Mind Full Learning

05/04/2026

Self Knowledge is so important. Understanding what makes you tick and what makes you thrive is a lifelong journey.
So, if you are unmotivated, it just means it is a perfect opportunity to rediscover yourself. That is exciting!

It could be a weight issue, a work issue, a health issue, a relationship issue - that issue is just the present catalyst for change.

I help clients rediscover their purpose.

It doesn't take more than 1 or 2 sessions - it is fun, insightful and a new chapter!

samanthakemptherapy.com

14/03/2026

The world for our children, let alone us, can seem very small in some ways with a continuous stream of social media and constant, instant, access to daily drama.

The daily barrage of messages, images and demands that our children face with school deadlines, exams at all ages, as well as hormonal changes and changes in settings can lead to exhaustion and stress.

These demands are compounded by issues with self perception, based on comparisons with fake presentations that are convincingly real on socials (completely unrealistic ideas around beauty, sexuality and intelligence) and so our next gen are literally not given a moment to think clearly, reflect and take a break. The worst of this is that if we try to intervene we are possibly taking them away from things that make them feel part of a group – that is they are convinced that they need that intravenous drip of swiping images to keep them included. Ever felt like the bad guy for taking your tween or teen off social media or gaming and making them go to bed at a reasonable time?

What can we do then?

We can teach by example. If your loved one sees you taking time to walk outside, nourish yourself with water and fruits and veg and good proteins, read, listen to music, do something creative, connect with loved ones, sit and loook at the sky and exercise they will notice – you may think they dont but you are creating a path that they are slowly imbibing and taking note of – it may not seem like it – but if you show them that that walk “cleared your head,” or the gym session “made me feel stronger” and that chat with Granny was “so funny,” they will learn new ways of regulation. It may not take shape immediately but it will slowly gather momentum.

It’s a bit like that message you got as a parent of a toddler trying new foods – it takes about “12 try’s” to get used to something and that builds new neural pathways and starts to lock in for the future.

Another important part of this journey is regular self care, it may be a once a month reflexology session – excellent for babies, tweens and teens, so they can experience deep relaxation and the calming effect on the nervous system; it may be simple breathing techniques that bring down the sympathetic nervous system – something I used to teach in schools with Heads, Teachers, Assistants and school classes.

If you feel your child or teen could benefit from learning some of these regulating techniques then please do contact me; these are life skills not just for the moment.

05/03/2026

I was just asked to do an interview about my perspective on the current Literature GCSE curriculum for a research paper.
The question was does the GCSE need a bit of a shake up (my words) so I thought I would share my response here as there are some fabulous writers to explore in your own time or with your teens/tweens.
Literature is so wonderful!

I do feel there are many other female writers that could be included to illustrate that women’s writing is a rich and essential historical perspective and the insights they offer us about how women experienced day to day life. In fact, it would be a more powerful, insightful and impactful curriculum if we offered students the opportunity to read a series of diary extracts from early women’s literature like Aphra Behn, Margaret Cavendish, or Katherine Philips. For example, if Inspector Calls shows us how women were encouraged to be pretty and quiet (explored through the transition of Sheila’s character) could we not balance this with Mary Wollstonecraft’s Vindication of the Rights of Women or A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf? If we think that Wollstonecraft has that direct relationship with PB Shelley in the curriculum and, if we added Mary Shelley as well and the study of Gothic literature, we could weave together a much more broad perspective on the literary canon.
Can we not have a curriculum that incorporates women’s literature and poetry from the middle-ages into modern literature as it is full of writers from Japan, Greece, France and India for example; there are also amazing diaries from women all over the world that have been compiled into excellent books for study.
A student of literature in 2026 should be immersed in the full diversity of texts and formats so that they can understand the immense possibility and expressive and visionary opportunities they have, whatever their background. This is the most crucial moment for a student as they understand their place within the world and these texts should deliver examples of what can be achieved and how the world operates.
If we are looking at Power and Conflict, for example, in Literature, we could be incorporating the works of Sara Winnemucca, the Paiute activist, who wrote about the forced assimilation of her people, or Zitkála-Šá hel (Gertrude Simmons Bonin 1876)- her activism advocated for citizenship rights, better educational opportunities, improved health care and cultural recognition and preservation for Native Americans.
So, the idea of power and conflict could encompass these just as important perspectives, for example, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1845) the activist, writer, American abolitionist and suffragette - one of the first African American women to be published in the United States.
I do think the canon needs a complete revision to incorporate the real rich and dynamic literary experience.

