Transforming Young Minds

Just some of the objects/toys/ activities I use in my clients sessions... so many people ask., what do you do in your sessions to get my young person to open up so much?! Come up with their own answers? We may use bubbles to help overcome anger (breathe and blow, look what comes when you are calm.. gorgeous bubbles!), we may make glitter jars to describe how our mind thinks, stones to help map out friendship dynamics ,play doh to make a brain and see how it grows when we make... mistakes, a breathing ball... there are so many uses and they change all of the time! Play therapy is an amazing way to open up a discussion, find a solution and have a really fun session at the same time. My clients love using different objects, trying new things to help them overcome their obstacles and achieve their goals.. and is there any problem that glitter can’t help solve? #transformingyoungminds #playtherapy #coaching #nlp #kidscoaching #teencoach #beingamum #mumsofinstagram #dadsofinstagram #parentlife
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Brand new clean and (labelled) school shoes , this can only mean that it’s the start of a new school year. My baby is starting this week and my big girl has back to school nerves. I’m not sure about you, but I find this a little nerve wracking too. So here is my top tips to help you and your little munchkins overcome back to school nerves.. 1. Positive language .. questions like ‘are you scared? Going to miss mummy? Will you cry?’ are the types of questions that will send any... anxious little one into a spin. Even words such as ‘big school’ can often put a picture of a scary place in an illuminated mind. It’s really useful to use positive reinforcement. ‘Mummy and daddy are so excited for you’. ‘ we know you can do this because of x, y, z (pick specific qualities). 2. Ever noticed how you get butterflies when you’re excited? And when you’re scared? Challenge your little one and ask if that feeling is the same? And if it is, ask them to say out loud ‘I am excited , I am excited’ .. by doing this they’re telling their mind that they are indeed.: excited and not scared 3. Tell them about how you often overcome scary situations. Talk them through it, break down how you felt, how you overcame it and how you felt afterwards. Young people LOVE hearing about how us grown ups handle things and it shows that we are on their map! 4. Body language.. did you know that 55% of what we communicate if through our body language? Ask them to power pose, how do they feel when they’re doing this? What do they see? Then stand tall and smile- look what that’s doing.. it’s so powerful! 5. What ifs:. We all have them! Reframe those what ifs.. example, ‘what if I miss you mummy’ ‘yes you may miss me, but how wonderful that you do, it shows you how much fun we have together and a sign of how amazing we are- how lucky are we?!’ 6. As them to visualise the day, imagine floating above and looking down at all of the fun things they have done. Ask them to watch themselves going into the classroom, smiling at a friend, All the games they will play and how they felt at the end of the day. Ask them to watch down at themselves as they fill you in on what happened when you see them after school. Visualisation is so powerful. Lastly... be confident and show them that you know that they can do it. Smile, watch your body language and you’ll be telling them that they are ok! Good luck ♥️#transformingyoungminds #backtoschool #newschoolyear #kidscoaching #teencoaching #parents #mumsofinsta #dadsofinstagram #confidence #fear #reframe
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A great article, I especially like ‘not letting fear dictate their choices ‘ and not ‘shielding their children from pain’. I often see the consequences for this with clients in their teens. Hope you find it useful.

Flicking through hubbys favourite holiday magazine @menshealthuk , I came across this article. It struck a chord, one of the first things I say to my clients... things are sometimes 💩 and guess what.. that’s ok! Experiencing sadness is an essential Part of growth, our learning and helps appreciate the happy times. In my client sessions, we work on a 3 step system: 1 Accept, 2. Embrace 3. Reframe. Quite simply, accept the feeling (ie, yes I feel rubbish/ angry/ sad), 2. It’s o...k to feel like this so I will take a few seconds to feel it, 3. How can I use this feeling to look at things in a different way, how can this move me forward, help me take action? What are my learns? In my sessions we use a ball, throw the thought, and practice this technique. It’s so powerful! So next time you are looking through FB/ Insta and see people always looking ‘happy’, ask yourself.. is this real? Notice the thoughts you have and use this 3 step technique! Would love your thoughts, do you feel the pressure to always be happy? If you try this technique.. how did it work for you? #transformingyoungminds #lifecoach #nlp #nlppractitioner #teencoaching #kidscoach #familycoach #reframeyourself #reframe #happythoughts #sadness #betruetoyourself
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It’s #alevelresultsday ! I remember the day like it was yesterday, the fear, excitement, trepidation knowing that the next step was going to be so pivotal. But what I didn’t know then is that the results DO NOT define you. You are on your own journey and often it’s adversity that opens the most doors. So if you got the results you want, congrats! If you didn’t, congrats! Whatever happens, move yourself forward, focus on the learns and enjoy the next step whatever that may be!#transformingyoungminds #nlp #kidscoach #teencoach #teencoach #adversityisagift #reframeyourself #reaframes #examresults #london #stalbans #harpenden

This is my 4 year old daughter’s work of art . I packed for our holiday while she painted on canvas. Not sure about you but I absolutely love the colours, shading and to me it looks like a scene from the amazon. It’s crazy what happens when you leave a child to come up with their own ideas, get down on paper what their imagination beholds.. especially as my daughter is a visual communicator. This is what coaching is all about, getting clients to come up with their own ideas, use their communication style, and work towards a goal. #coaching #kidscoach #teencoach #playtherapy #arttherapy #artofinstagram #kidsart #painting #nlppractitioner #nlp #transformingyoungminds #mumsofinstagram #dadsofinstagram #summerholidays #schoolsholidays #stalbans #harpenden #london

