The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn’t been, and until the end of the world there will not be
another child like him.’ Pablo Casals
I offer sessions for parents with babies and children of all ages. You might be expecting a baby or new parent and want to give your child the best start. You might be struggling with toddler tantrums or your school aged child might be having friendship or anxiety issues. Or perhaps you would like help with parenting your teenager so this stage of their lives does not feel so challenging for you or them. I run family sessions as well as parent only sessions.
Parents and Baby Sessions
Most new parents find bringing a new life into the world challenging. However no parent should be coping on their own. With the right support you can also find the joy and pleasure that comes with having a new baby. My own experience, and also research has found, that early intervention will help you develop your inner wisdom and feel calmer. Getting help if you need it will enable your baby to get the best possible start so they can flourish. It might be that you need assistance with understanding your baby better, bonding, establishing routines as well as coping with the challenges of tiredness and emotional stress that new parenthood brings.
NEW PARENTS AND BABY SESSIONS
Early intervention with problems such as routines, feeding, colic, sleeping, bonding, crying, baby blues and depression, can help you cope and understand your baby’s needs better.
Parent only and family sessions
I hold parent only sessions to give parents the support they need to understand and enjoy their children when parenting is challenging. My goal in sessions is for parents to come away with a deeper understanding of their children as well as practical things they can do to help them.
In family sessions, I provide a safe, supportive space for parents and their children to connect with each other better. Having play and art materials in our sessions can help your child feel more relaxed and express how they are feeling. It can be incredibly helpful for a child experiencing difficulties to know their parents are really trying to understand them. Children also get a better appreciation of any issues their parents might be experiencing such as divorce, ill-health or depression. With the right help, difficult life events can also be opportunities to deepen relationships within your family.
Where appropriate I also use Video Interaction for Positive Parenting. This is an evidence based treatment that uses short video clips of parents and children playing together. It has been proven to help parents and children bond better and develop effective discipline strategies. VIPP’s success has been demonstrated through 12 Randomized Controlled Trials in different countries. In addition many parents find the short videos of them with their child a valuable keepsake.
Mindfulness Groups for Young People
If you are a young person experiencing difficulties you might find it useful to develop a ‘tool kit’ to help cope with stress and anxiety. This could be learning mindfulness and compassion-focused skills, and a breathing routine.
Learning meditation and breathing techniques are a powerful way to ‘hack’ into the nervous system and useful for when things get overwhelming. These ancient practices alongside having a safe therapeutic space to talk, will help you get to know yourself more, focus, slow down, sleep better, be more compassionate with yourself and grow your inner wisdom. It can help too to know more about how your brain works so you feel more informed about what is happening when problems arise. This knowledge can not only help you feel less self-critical, but also help you make better informed decisions about what is best for yourself and to feel more in control.
I RUN MINDFULNESS GROUPS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Learning to meditate and be more compassionate to yourself will help you de-stress and grow your inner wisdom. Find out when our next mindfulness group for young people is running.