02/03/2026

Can we please appreciate our teens going through mocks and our tweens going through their exams. It has to be said, this time of year is extremely challenging for our students in school or remote learning. Being expected to go from one subject to another in a sea of other students and teachers or trying to regulate their emotions while facing different teachers on line is a lot.
As an English teacher for Primary and GCSE and A Level, I am constantly in awe of how much our students have to remember for Literature and Language along with all their other subjects.

The English curriculum and the exam changes make these subjects better than ever but it is still a big ask.
I do some stuff on Tik Tok to help students with revision and stress and I also support students on line for various reasons.

This is just a high five to all those parents and carers supporting their teens and tweens at this time.
It is not easy - What I will say though is the importance of sleep and time away from the papers and phone are hugely important. I help teens learn tools to regulate their emotions and use techniques that help with exam stress. If you think your teen is struggling then this is a good time to get some practical tools in place before the actual exams in May and June. It may just take one session to create that peace of mind.

The strategies that can be used in the classroom and at home are simple, do not involve gimmicks or paying for lots of fancy products, they are simple and easy enough to use without anyone knowing you are using them. Finding the time to learn these is simple, just one or possibly two sessions can really change the mindset of someone struggling with exam stress. Furthermore, these tools are for life; they will be useful for any challenging situation in the future like an interview, competition or new adventure.

you can contact me here [email protected]

Or you can find my details and qualifications on my website samanthakemptherapy.com

22/01/2026

Who is ready to reset now?
January is tough and it is very easy to spend the entire month self admonishing for not keeping to that ideal version of you that you said you were going to start being in 2026.
How's that working out for you?
Its time to reset -
I do this every year, but I also recreate habits that last and are attainable and easy to latch on to my day.
First and foremost is what I make sure I notice and what I do for my mental health, focus and nervous system.
I have done it (well actually started when I was 😎 throughout my life and it has become a daily mainstay, it supports my ADHD, aids anxiety and makes me feel connected to my family, clients and my values.
I have taught Mindful Meditation and Self Hypnosis.in schools since it was "allowed" into the curriculum for little ones, teens, teachers and heads.
Private clients use it to rediscover themselves - 10 weeks to rediscover what makes you tick, what you used to love but somehow let go of, how you communicate, what you pay attention to, what you decide to let go of and how you adjust your physiology so you sleep well and feel well.
I am running the course from my therapy room, a warm, welcoming, quiet space where over 10 sessions you can become part of a small community of supportive, like minded people who are looking for meaning to what they do. There is ample safe parking - amenities.
If you want to rediscover what makes you feel alive and what depletes you and quietly steers you towards your goals then please join me.
Each class is £12 - 70 minutes - you are given some simple practical things you can weave into your day that enhance your well being - but its not homework - its an option.
I am currently polling times so have a look what suits you best and let me know.
6pm - 7:15pm - Tuesday or Wednesday or 6:30 - 7:30pm Friday or Sunday 5pm - 6:15pm
For those who are too far away from Liphook (GU30 7AN) it is something I teach online as well so just message me.
It's such a wonderful way to slow everything down and take care of yourself for peace and longevity.
[email protected]

15/01/2026

I have been a teacher in mainstream and specialised education for 25 years and have used therapeutic techniques throughout those settings because they help a young person have understanding and agency with regards their rapidly fluctuating emotions.

So often the education setting is fraught with stress and tension which I have come to understand from both the Head, teacher and pupils point of view. The pressure on everyone is immense with deadlines, planning, curriculum challenges and differentiation.

School settings are frantic and constantly in flux and this can leave our young people feeling exhausted emotionally and physically. What I have found is that young people can navigate their way through these challenges if they understand the why behind their emotions - giving them the knowledge that, when they feel dis-regulated, nine times out of ten, it is the brain's natural way of assessing the situation with a fight, flight, freeze or faun response.

Once young people understand the techniques they can use (quickly and efficiently) to bring themselves back to "okay," then they start to adapt and respond in more helpful ways.

This why mind and body strategies are so helpful and can be used throughout a young persons life once they know how; this will then translate to other areas of their life in the future when they face challenges. You just have to think how important these ways of calming the nervous system and being able to feel safe would help you as you were growing up.

