Create Calm Learning

I learnt about trauma, the nervous system and the implications of having a dysregulated system. I also learnt the value and importance of a caring, attuned person listening carefully. I have worked as an academic tutor online for over two years though I have long known I wanted to combine my knowledge and experience of teaching and counselling for the benefit of children and young people. Through my own personal experiences of trauma, anxiety, stress, burnout and a late-life autism diagnosis I have researched and sought out ways to help myself. I truly believe first-hand, personal experience - with reflection and integrated understanding - is the best place to teach and guide others from. So what have I learnt? Research has shown that students cannot learn or function properly when their nervous system is in a state of heightened arousal (or dysregulated). Regulation is the foundation of all learning, relationships and well-being. I have discovered many ways to emotionally regulate my brain and body to quickly return to a state of calm. I have undertaken training to teach regulation skills to children and young people. I have learnt that having an attuned, empathic and regulated adult actively listen with care can calm an anxious or stressed person. What do I do? I work with parents and children to understand any barriers to learning, whether it be anxiety, stress, overwhelm, sensory issues, neuro-diversity, friendship challenges or other emotional distress that can create nervous system dysregulation. I listen carefully and create a plan to help. This may be through regulation exercises, psycho-education around the nervous system, teaching emotional literacy, getting creative together, or simply reflective listening. The aim is to establish a sense of calm, ease and confidence in learning. We use a range of tools including: breathing techniques, movement, mindfulness exercises, emotional literacy and vocabulary, stories & imagery. I also offer academic sessions to support with school work for KS1 & KS2.


* All sessions are password protected on Zoom with the additional use of bitpaper software for educational, creative and therapeutic purposes.

* An optional choice of Zoom filters & backgrounds can be applied to create a sense of ease and enjoyment.

* Sessions usually work best when the student can disclose and share in confidence.

* Sessions include feedback/ general progress updates, though I do not disclose the content of confidential conversations that occur in the sessions with students. You and/or your child have the right to:

• expect a quality service that meets your expectations
• expect all personal information to be held in confidence
• expect to be treated with respect and sensitivity
• be told if I cannot, or do not feel I can, provide you with the support you are looking for
• be told if your child is not making progress after a reasonable amount of time
• give feedback if you are not happy about something, and to have that feedback taken seriously
• cancel an appointment up to 24 hours before schedule
• rearrange an appointment up to 24 hours before schedule

Your Responsibilities

You and/or your child have the responsibility to:
• book a session at least 24 hours in advance so I can prepare your session well
• pay for your session 24 hours in advance of the session – unpaid sessions will not be held
• provide any necessary information that is needed to prepare a quality session (academic or emotional)
• be on time – sessions which start late will still end at the planned finish time


* Important:
These sessions are not counselling sessions. I support children to learn how to calm their nervous system. All sessions are confidential except in the case where students may express the threat of harm to themselves or others. If I feel that the support you need is out of my scope I will help to redirect you to a suitable child counselling service. While I provide emotional and well-being support, I am not a registered child counsellor. I have a diploma in psycho-therapeutic counselling for adults and over 11 years' classroom experience with children. I have undertaken trainings to support children with anxiety and self-regulation challenges, and continue to undertake relevant CPD to ensure I stay current and aware of developments in the field.