‘How the World is Making Our Children Mad and What to Do About It’, Louis Weinstock, published by Penguin Books, 2020 – an accessible and practical guide to supporting children in the modern world, with reflective  exercises and insight drawn from a wide range of theories and approaches.

‘Scattered Minds: the Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder’, Dr Gabor Mate, 2nd edition published by Vermillion Books, 2019 – looks at ADD and ADHD from the perspective of early life experience shaping our developing brain.

‘The Body Keeps the Score’, Bessel van der Kolk, published by Penguin Books, 2014 – how experience impacts brain development and manifests physically.

‘Why Love Matters’, Sue Gerhardt, published by Routledge, 2004 – the importance of loving relationships and their impact on the developing brain.

‘Dibs – In Search of Self’, Virginia M. Axline, published by Penguin Books, 1964 – the story of a boy’s play therapy journey, how it helped him connect emotionally and in relationship.

‘Trauma is Really Strange’, Steve Haines, published by Singing Dragon, 2016 – a cartoon style book looking at what trauma is, how it affects the brain and how it can be overcome. A very accessible read.

Filial Play Coaching

I am in the process of completing my training as a Filial Play Coach with PTUK

Filial Play Coaching is a short term, collaborative intervention, where the parent/carer is guided to find ways to establish a positive relationship with their child, through the medium of play. 

This way of working recognises the parent as an agent for change, enabling them to identify any difficulties in the relationship, gaining better understanding of the reasons behind these difficulties.

Together, over a period of 10-20 weeks, we look at four key areas that support the parent-child relationship, or ‘dyad’. The parent is coached to develop skills in each of these areas, in order to improve their relationship with their child.

CPD 

Using a Therapeutic Approach in the Early Years

This workshop style presentation can be provided as part of continuing professional development (CPD) for colleagues working with young children. An experiential, hands-on learning session, we look at how children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing can be further supported within regular early years provision.