, most executive functioning coaches do not have a set minimum commitment for coaching or a timeline of progress.

Instead, focus in the early stages of coaching on creating a personalized coaching plan that meets your specific needs and goals. This may involve a short-term commitment to address a specific issue or a longer-term commitment to address multiple areas of development.

Ultimately, the length of coaching will depend on the progress made and the goals set by the client. Being flexible and adaptable is the best way to achieve success.

How much does executive functioning coaching typically cost?

Typically, executive functioning coaches charge an hourly rate for services. This can range anywhere from $75 to $250 per hour, depending on the credentials and experience of the coach.

The length, frequency, duration and location (virtual or in-home) can also determine the costs of EF coaching. The more ready and able a client/family is to process and implement skills and strategies, the less the total cost will likely be.

During your initial inquiry call, ask about charges for on-demand accountability and check-ins between sessions, particularly about communicating with your coach via text or email. In some situations this is included as part of the coaching service, others may charge additional for it.

Is executive functioning coaching covered by insurance?

Insurance companies often consider coaching as a non-clinical service and one that isn't covered by insurance plans. To compensate, some employers will fund EF coaching services as part of employee assistance programs (EAP) or wellness benefits.

In some cases, an FSA or HSA account would reimburse the costs of EF coaching, and many coaches will provide the invoices/documentation for health care reimbursement.

Your individual coach should be able to assist you in your inquiry call to determine cost and coverage.

How do I know executive functioning coaching is effective?

Success in EF coaching is highly personal and subjective, but good EF coaches should be able to help you quantify and measure success.

Ask an EF coach for assessment tools and techniques to track progress and evaluate the effectiveness of coaching interventions. Look for opportunities to provide feedback and regularly check in, or create "milestones" along the way.

What are the drawbacks of executive functioning coaching?

As you can see from this full article, we feel strongly about the benefits of EF coaching. That being said, there are a few risks and drawbacks to consider as you evaluate if coaching is the right fit for you:

Time - EF coaching takes time and will require focused attention and dedication. For many individuals, dedicating time to making progress on goals is difficult with other priorities. Asking for support from family and friends so that you can focus on sessions, homework, and evaluating progress can be helpful if time is a barrier.

Cost - coaching services can be expensive and may not be covered by insurance.

Underlying mental health concerns - EF coaching may not be effective for everyone, particularly those with underlying mental health conditions or neurological disorders that require more intensive treatment. Working on EF skills may trigger stress, anxiety, and underlying mental health issues. Your EF coach should help you evaluate if this is an area of need.

Goodness of Fit - Finding the right EF coach can be challenging, and it may take some trial and error to find someone who is a good fit for your specific needs and learning style. Be persistent and ask for a referral if your first coach doesn't seem to fit well for your needs.

EF coaching service offers personalized support to address executive functioning challenges. If you have questions or would like to meet with an EF coach to find out more, schedule an opportunity to meet with one of our Life Skills Advocate coaches. They can provide more info on training, background, and how to get started with EF coaching.

Further Reading

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The Ultimate Guide To Executive Function Coaching | Life Skills Advocate

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Explore our guide to executive function coaching and learn how to overcome EF challenges, supporting neurodivergent individuals' success.

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Walsall Rethink Mental Health Information Hub

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Walsall Rethink Mental Health Information Hub

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Service directory for mental health services in Walsall

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WBSS is a local charity providing specialist bereavement support to bereaved Walsall residents of any age. We offer an adult bereavement support service ‘Let’s Talk’ and a children/young people’s bereavement service THE SWING.

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WBSS - Walsall Bereavement Counselling. We offer counselling to adults and to bereaved children and young people.

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Walsall Bereavement Support Service offers free support to bereaved adults, children and young people and their families who live in the Walsall borough.

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Understanding the Impact of Childhood Trauma

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Understanding the Impact of Childhood Trauma

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Trauma is defined as an “event outside normal human experience”. These events are generally emotionally painful and distressing, and overwhelm a person’s ability to cope, leaving him/her powerless. Feeling powerless is an important concept when trying to understand trauma – especially as you apply it to trauma in children.

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Attachment can be defined as a reciprocal relationship. In parenting (or child development) it generally refers to the relationship that develops first between the infant/child and his primary caregiver (often Mother). The quality of this attachment impacts the child’s physical, emotional, psychological and cognitive development. The quality of this primary relationship shapes the child’s basic ability to trust and how positively or negatively he views the world, himself and others. The quality of this first attachment impacts all other relationships.

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We support families to develop, rebuild and repair relationships using talk-based Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) and play-based Theraplay® techniques.

These techniques work by helping children and parents or caregivers to communicate and connect in fun, playful and meaningful ways.

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Due to Covid-19, we can offer our therapeutic services via online platforms to ensure families and children who may be struggling can be supported. As with our face-to-face sessions, our digitally delivered Tele-therapy sessions help support children's and parent or caregiver's emotional well-being, build resilience, reduce anxieties and help to create a sense of relational safety in these uncertain times.

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Beacon Family and Community Services - Beacon Family Services

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Due to Covid-19, we can offer our therapeutic services via online platforms to ensure families and children who may be struggling can be supported. As with our face-to-face sessions, our digitally delivered Tele-therapy sessions help support children's and parent or caregiver's emotional well-being, build resilience, reduce anxieties and help to create a sense of relational safety in these uncertain times.

