TRK Coach Emily

TRK Coach Emily I work with children and teens navigating anxiety, big emotions, and self-doubt, giving them real tools to feel more like themselves.

Every child deserves to feel heard, understood and believed in. My goal is to help them with warmth and zero judgment.

1 in 4 Year 8 pupils meet the criteria for a probable mental health disorder, according to the Anna Freud Centre's lates...
04/10/2026

1 in 4 Year 8 pupils meet the criteria for a probable mental health disorder, according to the Anna Freud Centre's latest report.

That doesn't mean that today's teenagers are all struggling. Most report positive relationships and feel satisfied with their lives. But a sizeable minority are struggling alongside these positives. A child can have friends, a loving family and seem generally happy, and still be dealing with significant anxiety or problems at school.

The research highlights the importance of prevention and early support, and I agree. As a mum and someone who works with children and teenagers every day, I would love to make it easier to ask for help before things get too big. Not because something is wrong with children, but because they deserve support when things feel difficult, not just when everything becomes too much.

If you're wondering whether what you're seeing is worth getting support for, message me and let's talk. Early conversations make a big difference.

(The report is called Growing Up in the 2020s: first survey of young people and their families at age 12 and 13. Research report, October 2026 - Anna Freud, if you want to have a read)

Not going to lie… this comment hit hard this week.I care so much about what I do, and sometimes I probably put pressure ...
30/09/2026

Not going to lie… this comment hit hard this week.

I care so much about what I do, and sometimes I probably put pressure on myself to have the right words, the right tools and the right answer.

But actually, the bit that matters most to me is much simpler.

That your young person feels safe with me.
That they feel heard.
That they know they can be themselves without judgement.

The tools and strategies matter, obviously, but once that connection is there, the rest follows.

If you’re worried about your young person and feel like they could benefit from having someone outside of home to talk to, drop me a message.

This brain-interrupt tool can be really helpful when someone is spiralling with anxiety.Start by counting backwards: 5–4...
27/09/2026

This brain-interrupt tool can be really helpful when someone is spiralling with anxiety.

Start by counting backwards: 5–4–3–2–1. This helps shift your focus away from anxious thoughts and towards taking action.

Then, choose a positive affirmation, such as one of the examples shown. Adding some movement, like standing up, stretching, or going for a short walk, can also help.

The aim is to interrupt the anxious thought loop, bring your attention back to the present moment, and engage the parts of the brain involved in thinking, decision-making and regulation.

Knowing why you feel anxious is important. But most young people also want to know:“What can I actually do when it happe...
24/09/2026

Knowing why you feel anxious is important. But most young people also want to know:
“What can I actually do when it happens?” “What’s next?”

When anxiety hits, young people need more than:
“I know what’s happening in my brain.”

They need to be able to think:

“I recognise this.
I know what I can try.
I can help myself through it.”

That’s why we don’t just talk about emotions. We practise the tools. We share the tools with parents. Breathing. Grounding. Calming the body. Managing thoughts. Building confidence.

The goal isn’t to never feel anxious.
It’s to feel more confident when anxiety does show up.

Your child doesn’t need to figure it all out alone. Sometimes they just need someone to help them understand what’s happening, find the tools that work for them, and practise using them.

It has been such a privilege to support this lovely family. From the very beginning, they have been so warm, open and tr...
22/09/2026

It has been such a privilege to support this lovely family. From the very beginning, they have been so warm, open and trusting, and I have genuinely loved getting to know them. Watching their daughter grow in confidence and seeing the positive changes along the way has been incredibly special. I’m so grateful to have been part of her journey and to have been able to support the whole family along the way🩷

What if your child didn’t have to ask, “What’s wrong with me?”What if they understood that their brain wasn’t failing th...
20/09/2026

What if your child didn’t have to ask, “What’s wrong with me?”
What if they understood that their brain wasn’t failing them; it was trying to protect them?