Right now, most of my clients are young people navigating their way through very challenging learning environments and what is very clear is that giving a young person understanding, agency and clarity over why they may feel a certain way is like giving them they key to a brighter future.

30/12/2025

So how is everyone?
How was the festive season for you? I do hope it was filled with connection and time to rest and reflect..
My favourite bits so far... definitely time with my loved ones, the roasts, walks and Uno!
It allowed me to cherish the laughter and time off the hamster wheel.

But I do love my health and exercise, both mentally and physically; I love creating those menus for the week that will keep the kids and my partner and I on track and the practices I do that keep me regulated and mentally grounded.

It is this balance between exercise, meditation, sleep, self hypnosis, reading and recovery that makes me feel like I am really living my best life. And I will be bringing all that in to 2026.

What are your uplifting, "non negotiables" that you can bring in to the New Year?
This is the best time to reset and reflect.

If, however, you are finding that it is the things that got in the way in 2025, perhaps poor sleep, poor nutrition choices, feeling constantly low or run down, losing confidence - and these issues stop you from looking forward to 2026 - then you may consider a session of Hypnotherapy to give you clarity and motivation, or my 6 session course in reaching your healthy weight goals.
And if you want to reset your circadian rhythm and sleep well, learn all the right tools you need to maximise your sleep, reduce digestive issues, or increase your ability to relax deeply, then a couple of Reflexology or Natural Lift Facial Massage and Massage sessions may be just what you need.

I hope this post encourages you to reflect on your strengths and wins from 2025 and identify those areas you want to change.

With best wishes,

Sam

I am taking booking for January now if you need that boost ;0)

sam@ samanthakemptherpy.com
samanthakemptherapy.com

09/12/2025

My 10 week course in Mindfulness and Self Hypnosis for January 2026

Week 1 –
How to get out of Autopilot – The power of Breath work
The impact of emotions on our health
Body Scan

Week 2 -
Reactions to Stress
Body and Breath practices
Getting closer to self

Week 3 –
Mindful and psycho sensory techniques for emotional and physical pain
Relaxation – a deeper form

Week 4 -
The Emotional brain and Patterns of Reactivity to Stress
The Exhaustion Funnel

Week 5 –
Exploring Difficulty –
Accepting and Letting Be vs Aversion
Diffusing techniques

Week 6 –
Cultivating self-compassion –
The Human Givens Approach to finding your innate resources
Amplify a good feeling – how to enhance the good stuff

Week 7 –
Guided Visualisation
Master your goals and create a legacy statement

Week 8 –
Habit Reversals
Turn negative internal dialogue into positive
You have reached the Fork in road hypnosis

Week 9 –
The Tools
Your toolbox for deep relaxation and sleep success –
Relaxation for body and mind – your circadian cycle

Week 10 –
Weaving it all together
Wheel of awareness – connection, meditation, longevity and your stories
Body mastery – the library of mastery
Evaluation

I will be running this online and in person in small groups of 10-12. If you are interested, you can email me [email protected] or message here. My WhatsApp is 07806628364

I welcome all - if you are a couple, it is a great thing to do together, if you want to start over, if you feel stuck, need more energy, have lost your mojo, sleep is poor, digestion is stormy, feel angry, ache all the time, just can’t get motivated for anything, then this is a great way to start the year.

Make 2026 your year for self-discovery, growth and peace.

06/12/2025

Why meditate?
It reduces anxiety, increases your ability to focus, allows you to notice connection, moments of peace, brings awareness to the highlights of your day, draws you away from ruminating and self criticising, or gives you the tools and awareness to pause it - makes you realise that life is for living - being present with EVERYTHING - the good and the bad - as opposed to sailing through it on auto pilot - I am starting my 10 week Mindful Way classes in January, on line and in person.
The course will rebuild you, increase your ability to focus on exactly what you want for your future, reduce relapse into ruminating, make you aware of what makes you feel ALIVE , allow you to master the way you respond, rather than react, to events and give you self hypnosis and psycho sensory techniques to reframe your story.
[email protected]

06/12/2025

As we slide into Christmas, I would like to share with you a study that highlights the positive effects of mindfulness and meditation on worry, rumination and anxiety.

There are some who find Christmas quite stressful and challenging for various reasons, so there are tools we can use to aid or ease those disconcerting times.