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Emotion Coaching is a communication tool that uses moments of emotion to guide and teach a child or young person about more effective responses.

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Watling Street Primary School Graduated Response to Mental Health and Wellbeing

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Watling Street Primary School Graduated Response to Mental Health and Wellbeing

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What is Emotion Regulation?
Emotion regulation is the ability to manage our emotions. Emotion regulation is also known as emotional self-regulation. There are lots of emotions that we all experience such as happy, sad, and angry plus others. We experience these emotions in response to our thoughts and feelings and because of what is happening around us. We are all different so the same thing could happen to two people and yet they could both feel totally different emotions! For example, if a family member is having a baby one person might feel very happy and another might feel worried about the change. Regulating our emotions is a skill. Some of us learn to regulate our emotions as we grow up. For example, when a child spills their drink they may be distraught, but as they grow up they no longer become upset by this and instead learn to pick up the cup, clean up the mess and get a new drink. We are all different so some people find it easier than others to regulate their emotions. It is also important to remember that at times everyone struggles to manage their emotions! When supporting your child to regulate their emotions, you need to be aware of; your own emotions, your reaction to these emotions, and how they may affect your child’s emotions (also known as co-regulation). Younger children in particular will need your support to regulate their emotions. This can also be true of older children, particularly in times of crisis.

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Kooth - An Online Community to Support you

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Kooth - An Online Community to Support you

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Our community is here to support you through anything. Big or small.

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Kooth is your online mental wellbeing community. Access free, safe and anonymous

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Mental Health Support for Young People in Walsall

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Mental Health Support for Young People in Walsall

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What is mental health?

Mental health is your psychological and emotional wellbeing. A mental health problem is when a situation or problem affects the way you think and feel. This can mean you find it hard to cope with family life, school or the wider world.  This can happen if you experience a big change in life, such as bereavement, bullying or abuse. Sometimes it can happen without these triggers.

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Learn about mental health, how it affects you, and resources and support in Walsall Borough

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BBC Bitesize Parents Toolkit for Mental Health

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BBC Bitesize Parents Toolkit for Mental Health

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Parents' Toolkit is the place for mums, dads and the whole parenting community to find stories, expert advice and fun activities that will help you support your child in a changing world.

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Top tips, expert advice and fun activities to help you support your child's wellbeing and learning in a changing world. Parents, we've got you.

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BBC Teach Moodboosters for all the family

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BBC Teach Moodboosters for all the family

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Try a Moodbooster activity at home to get your family moving and feeling good!

Famous faces from across the BBC and beyond including Dr Ranj Singh, Oti Mabuse, Ade Adepitan MBE, Rhys Stephenson and Bethany Shriever MBE lead videos to inspire everyone at home to boost their mood, feel good, and use movement to help them understand their emotions and manage feelings together as a family.

There are 10 Moodboosters videos to use at home as a family that will help to encourage a sense of fun in your living room.

By taking part with everyone in your home, you can both promote a sense of wellbeing, and offer everyone in the family some basic skills to feel good.

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Famous faces from across the BBC and beyond including Dr Ranj Singh, Oti Mabuse, Ade Adepitan MBE, Rhys Stephenson and Bethany Shriever MBE lead videos to inspire everyone at home to boost their mood, feel good, and use movement to help them understand their emotions and manage feelings together as a family.

There are 10 Moodboosters videos to use at home as a family that will help to encourage a sense of fun in your living room.

By taking part with everyone in your home, you can both promote a sense of wellbeing, and offer everyone in the family some basic skills to feel good.

Explore the videos

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Family Moodboosters - videos to get the whole household moving and feeling good

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Fun videos and resources to inspire everyone at home to use movement to help them understand their emotions and manage feelings together as a family

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A Child Therapist’s Favorite Resources for Calming Anxiety in Children

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This page contains affiliate links, read the disclosure statement Inside: Kid tested strategies used by child therapists for calming anxiety, including ideas to calm down, books to read and videos that can help
It's happening again. Your daughter is frustrated and stomping away down to her room, slamming the door and in general "has her cranky pants on". You say calm down, but she yells back "I don't know how to do that!!!"

We tend to tell our kids to "calm down" without ever giving them explicit directions on how to deal with stress and anxiety. Here's a collection of the best tools and tips I've found to teach children how to calm down and relax.

Sometimes you'll need a quick way to help your child calm down and you don't have much with you. Maybe it's when you're out at Target or stuck in traffic. These tips will come in handy at those times:

Imagine your favorite place - it's like taking a mini vacation wherever you are

Think of your favorite things

Name animals alphabetically (alligator, bear, cow, dog, etc...)

Squeeze Something (play dough, clay, silly putty, your fists, a stress ball)

Get a Cold Drink of Water

54321 Grounding - go through each of your 5 senses

1. Put your arms straight out in front of you, palms facing out.

2. Put one hand over the other at the wrists and interlace your fingers.

3. Swoop your hands and arms toward your body and then place your interlaced hands on your chest.

4. Cross your feet at the ankles and put your tongue on the roof of your mouth.

5. Stay still for one minute.

It's great to have a big list of coping skills to try when your child needs to calm down. Here are two more short lists of ideas for calming down at home or at school.

From Imperfect Families - Strategies to use at home

From Encourage Play - 10 Strategies to Help Kids Calm Down at school or home

People usually roll their eyes initially when they hear "breathing is important". But I will continue to say it and explain why. It's so simple, yet has such a big impact on your body's physiology.