So many children carry quiet fear inside their bodies. A racing heart, a shaky tummy, fast thoughts, the sudden urge to run, shout, hide, or apologise again and again… and they think it means they’re “too much”, “too sensitive”, or “not coping”.

This is why one of the first things we teach is how their brain works.
When a young person understands why their body reacts the way it does, everything begins to soften.

Instead of “I’m being silly… I can’t cope… something’s wrong with me,” they learn to say: “My brain thinks I’m in danger. My body is trying to protect me. I can learn ways to help my brain feel safe again.”

You can almost see the relief in their shoulders. You can see the beginning of self‑kindness.

We make the science simple and gentle. The amygdala, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus become characters they can picture, talk to, and remember. Because when children understand their brain, they start to understand themselves, and that changes everything.

We’re not teaching children to stop having emotions.
We’re teaching them to recognise what’s happening inside, so those emotions don’t have to feel so overwhelming or frightening.

And after your child’s first or second session… this is exactly what their hand will look like: a simple, powerful drawing of their brain characters that helps everything finally make sense.

And for teachers and schools, this is something we can bring into the classroom too. This Brain Smart session can be delivered as a whole-class session, giving children shared language and practical tools they can use every day.

And it’s just one of the whole-class and small-group sessions I offer to schools around emotional wellbeing, confidence, resilience, anxiety and emotional regulation.

Because sometimes giving a whole class the right language and tools can make a really big difference.

You don’t have to know what’s wrong.You just have to know that something isn’t quite right.Maybe your child is more emot...
17/09/2026

You don’t have to know what’s wrong.
You just have to know that something isn’t quite right.

Maybe your child is more emotional. Maybe they’re worrying more. Maybe school suddenly feels harder. Maybe they’re quieter, angrier or just not quite themselves.

And when you ask, “What’s wrong?” they say:

“I don’t know.”

Sometimes children and teens feel something before they have the words to explain it; the emotion arrives before the words do.

So, if you’re a parent thinking, “I can’t put my finger on it, but something just doesn’t feel right,” trust that feeling. You don’t need to have it all figured out before reaching out.

[email protected]

07940 645093

“They were absolutely fine in the holidays… so why is everything suddenly hard again?”I’ve had lots of lovely messages f...
13/09/2026

“They were absolutely fine in the holidays… so why is everything suddenly hard again?”

I’ve had lots of lovely messages from parents this week saying their young person has settled back into school really well, and it’s genuinely so lovely to hear.

But alongside those messages, I’ve also had parents, children and teens sitting with me in sessions saying:

“I was okay in the holidays, but now I’m back at school/college, the stress is coming back.”

And do you know what? Both can be true. A young person can have had a brilliant summer and still find the return to school difficult.

The routine. The expectations. The friendships. The workload.
The early mornings.The pressure.

Sometimes being back in that environment brings the worries back to the surface. And that doesn’t mean they’ve gone backwards.

My role isn’t to make worries disappear. It’s to help make them more manageable. To understand what’s happening in their brain and body. To recognise their triggers. To give them practical tools they can actually use. More importantly, to help them feel that they can cope even when the worry is there.

Because progress doesn’t always look like:

“I’m not worried anymore.”

Sometimes it looks like:

“I’m still worried, but I know what I can do.”

And that is progress too.

So if your child has sailed through the first week, celebrate it.

And if they’re finding it harder now that the first-week excitement has worn off, don’t panic! You haven’t failed. They haven’t failed. And they haven’t gone backwards.

Sometimes they just need a little support finding their way through the next bit.

If things are feeling a little unsure now that the school year is underway, please get in touch. We can have a free, no-obligation chat about what’s going on and whether I can help.

Sometimes having someone outside the family to talk to can make all the difference.

First day of school ✅ I’m really proud of you. I know school feels really hard for you, and y...
03/09/2026

First day of school ✅

I’m really proud of you. I know school feels really hard for you, and you still managed to go in today. That took courage. You didn’t have to love it, you just had to take that step, and you did.

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