This is my 4 year old daughter’s work of art . I packed for our holiday while she painted on canvas. Not sure about you but I absolutely love the colours, shading and to me it looks like a scene from the amazon. It’s crazy what happens when you leave a child to come up with their own ideas, get down on paper what their imagination beholds.. especially as my daughter is a visual communicator. This is what coaching is all about, getting clients to come up with their own ideas, use their communication style, and work towards a goal. #coaching #kidscoach #teencoach #playtherapy #arttherapy #artofinstagram #kidsart #painting #nlppractitioner #nlp #transformingyoungminds #mumsofinstagram #dadsofinstagram #summerholidays #schoolsholidays #stalbans #harpenden #london

How many of these do you include into your weekly/ daily activities? Makes you think doesn’t it! My challenge to you is to save this picture, and ensure that you are including these into your life on a weekly basis. For me, I stopped reading novels, and now I’ve just finished my first one in 2 years I feel great. Which ones are you missing? Are your children missing any? Maybe one to discuss with them and set some goals to ensure they’re met . Good luck!

Sometimes it’s the simple things that make you the happiest - and more often than not it’s earth’s natural goodness. We took the afternoon to Visit the sunflower and lavender fields. Lavender and sunflowers for as far as the eye could see. The girls were in awe of the smells, the touch , how tall and how the flowers/plants felt. They got to cut their own , and took time to smell their new treasure. They’ve now placed their pickings in their room in their own vases. While walk...ing I thought about the process of grounding, and how many of us feel at peace with our feet on the ground, focusing on the now and how connecting yourself to the earth , your mind and your body as one can help you regroup. We left really peaceful and a reminder how powerful getting back to nature is. Tomorrow is a London trip.. I wonder whether that will make us feel so peaceful!🤷‍♀️🌻 #transformingyoungminds #coaching #mindfulness #grounding #powerofnature #kidscoach #teencoach #nlppractitioner #nlp #mumsofinstagram #dadsofinstagram #london #stalbans #harpenden #london @ Hitchin Lavender
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I’ve been a little quiet over the last few days. I have just returned from a mammoth 3 day festival where I brought Transforming Young Minds to the kids area. @elissagevents curates the kids area and did an amazing job. This was a first for me and for @hannahhogarth who has just joined Transforming Young Minds. We had some amazing sessions, and the families we met loved power posing, developing affirmations and visualisation techniques. Here are some pics:, and typical Britis...h camping style, 37 degrees to torrential rain!🤷‍♀️ thanks to @elissagevents for letting me be a part of it , your team are AWESOME! #transformingyoungminds #standoncalling #coaching #kidsareafestivals #festivalseason #festivalworkshops #teencoach #familyworkshops #powerposing #affirmations #mindfulness #anchoring #camping #motorhome #nlppractitioner #nlp #happykids #mumsofinstagram #dadsofinstagram @ Standon Calling Festival
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I’m at Standon Calling today in the kids area .. thanks to Elissa Gold Events. Come along and say hi if you’re here.. i’m the woman in a very hot space girl dress, a wig and boppers!!

Well it has been an incredible week!! I’ve been nominated by one of my clients for the St Albans’ Chamber Of Commerce New Enterprise Award. The fact that I’ve been nominated unknowingly by a client is so touching. They are a family I’ve been working with for some time and I’ve really grown to love them. Whether I win or not, being nominated and selected to the final is such an achievement and for that I am so proud! I will keep you in the loop as to how I get on... the finals are in October!❤️

Take a look. I take great Issue with the word ‘disorder’. Anxiety, ADHD, mental health.. often get tagged with the label ‘disorder’ or ‘disability’ and suddenly we are launched into it being medicalised and feel segregated. This is a wonderful piece, let’s celebrate diversity, and what different perspectives young people are gifted with when they are autistic or have ADHD. Personally I have learnt SO MUCH from my clients who see the world differently which has been very humbling and eye opening. Any opinions always welcome!!

Cheers to my THIRD coffee of the day already. The heat, end of term requests, forms, donations 😳 , World Cup anticipation and lots and lots of clients is leaving me frazzled! Does anyone else out there feel like this?Counting down the days to summer holidays 😎 For all of you parents out there feeling the same, do something every day that makes you feel calm. For me, it’s about finishing my book and starting another, reading everyday and switching off my phone !! What’s your ‘thing’ to help you stay calm amongst the parent madness? #transformingyoungminds #selfcare #parentlife #runningyourownbusiness #tired #endofterm #summerholidays #kidscoach #reallife #coffee #beingaparent #mumsofinstagram #dadsofinstagram #mumlife #dadlife #stalbans #harpenden

Excited to be running Transforming Young Minds workshops at Standon Calling. The kids line up looks great, as does the rest of the line up. We will be running kids, teens/tween sessions throughout the days throughout the weekend. So to those of you that are coming, come and say hi! Thank you to Elissa Gold Events for asking me to take part. Can’t wait !!

A great reference to help reframe what many may criticise. This doesn’t have to be about ADHD, it would be useful to take any the more challenging sides of our young people or even yourself and see how you can reframe.. try it, it’s powerful and way more positive!

A simple technique that can help so many situations... grounding, breathing, visualising. Here you can see one of my fav clients throwing a ball in a bin. He attempted to throw it in just by throwing and it missed. When he grounded himself , breathed mindfully and focused on his desired outcome.. he achieved his goal. We then applied this technique to overcome impulse anger. We then worked on a NLP technique called SWISH, by the end of the session he had visualised himself overcoming his anger using this technique. It’s amazing to use play as a way to help clients overcome everyday obstacles and this one is always a hit!