When you and calm and relaxed, your body is in "rest and digest" mode. You breathe normally, your heart rate is lower and your muscles are relaxed. However, when stress or anxiety or anger occurs, your body automatically switches into "flight, fight or freeze" mode. Your muscles tense up, your heart rate increases and your breathing becomes more shallow.

Taking deep breaths, instead of shallow breaths, is one way to tell your body to get back to resting and digesting. That's why deep breathing is important!

Luckily, there are some fun ways to teach kids deep breathing techniques

Things to use

Things to say

Breathe in like you are smelling a flower, breathe out like you are blowing out birthday candles

Arms up and breathe in, arms down and breathe out

Pretend your belly is a balloon. Breathe in and make the balloon bigger, then breathe out and make the balloon shrink.

Videos to watch
4 - 7 - 8 Breathing by GoZen
Breathing at Sea Otter Cove from Stress Free Kids

A Coping Skills Toolbox is a kit that you create to help your child calm down when they are upset, anxious or worried. In order to get the most benefit from this, you should create this kit before an issue occurs. When your child experiences anxiety, then they can pick out an item from their Coping Skills Toolbox. This is one of my favorite ways to help kids learn to calm their anxiety.

Here are some other fantastic ideas for what to put in a coping skills toolbox/calm down kit from And Next Comes L

You can create a place specially designed to allow to calm down in a few steps

Find a spot and make it cozy (ask your child for help with that - maybe they can place a favorite blanket or stuffed animal inside)

Add calming tools

Explain how to use it and practice before

When they are starting to escalate, catch it early and give them a calm reminder about their calm down spot

Use the following phrases as a way to support your child, let them know that you're going to support them and help them in any way that you can.

"I'm here for you"

"Talk to me and tell me what's going on"

"How can I help?"

"Together, we can work on this. We're a great team"

"I love you"

"Do you want a hug?"

Here are some more ideas of what to say to calm an anxious child.

From Go Zen - 49 Phrases to Calm an Anxious Child

From Lemon Lime Adventures - What to Say to Calm an Anxious Child

Did you know there are podcasts with stories for children? Usually the hosts have a soothing voice and the stories tend to be pretty short. Your child can listen to these podcasts as a way to have some down time.

There are scripts you can read to your child to help them relax and calm down. Slowly and carefully read the words as your child listens and follows the instructions. Check out Inner Health Studios list of scripts you can use with your child. If you prefer not to read a script, there are ones that are pre-recorded.

There are also scripts to practice mindfulness with children. Eline Snel has written a great book on Mindfulness with Kids, Sitting Still Like a Frog. Here are the several scripts that can be used from that book!

Annaka Harris also has several pre-recorded scripts to help kids practice mindfulness

Confused about how to introduce mindfulness to kids? Check out these resources:
Simple Ways to Introduce Mindfulness and Meditation to Children 11 Simple But Effective Ways to Teach Mindfulness to Kids
What you need:

I've used empty soda bottles, empty water bottles, glass jars and plastic containers. Use whatever makes sense for you and your family. For instance, for the calming jars the kids have in their room, I used a heavy duty plastic bottle. I didn't want them to accidentally knock over a glass jar in the dark - that would be a huge mess!

I've had the best results when I've used warm water - it makes it easier for the water and paint to combine.
Glitter Paint
I prefer using glitter paint (or glitter glue) instead of glitter because then I'm not cleaning up glitter for weeks at my house after we make them :-)

To make your jar, add glitter paint to the bottom of the jar until it just covers the bottom of it. Add warm water. Put the cover on and shake to help the ingredients combine. Once you are satisfied with the look of your jar, then you can super glue the lid shut so it doesn't spill. In a pinch, I've also used duct tape to secure the lid.
Watch Make a Simple Calming Jar from Coping Skills for Kids on YouTube Wet Ingredients
Sometimes you want the glitter/other items to stay afloat longer or for a shorter amount of time. Here are some different ingredients you can use as the wet ingredients.
Dry Ingredients
To see several other ways to make calming jars, take a look at what Preschool Inspirations did.

One of the first things I always like to do with kids if they are struggling is to start using visuals. When you're stressed and anxious, it's harder to read and take in information. Visuals are easier.

I like to keep calming cue cards in my children's coping skills toolboxes so that they can make a decision about what coping skill they can use. Sometimes pulling out a list is too much in the moment. You can make your own cue cards.

1. Take several index cards or small pieces of cardstock

2. On each one, write or draw one coping skill

3. Hole punch the cards and place them on a keyring (to make them extra sturdy, you can laminate them)

4. Put them into the coping skills toolbox for easy access

Using visuals is a powerful way to help kids. When kids are overwhelmed, sometimes it's hard for them to figure out what to do. By having cue cards, your child can have a visual reminder of what calms and relaxes them.

To make things a little easier, I've created ready to use coping skills cue cardsfor you. There are four different sets: Calming, Physical, Distracting, and Processing. If you'd like all 4, I created a set where you can download them all together.

If your child is anxious, they may also be having a difficult time getting settled for bedtime. Here are some ideas to help your child get settled at bedtime.

PINPOINT WHAT THE FEAR IS

One of the most important things to do is to figure out exactly what is causing the anxiety. Is it fear of the dark? Is it a worry about something in the closet? Is it monsters? Is it spiders? Figuring out the cause of the fear will help you come up with ways you can help your child combat it.

