Butterflies & Caterpillars

Hi everyone - I just wanted to give a little reminder of why creative arts counselling might be worth considering for your child or young person - or yourself! I am one of a number of highly trained practitioners who work using the creative arts therapeutically, and by creative arts I mean any method of creativity - from actual art to drama, music, storytelling as well as using or creating masks, working with sand and miniatures, to playing and inventing games plus working wi...th popular movies and TV shows as metaphors and as symbolism. Using creativity and art therapeutically gives a much wider scope for a child or teenager to find a means of expressing what they might be holding inside. This can be difficult feelings such sadness, grief, loss all of which often can then in turn present as anger, or despondency or manifest as 'bad behaviour' - whatever it is it needs a way out and to be heard and witnessed - before being able to move on to the next stage of learning how to manage those big feelings that can overwhelm us. Creative Arts work doesn't just help with immediate challenges or struggles - it's an investment in emotional resilience that can help set a child or teenager up for life. Life's always going to throw us difficult days and challenging circumstances, but this work can improve anyone's abilities to be able to handle the hard stuff and emerge all the stronger for it. I am based in South West London and have colleagues across the country so if anyone would like to know more or wants help finding a creative arts practitioner close to them, then feel free to check out my website and get in touch.
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Why creative arts counselling? I wanted to explain a little more about the work I do, and how it can help children and young people in lots of ways. Firstly, the simple experience of regular positive one-to-one time with an empathic adult can help release the happy hormones in a child or teenager's brain, which not only gives them boosts to their self-esteem and general happiness, but helps them to learn to emotionally regulate themselves i.e. support themselves emotionally w...hen times aren't so happy. On top of that, using the creative arts therapeutically opens up a whole new language for the children and young people to be able to express themselves. Have you ever had big feelings going on inside but struggle to name them or work out what exactly it is that's bothering you? That happens with children all the time, and using the arts as a communication tool can unlock ways to express feelings where words can't be easily found. The work I do can help any child or teen improve and enhance their self-awareness, their self-esteem, their self-confidence and their general emotional well-being. It can also help to support them through much bigger challenges such as difficult life experiences and complex mental health issues but first and foremost it's an investment in helping them to improve their sense of self and their ability to navigate all that life can throw at them both now and well into the future. I currently have some availability left for appointments during the week - please visit the website for further information and contact details. Happy Friday everyone.
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"Come with me, and you'll be in a world of pure imagination ..." so sings Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka in his film version of the book. To me that's a much better offer than a lifetime of chocolate (well, almost) as our imaginations are truly magical places with no limits on what we can do and where we can go. Just like my storytelling post a couple of weeks ago, I want to sing my own song about the joy of imagination and how important it is to encourage in your children and tee...ns. Nothing is more fun nor more therapeutic than being able to let go and fly wherever your mind can take you - so try to do all you can to offer up possibilities of awe and wonder. It's something adults can tend to grow out of - I say don't. I say let yourself jump in with both feet too - don't just let the kids have all the fun. There's a state of being that's known as 'free child' in Transactional Analysis which is when one lets go of everything else and is just a child, free to feel joy and delight, secure in the knowledge that he/she is safe in the world whatever happens. Today, I suggest you take some time out to welcome in the free child in your kids and/or the kids you care about, but why not try it out for yourself too. In case you've forgotten how it works, this fantastic video may give you a few ideas. Happy Thursday!
https://www.facebook.com/boredpanda/video s/10156247585319252/
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The world of social media for children and especially teenagers & young people is a phenomenon that's ever growing and ever changing. And whilst undoubtedly it can be used for so much good, its accessibility and its omnipresence brings with it increasingly worrying implications and developments. A new app has been brought to my attention by some of my fellow therapists and I wanted to share our concerns with you. It's called 'Sarahah' and it's an 'anonymous feedback' app i.e.... others can leave messages about you without ever revealing who they are and therefore being accountable for what they say. The original idea behind it was for honest feedback for co-workers etc but as with lots of of these apps it's now widely being used by children, teenagers and young people and has become ripe for anonymous cyber-bullying. I've attached an article below with more info. Whilst I don't want to alarm anyone, it's a good idea to keep an eye out for what your kids and/or the kids that you care about have access to on their devices - as something like this can have a devastating impact on anyone, whatever age. If you know anyone affected by any of the adverse effects of social media, or you're a teenager or young person yourself and stuff like this worries you, don't be afraid to reach out for some support, and to talk about anything. Worries really are so much easier to handle once you've shared them with someone.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/everyt hing-you-need-to-kno…
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www.butterfliesandcaterpillars.co.uk

Book Recommendation: The Invisible String
Every so often I'd like to share some book recommendations with you and The Invisible String is easily at the top of my list. Written by Patrice Karst, it's a story about the tie that binds us to the ones we love - even when we're far apart. It's fantastic for any child who may be experiencing separation anxiety - through school / nursery or through separation or divorce - but it also works on so many levels for kids of all ages, even grown up ones. It's one lots of children want to go back to again and again, and definitely worth taking a look.

Mindfulness has become a bit of a buzzword lately, and there's sometimes confusion about what it actually is. In many ways, it might be easier to understand if it was called mind-emptiness as it's essentially the practice of slowing down a busy brain to the point of stillness and spending some time just 'being' in the here and now. There are amazing studies on the benefits of practising mindfulness - even as little as just 20 minutes total across two weeks can have positive e...ffects on our brain's alarm system (the amygdala) for managing reactions to stress and difficult situations. It can really work with children and young people too, and the earlier they get into the practice the more beneficial it is in the long run. I've attached a guide for a exercise for children - but anyone can try it out. Mindfulness can take a while to get the hang of - and there are lots of workshops and courses out there if you need a helping hand getting you and / or your kids started. But it's definitely worth a try .....
https://www.mindful.org/body-scan-kids/†¦
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Stories, metaphor and therapeutic storytelling are a big part of my work and I am a passionate advocate for the importance of stories in all our lives. Whether it's stories to inspire and entertain, to educate and guide, to remember our ancestors as well as create our own contemporary family legends or to provide escape and a safe place, there is nothing quite so powerful in its ability to speak to the very heart of our selves. In a time that's full of screens and technology that means we can access any programme or film at any time we want - the art of storytelling the 'old fashioned' way ie reading aloud from a book can get forgotten. Please don't. Here's just a few reasons why ...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zyvhpv4

Just a quick reminder of the link to the website with all my contact details...
www.butterfliesandcaterpillars.co.uk