The first, of course, is connection with others, checking in with others, talking to others who can listen - if this makes you think of someone immediately - call them or visit them. It is so valuable.

Then - there are simple mindfulness techniques that can help pull you out of rumination and bring you back to now.

One simple technique that I often use with clients is to do the box breath -
breathe in for a count of 4, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, hold for 4 - repeat 3 times - it is extremely beneficial to the nervous system and can help with sleep as well.
You do you - so if that means you breathe in for 3 instead, do that.

You can also do the 4, 5, 6 breath where you breathe in for 4, hold for 5, breathe out for 6 - if you make the out breath longer it calms the nervous system - but again, experiment with what works for you.

I will be running my 10 week Mindful Way classes in January, one will be held in the beautiful Cowdray Chapel at 11:30am and then I will either be holding the 2nd one at my therapy room in Liphook, or at a Hall within the Bordon, Petersfield, Liss area.
You can contact me here for the class you would prefer.
I will post shortly a course outline.

In the meantime, here is a study that goes into the positive effects of such practices that we will, indeed, be covering, as well as self hypnosis.

The present study examined the effects of mindfulness on depression and anxiety, both direct and indirect through the mediation of four mechanisms of emotional regulation: worry, rumination, reappraisal and suppression. Path analysis was applied to ...

30/11/2025

Why might you consider a 10 week meditation class.
"Ill tell you a story" a very vintage comedian once said -
When my children were very, very little, I started to struggle with overwhelm; I had a parent who was very challenging and confusing and my partner was working insane hours in the film industry, so I was on my own.
I loved being a mum and had struggled to conceive so felt incredibly blessed to finally hold them.
So why was I feeling so fragile, obsessive, panicky, under eating, over compensating, raging?
When you think you have it all in control by ticking every box, attempting to be perfect, being everything to everyone, you are actually isolating yourself because you are so caught up in your own "should"s and "must"s.
Then, gradually, there is this niggling feeling that others might be noticing - that your children give you a look as if to say "are you okay?" - whilst you are thinking you are being the best mum in the world (by whose standards?) you are actually outwardly revealing your distress by being busy, busy, busy, perfect, perfect, perfect.
There is nothing worse than seeing that look on another loved one's face saying, "i can see through it all - you are not okay."

Then I reflected, realised my meditation that I learned from my mum, when 8, had completely gone because I was too busy - I hit my head really hard one day and it scared me. And that was the moment I made the decision that I wasn't going to try and be perfect (in hypnotherapy, when a client says "I'll try" you think "oh oh.").

I got back in to mindfulness, trained with some excellent teachers and organisations and within a short space of time my son was also taking himself off to a corner for a few minutes and practising and my daughter was using her form of meditation in creative practices - although she would never say she was meditating!
I found my dad someone that I wanted to connect with, in a different way, because I got out of my head and could see his pain - it made all the difference.

If I felt rough I knew exactly what to do - there are so many amazing things you can do easily that fit into your day or evening.

So - have a think - what is it like for you now?
When you get up in the morning are you just on autopilot?
Does one day roll into the next and then the weekend seems to have gone?
Has the wine, food, gone from being a sensory, experience to being either just a pain and tiring to prepare or a stop gap for emotions you are trying to suppress?
Is sleep something that you cannot master?
Do you feel jumpy?
Angry all the time?
Hard done by?
Do you feel that everyone seems to have their sh** together and you don't?
Do you long to behave differently, be more confident, calm, flexible, energetic, healthy, optimistic?
Do you want to understand your body, have resources and the wisdom to know what to do in challenging situations?

That is why I have created this 10 week programme which includes mindfulness, guided visualisations, self hypnosis and audios but should also be a chance to reframe EVERYTHING for you - the benefits of mediation are many, including longevity, decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, decreases in anxiety and better sleep quality.

I want to do these classes at times that work for giving you the best week; that may be a Sunday, Monday or Thursday -
Monday to instil a beautiful frame over the week, Sunday to allow you to look forward to the week ahead, Thursday to bring in the weekend and give you (depending on your schedule) the space to restore, reflect and look after yourself.

I am talking to a few venues but if you can let me know the day that suits you and the times (morning or afternoon or evening)...

Life is stressful, but sometimes we may need to just reframe how we are reacting to it.