REARRANGE THE ROOM

Are there particular spots of the room that seem to be darker or cause more fear at night than others? Go into the bedroom during the day with your child and talk about the spots that make your child nervous. Try moving night lights and furniture around for a more calming room arrangement.

TRANSITIONAL OBJECTS

If your child has a hard time separating from you, try a transitional object. This is a special item that helps your child feel comforted. It helps them feel like part of you is still present even when you're not there. It could be something like a stuffed animal or a special stone or necklace, or a sweatshirt of yours. The object isn't what matters, it's what the object represents. They can keep it and hold it all night long to help them relax and go to sleep.

Find more strategies here: 12 Kid Friendly Strategies to Calm Anxiety at Night

Looking for some calming guided meditation to help get to sleep at night? Try one of these: Best Guided Meditations for Sleep.

Whenever I sit down and talk with someone about their coping skills, one of the first
things I ask is if they have tried writing about it. Why do I always start with journaling as
a way of processing through difficult feelings?

It's easier to write about than talk about hard things

Journaling helps you process what's happening.

It's convenient.

It's not graded

It can help you solve a problem

It can help you re-frame your thinking

Looking for a journal for a child or teen? Check out Big Life Journals!

General Anxiety

The Coping Skills for Kids Workbook by Janine Halloran. This book has over 75 strategies for kids to try to help them manage their stress and worry. This book also includes colorful worksheets to help kids learn more about their anxiety and what they can do to manage their stress.

Wilma Jean the Worry Machine by Julia Cook I love that when Wilma Jean's physical reactions are described, they're also illustrated. When is says she has knots in her stomach and her knees lock, her stomach really looks like it's tied in a knot and there's a real lock around her knees. I love the activity she does with her teacher, going over worries she can control and worries she can't, it's a great way to help kids manage their anxiety.

David and the Worry Beast by Anne Marie Guanci David's anxiety is a beast, and the more anxious he gets, the bigger it grows. David learns to control his thoughts, and his beast shrinks. There's also a couple of pages for parents and kids in the back.

When My Worries Get Too Big by Kari Dunn Buron This book is wonderful! There are several pages where kids can add in their own thoughts, worries and what helps them relax. This book also uses the 5 point scale to talk about stress and different ways to manage it.

What To Do When You Worry Too Much by Dawn Huebner, PhD This book goes through several ways that can help kids manage anxiety, including setting a time for worries, thinking about things that make you happy and resetting your body with activity or relaxation. There are some interactive places in this book, where a child can write down their worries, draw some images of things that might help, etc.

What To Do When You're Scared and Worried by James J. Crist This is one of my favorite books for kids to help them deal with anxiety. Near the beginning of the book is a checklist that helps kids narrow down what they are anxious about. The beginning of the book covers the basics of what anxiety is and how to help manage with coping skills. The next section of the book goes into detail about different types of anxiety kids might experience, including Separation Anxiety, Phobias and Panic Attacks.

Separation Anxiety

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn Classic about managing separation anxiety when kids start school. My daughter's kindergarten teacher read this on our visit to school the first day.

When I miss you by Cornelia Maude Spelman This is perfect for little ones who have a hard time dealing with the fact that they are away from their parents during the day. It suggests a couple of things they can do to help and reassurance that parents will come back at the end of the day.

Wemberley Worried by Kevin Henkes Poor Wemberley worries about everything, and then she gets really worried when she is about to start school.

This E-Course offers you instant support from a Child Therapist.
You will get:
12 Videos that are quick and bite size

14 Exercises that will expand on the skills taught

6 Cheat Sheets that will serve as a reference
Along with the course you get:
Access to the instructor for ongoing support

Downloadable PDF versions of all lessons

Lifetime access to the course

More from Coping Skills for Kids about Anxiety in Children...

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Calming Anxiety - Coping Skills for Kids

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Inside: Kid tested strategies used by child therapists for calming anxiety, including ideas to calm down, books to read and videos that can help

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Helping your child to cope with their feelings

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Helping your child to cope with their feelings

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Helping children recognise and understand their emotions is an important part of supporting their development. For a young child, every day brings new experiences and challenges, and there’s a lot you can do to help them understand the feelings that come along with those. These practical ideas from Feeling Better could help your child cope whether they’re feeling angry, worked up or just overexcited…

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Try this: If your child is feeling worried, upset or overexcited, ask them to draw what they think that feeling might look like. This is a great way to get them to visualise how they feel, and can help them process any strong emotions. If you're out and about, or don't have art supplies handy, you could use one of our mess-free Make a Picture games.

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Feeling Better - Help your child cope with their feelings

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Helping children recognise and understand their emotions is an important part of supporting their development. For a young child, every day brings new experiences and challenges, and there's a lot you can do to help them understand the feelings that come along with those.

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An easy way to understand wellbeing is to say it's 'feeling good and doing good'.

Here are five ways you can help children keep their wellbeing topped up - and your own, too.

For many, it's going to be harder to get outside and move around, but we still need to keep active. When we move our bodies, it has a positive effect on how our brain works, as the brain starts releasing chemicals that make us feel good.

* Host a home disco. Play the family's favourite dance songs and have a boogie for ten minutes.

* Watch BBC Super Movers videos. These short films can get the whole family moving (and learning). Learning routines (or just attempting them) means your child's brain and body (and yours!) are keeping active and engaged.

* Blow up a balloon. Once you've tied it, see how long you can keep it up in the air while passing it between you.

Having more time at home together may also put additional stress on family relationships so give everyone in the family a chance to refuel. It can be as simple as curling up on the sofa together and watching a film or some cartoons - and then chatting about your favourite bits.

Having these sorts of conversations can help to make the positive buzz of watching (and laughing) together last for longer. It'll also improve your child's ability to reflect on their experiences and talk about their preferences.

Stories are another great way to help children recharge as they lose themselves in wonderful fictional worlds. There are likely to be some old favourites they want you to read again, as they'll take comfort from hearing a familiar tale (for children, knowing how it ends is a good thing, not a spoiler alert!).

It's helpful for children (and adults) to have a healthy balance of emotions in a day. Fears and anxieties about the current situation may, at times, overpower our positive emotions unless we make a conscious effort to re-address this balance.

Here are a couple of ways you can help your child to achieve this balance:

* Make a 'Top Times' scrapbook. Help your child to create a scrapbook of memories, with printed out photos, drawn pictures, saved tickets and other bits and pieces stuck in to help them remember. These don't have to mark occasions; they can capture smaller moments of joy, like throwing a ball for a dog or seeing a rainbow.

Once you've built a collection of pages (and maybe several scrapbooks), you can enjoy looking through them together.

* Create a gratitude jar. Another way to take in the good stuff is to write down a little note when something's gone well and keep it in a jar or box. Younger children may prefer telling you what to write so you can record the experiences for them. As they get older, they may want to write their own notes.

You can encourage them by doing this alongside them. The great thing about a gratitude jar is you can revisit it on days when you need a little boost to remind everyone of the things you've been grateful for.

Building gratitude habits doesn't mean we diminish the struggles that children (and we) experience. It's really important to talk about these difficult moments too. But, having a time in the day when you focus on the positive can be useful in helping children to keep their thoughts balanced.

Having more time at home offers an opportunity to set some goals about new things you and your child want to learn. It could be something that helps encourage their independence when they return to school, like tying their own shoelaces or buttoning up their coat. Or it could be something that helps at home, such as how to put their clothes away or helping out with washing up. When children feel they're contributing to family 'work', it can enhance their sense of belonging. If your child is capable of doing things for themselves, give them as many opportunities as you can to practise these skills.

Whatever the learning goals, it can be helpful if children understand they can improve their skills and abilities. This is often referred to as a 'growth mindset' since it's about realising we all have the ability to change the way we think and do things. So, whether it's tying shoelaces, learning to spell, or even how to hop on one leg, the way adults talk to children about the learning will influence those children's beliefs.

Here are two ways to encourage your child to adopt a growth mindset:

* Add the word 'yet'. Changing the way you talk about intelligence and ability can help your child understand that learning is a process - our skills and traits aren't fixed from birth. When your child claims "I can't do this" (whether they're talking about a new hobby, homework, or anything else), say: "You can't do it yet".

Adding and emphasising this tiny word subtly reinforces the learning process and may help them to try again.

* Practise (and fail) with your child. Trying new things can be scary, but it's often less daunting when you do it with others. As a family, you might decide to try something new and celebrate your learning and your failures when it doesn't work (the first, second, or even the ninety-ninth time!).

Being able to support your child's wellbeing also involves taking care of yourself. As a starting point, try and eat nutritious healthy food; it's a great idea to turn cooking into an activity the whole family takes part in. Life can often feel very busy and parents give themselves a hard time about being unable to do everything perfectly. Remember, though, there are no 'perfect parents'.

We all get things wrong, we all have days when we struggle. And while it may be true that you might not have done everything 'perfectly', you've probably done more things to support your child's wellbeing than you realise. So, try and focus on what you're doing well - it's not you being boastful, it's actually really helpful for your child to do this. Children can learn a lot from hearing adults respond kindly to themselves when things don't work out - and then from seeing the grown-ups try again. Notice how you speak to yourself about your mistakes. If you can cultivate kindness towards yourself, your child is more likely to practise this when they get things wrong too.

It might also be useful to take a moment and think about the activities, people and places that help you to feel brighter and refuelled. Even if you can't do these things at the moment, perhaps there are new ways that you can connect with the things that matter to you, like chatting with friends on the phone instead of meeting up. No matter how busy you are, try and squeeze in a little time for yourself. It's likely to help you with the many joys and challenges that parenting can bring.

Dr Hazel Harrison is a Clinical Psychologist with a particular focus on mental health and wellbeing.

For further information check out the rest of Starting Primary School which has lots of ways to help prepare children for different aspects of school life - both practically and emotionally.

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Five ways to support children's mental health

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Clinical psychologist, Hazel Harrison, suggests five ways you can support your child's mental health.

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Little Beam - Social, Emotional, Mental Health & Wellbeing Resources for Parents, Guardians & Educators

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Little Beam - Social, Emotional, Mental Health & Wellbeing Resources for Parents, Guardians & Educators

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Little Beam are passionate about providing social, emotional, mental health and wellbeing short story books and resources for Primary School aged children. With over 20 years of professional experience in the education sector, we totally understand the difficulties that many children, parents, guardians and educators face when it comes to communicating through some of life’s challenges. We are here to help you all! We want to break through the barriers, to cut through the stereotypes and to provide a vehicle and outlet of support for all children from all walks of life.

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Little Beam – Emotional Education for Young People

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Practical tips to support children’s wellbeing and manage behaviour.

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Parenting Smart offers practical advice for parents and carers of children aged 5-11. All of our content is created by Place2Be's parenting experts. It's based on evidence and their experiences working with children, young people and their families.

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Supporting Emotionally Based School Avoidance

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Supporting Emotionally Based School Avoidance

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CAMHS Resources to support positive mental health

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CAMHS Resources to support positive mental health

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This is a collection of downloadable self-help guides that we really like and hope may be useful to you. Some are aimed at adults but the ideas and suggestions in them can still be relevant for young people and parents. If you click on the image it will automatically download the PDF from its source and the credit will link to the originators main website.

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Whether you want to understand more about how you're feeling and find ways to feel better, or you want to support someone who's struggling, we can help.

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YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People

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YoungMinds are a mental health charity for children, young people and their parents, making sure all young people can get the mental health support they need.

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Welcome to MindEd for Families, Children and Young People. We hope you like our new design. If you are a regular user you might find that some of the topics have moved, or the titles have been changed slightly. But we still have all the same great content, and we hope it will be easy to find what you are looking for. This first section starts with two key topics for understanding young people’s mental health, and a link to About Us.

section-thinSocial Emotional and Mental Health Resources

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Welcome to MindEd for Families, Children and Young People. We hope you like our new design. If you are a regular user you might find that some of the topics have moved, or the titles have been changed slightly. But we still have all the same great content, and we hope it will be easy to find what yo…

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Resources to support wellbeing for young people with SEND during times of transition.

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Resources to support wellbeing for young people with SEND during times of transition.

We have compiled a list of resources to help with:

See also mental health related:

Self care

The Anna Freud - National Centre for Children and Families, has collected a wide range of ideas for the mental health. There are 91 to choose from:

Worries and anxiety

A useful resource to help young people with worries and anxieties from the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It is a detailed set of documents explaining anxiety and worries, with suggestions about ways to help and support:

The Royal College of Psychiatris also lists the following organisations which specifically support people with anxiety:

Mental health for children and young people with autism

Ambitious about Autism offer a well-researched resource called 'Know Your Normal'.

This resource was developed with colleagues from the Centre for Research in Autism Education (CRAE) and helps people with Autism document their usual behaviours and routines so that any changes indicating anxiety or depression can be easily noticed:

There's also a toolkit (booklet) available for download:

Autistica and researchers from Kings College London have developed an App called Molehill Mountain to help people with autism manage anxiety:

Bereavement

Children and young people who are grieving for the loss of a loved one may benefit from this resource:

Domestic violence

Citizens' Advice will have information about services and refuges in local areas:

The National Domestic Abuse Hotline runs a 24-hour helpline for people at risk of domestic violence:

Mental health helplines

Mind

Offers confidential help on a range of mental health issues:

Young Minds

ChildLine

A counselling service for children and young people. You can contact ChildLine about anything - no problem is too big or too small.

If you are feeling scared or out of control or just want to talk to someone you can contact ChildLine.

Call, email or have a 1-2-1 chat with them - send a message to Ask Sam and you can post messages to the ChildLine message boards:

Mental health apps

Breathe, Think, Do Sesame

This app uses a 'Sesame Street' style approach.

Includes a parent section, with free resources such as tips and strategies (including video clips to watch with kids), as well as options to personalize the audio messages kids hear when playing the app, which can be played in English or Spanish. Age 4 plus:

Dreamy Kid

A meditation app that can be used on waking or as they fall asleep:

Stop, Breathe and Think

This app focuses on mindful breathing to create space between thoughts, emotions and reactions:

Smiling Mind

Smiling Mind offers a unique web and app-based tool developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance to people's lives.

Calm

An app focusing on meditation and mindfulness:
Disclaimer

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Social, emotional and mental health for young people

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Resources to support wellbeing for young people with SEND during times of transition. We have compiled a list of resources to help with: See also mental health related: The Anna Freud - National Centre for Children and Families, has collected a wide range of ideas for the mental health.

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Chatterminds introduces mindfulness to children, teenagers and adults to provide tools to help navigate the ups and downs of life.

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Life can be tough for children with modern day pressures. It can result in anger, worry, anxiety and emotional overwhelm. If your child is experiencing stress at school or home, such as friendship issues, exams or sibling rivalry Chatterminds can help.

Chatterminds helps to...

Equip children and adults with the skills and benefits of mindfulness

Enable young people to name and recognise different emotions and how they feel in the body

Empower young people to regulate their emotions and foster an ethos of kindness and gratitude

Support young people with their friendships, giving them the confidence to stand up for themselves whilst still being kind

Build resilience and self-esteem

Equip young people with skills to nurture their mental health, with an emphasis on positive self-care

Why not join the Chatterminds Facebook group?

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Life can be tough for children with modern day pressures. It can result in anger, worry, anxiety and emotional overwhelm. If your child is experiencing stress at school or home, such as friendship issues, exams or sibling rivalry Chatterminds can help.

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What should be in my self-soothe box?

It's recommended to have a range of sensory things and something to focus your mind on. You could include something to smell, something to touch, something to look at and maybe even something to taste.

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It's recommended to have a range of sensory things and something to focus your mind on. You could include something to smell, something to touch, something to look at and maybe even something to taste.

You can change yours depending on your preference. I often take a miniature, more travel-friendly version when going on holiday also, which I would recommend if you find travelling stressful or anxiety-provoking.

For some inspiration, below are some of the things I have included in my self-soothe box:

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How to Make a Self-Soothe Box | Young Person Blog

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If you often find yourself struggling with feelings of anxiety or panic, Eve's 'self-soothe box' is a great way to manage those feelings.

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Place2Be is a children and young people's mental health charity with almost 30 years' experience working with pupils, families and staff in UK schools.

We provide mental health support in schools through one-to-one and group counselling using tried and tested methods backed by research. In addition, we also offer expert training and professional qualifications.

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Place2Be is a children and young people's mental health charity with almost 30 years' experience working with pupils, families and staff in UK schools.

We provide mental health support in schools through one-to-one and group counselling using tried and tested methods backed by research. In addition, we also offer expert training and professional qualifications.

Why it's important

1 in 5

children and young people have a probable mental health condition, and many continue to have these problems into adulthood.

50%

of those with lifetime mental health problems first experience symptoms by the age of 14.

1 in 10
boys aged 5-19 with a mental health condition are suspended in some form from school.

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Glyn Ellis - Headteacher, Haslingden Primary School

My daughter had become a different person - one we didn't recognise - but since counselling we see signs of our old loving daughter coming back.

Parent

If you have problems or worries you get a chance to talk to a person you trust. When I grow up I want to help children like Place2Be helps children.

Eight-year-old girl

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Thousands of vulnerable children and families depend on our work every single day. We simply cannot reach them without your help. There are so many ways to lend your support.

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pupils were supported through one-to-one counselling.

33,327

pupils booked their own appointments o speak to our mental health professional.

After one-to-one counselling with Place2Be

76%

of children with severe difficulties show an improvement in mental health, according to parents.

64%

of pupils whose difficulties impacted their learning in class improved, according to teachers.

75%

of children and young people found it easier to make and keep friends, according to parents and carers.

Place2Be: mental health support in schools

Hear from children and teachers about the impact of Place2Be.

News & blogs

Eating Disorders in Children and Young People: a major public health concern

Clara Faria and Professor Tamsin Ford reflect on the impact of eating disorders on children and young people's mental health.

Read more

New report from NHS England shows increase in children experiencing mental health difficulties

Published today, the report reveals that 1 in 5 children and young people now have a probable mental health condition.

Read more

The BAFTA Roadshow with Place2Be arrives in North-West London

BAFTA and Place2Be team up to bring the BAFTA Roadshow to North-West London.

Read more

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Improving children's and young people's mental health - Place2Be

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Place2Be provides mental health counselling support and training to schools to improve the emotional wellbeing of children, young people, families, teachers and staff.

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Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families

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Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families

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On My Mind aims to empower young people to make informed choices about the mental health support they want, the treatments they receive and the outcomes they desire.

It contains information, advice and resources to help young people support their own mental health, including signposting to sources of support in times of crisis and tools to help young people manage their own wellbeing.

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Our children and young people's wellbeing resources aim to empower young people to make informed choices about their mental health & wellbeing. These pages have been co-produced by young people to help other young people.

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Our children and young people's wellbeing resources aim to empower young people to make informed choices about their mental health & wellbeing. These pages have been co-produced by young people to help other young people.

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Mindfulness training isn’t limited to meditation, but it’s a great place to start. Meditation is both a skill and an experience that can positively impact your overall health and happiness.

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Mindfulness isn’t limited to meditation, but it’s a great place to start. Meditation is both a skill and an experience that can impact your overall health and happiness.

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We know we can’t solve all your troubles, but we can give you tools to help.

Whether it is everyday tips, sounds to relax your mind, strategies to cope with parenting right now or films to get you talking, we are here to help you look after yourself and your loved ones.

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We know we can't solve all your troubles, but we can give you tools to help.

Whether you're after everyday tips, sounds to relax your mind, strategies to cope with parenting right now or films to get you talking, we're here for you.

And if you think you could benefit from extra advice, visit BBC Action Line for mental health organisations offering information and support.

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BBC - Headroom - Your Mental Health Toolkit

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We know we can't solve all your troubles, but we can give you tools to help.

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Find the best support, advice and information on young people's mental health, all in one place

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HappyMaps - Find the best support, advice and information on young people's mental health, all in one place. For Parents, Professionals and Young People.

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Read reviews

"I think this is a fabulous resource-very clearly laid out with the full range of supports available, from parenting tips through to professional help" (Parent)

"This is great to recommend to parents when they are worried about their children. It's the best website for mental health issues that I've found" (Teacher)

"Excellent. I work for CAMHS Bristol and regularly recommend this website" (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services)

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Home - HappyMaps: Help and Resources for Children's Mental Health

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An award-winning website on children's mental health collating sensible and professional advice on common problems. With new self-help pages for young people.

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There is always hope ... find the right support for you.

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How we can help your family

We’ve helped families of all shapes and sizes to rebuild trust, deepen relationships and improve behaviours. Focusing on understanding your child’s experience of the world that shaped them and your role within this, our therapeutic approach often involves working through you to help them.

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is our DDP therapist and offers sessions both in person and online.

for more information and pricing plans

Theraplay is a child and family therapy for enhancing attachments, self-esteem, trust and joyful engagement. It is based on natural patterns of healthy interaction between parent and child, and is personal, physical and fun.

Theraplay interactions focus on four essential qualities found in parent-child relationships: structure, engagement, nurture and challenge. Theraplay sessions create an active and emotional connection between child and parents, so that the child may become seen as worthy and lovable and that relationships feel positive and rewarding.

is our Theraplay practitioner and offers a Theraplay-based therapy programme for children and young people, both in person or online.

for more information and pricing plans

PACE parenting programme (online only)

Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy is PACE. Developed by Dan Hughes, PACE is a way of thinking, feeling, communicating and behaving that aims to make the child feel safe. It is based upon how parents connect with their very young infants. With safety, the child can develop the confidence to explore, just as young toddlers do who are securely attached.

We offer one-to-one online PACE parenting sessions for families, which can be booked in a programme block of 10 sessions. Each session will be 60-90 minutes long.

The programme will look at attachment theory, empathy and attunement, how to create a positive family atmosphere, how to look after yourself as the adult, providing structure and supervision for children and using PACE to manage challenging behaviours.

Psychodynamic Counselling for parents

The aim of Psychodynamic Counselling is to bring the unconscious mind into consciousness - helping individuals to experience and understand their true, deep-rooted feelings in order to resolve them. It takes the view that our unconscious holds onto painful feelings and memories, which are too difficult for the conscious mind to process.

Unlike our attachment-based therapies, the parent is at the centre of the work, not the child. This can benefit parents who have their own loss or trauma to resolve. Their current feelings of crisis may have been triggered by adopting a child with early life trauma but this is not the root cause of the parent's struggle.

is our Psychodynamic Counsellor. Sessions are offered as a 20-session minimum package, given the in-depth nature of this therapy, available both in person and online.

- for more information and pricing plans

- Learn more about the practice of Psychodynamic Counselling

Therapeutic Life Story Work

For children living in alternative families their life history is often fragmented, leaving them lost, with a confused identity and no sense of belonging.

Therapeutic Life Story Work from Families Empowered is a powerful intervention that helps children to talk and learn about their life experiences with the help of a trusted adult.

We work carefully to support children in the creation and acceptance of their own unique narrative.

- View our Therapeutic Life Story Work flyer

Nurturing Attachment Groups

Meet some of the families we've helped

Find out more

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For families and carers | Families Empowered

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is our DDP therapist and offers sessions both in person and online. for more information and pricing plans Theraplay is a child and family therapy for enhancing attachments, self-esteem, trust and joyful engagement. It is based on natural patterns of healthy interaction between parent and child, and is personal, physical and fun.

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Lots of Mindfulness and Wellbeing resources to support you and your family.

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Welcome to the Mindfulness Hub

With the pandemic still creating lots of anxiety and stress, it's more important than ever to look after your children's wellbeing. This year we've got Dr Ranj an NHS doctor, and Cbeebies presenter onboard to help us all to wind down and relax with a special exercise, and resources from Twinkl below.

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Welcome to the Mindfulness Hub With the pandemic still creating lots of anxiety and stress, it's more important than ever to look after your children's wellbeing. This year we've got Dr Ranj an NHS doctor, and Cbeebies presenter onboard to help us all to wind down and relax with a special exercise, and resources from Twinkl below.

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Try these simple relaxation and mindfulness activities together and help your child learn to calm down when they feel stressed or anxious.

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Relax and listen to the calming sounds from CBeebies Radio.
How it works
Listening to relaxing music can help children stop and reset. CBeebies Radio have eight calming sounds to choose from which allows you to experiment and find which one works best:
Waves, birdsong, rain, car journey, spaceship, white noise, pink noise and brown noise.
Claire Benton, Head of Audiology, Nottingham, says:

"Many children find these sounds relaxing and listening to them can help a child feel calm enough to fall asleep".

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Pablo - Seven techniques for helping kids keep calm

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Try these simple relaxation and mindfulness activities together and help your child learn to calm down when they feel stressed or anxious.

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About us

We are #TeamKPG - a leading national mental health and wellbeing charity that champions change, promotes positive mental health & wellbeing and delivers valuable services to the communities we serve.

Established in 1973, we support thousands of people all over the UK each year. Our charity offers a wide range of services for those experiencing mental ill health.

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We are #TeamKPG - a leading national mental health and wellbeing charity that champions change, promotes positive mental health & wellbeing and delivers valuable services to the communities we serve. Established in 1973, we support thousands of people all over the UK each year.

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Anxiety is something we can all experience from time-to time. There are lots of reasons why we get this feeling. It can be connected to a job, school, a relationship, social situations, how we feel about ourselves, or a change in our life.

If we don't know how to cope with our feelings of anxiety, they can get out of control and stop us from doing the things we need or want to do. The more often and the longer we feel anxious, the more it can become a problem.

Dealing with anxiety can be hard. But there are some things we can do to manage these tough feelings.

Have a read through the following suggestions and find out what might work for you.

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What can we do to cope with feelings of anxiety?

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Anxiety is something we can all experience from time-to time. There are lots of reasons why we get this feeling. It can be connected to a job, school, a relationship, social situations, how we feel about ourselves, or a change in our life.

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What children worry about at different ages

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What children worry about at different ages

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Parent Support Advisor at Watling Street Primary School

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Parent Support Advisor at Watling Street Primary School

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Hi,

I'm Mrs. Manley and I'm the Parent Support Advisor at Watling Street Primary School. If you have any concerns about your child and you would like to discuss them with me, please do not hesitate to get in touch.