The Gentle Counsellor

26/12/2025

20/12/2025

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Friendly holiday reminder 👀

These five things are not invited for the rest of 2025, and honestly, we’re better off without them all year round. 👏🫢

Follow for gentle reminders around food, body image, and ditching diet culture this holiday season and beyond ✨

05/12/2025

Time Outs may not be working the way we think they are.

When your child is having a meltdown, their brain is only focused on finding safety - not learning lessons. They can't access wisdom or logic in those big emotional moments because that part of their brain simply isn't developed yet.

Here's what we're learning: children don't learn to self-soothe alone. They learn to regulate WITH you, through your calm presence and connection.

We call this "Time In," a relationship-based approach that builds security while still providing structure.

Read the full blog to discover this brain-based alternative: https://zurl.co/rsM4E

17/11/2025

Sending much compassion to those who know this pain. 💔💔
New retreat details @ linktr.ee/natepost
I’m glad you’re here! 🫶✨💞

13/11/2025

😂

09/11/2025

28/10/2025

Lean how secure attachment develops with responsive presence and reflection, not perfect technique.

23/10/2025

Every single thing…..

New episode of “A Little Less Lonely” is up! Check linktr.ee/natepost for links….

I’m so glad you’re here! 🫶💞✨

08/10/2025

Every 👏 day 👏

The good days.
The hard days.
The days of smiles.
The days of tears.

When you have both everything AND nothing left to give, remember that what they need is for YOU to love them.

Love your child at every age, whether they are 2 or 15 or 37 or 55!

You don’t age out of parenthood.

16/09/2025

🥴

11/09/2025

Here is how you can help create safe environments...
🏡 At Home: build connections, encourage open communication, teach body safety and consent, use respectful discipline, celebrate individuality.
🎒 At School or Childcare: promote kindness and inclusion, have clear safety policies, provide trusted adults, listen to concerns, create a sense of belonging.
🤝 In the Community: be a protective bystander, support youth programs, speak up about unsafe behaviour, model respect and boundaries.

🌍 Globally: Currently there are real, urgent threats that children face worldwide, including violence, conflict, and unsafe environments created by adults.
- Gun violence (school shootings in the US)
- Genocides and War (Palestine, Congo, Sudan)
- Unequal enforcement of child protection laws and rights
- International agreements like the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) aim to protect children, but not all governments uphold these equally

💛 What are some of your favourite children's books that speak on bigger topics? One of ours is 'Finding Our Heart: A Story about the Uluru Statement for Young Australians' by Thomas Mayo, illustrated by Blak Douglas.

At The Gentle Counsellor, I work with parents and families from a trauma-informed perspective, supporting them to break cycles, strengthen relationships, and create safety at home. My children’s books — Tricky People and the My Body series — are gentle, practical tools to start conversations about body safety, consent, and tricky situations. 📚

10/09/2025

💛 Keep Children Safe with 10 Practical Steps

1 Teach Body Autonomy – Children have the right to say “no” to unwanted touch. Model consent and praise boundary-setting.

2 Talk About Tricky People – Unsafe people aren’t always strangers. Teach children to trust instincts and talk to safe adults.

3 Make Conversations Normal – Ask open-ended questions, validate feelings, and check in regularly.

4 Address Online Safety Early – Keep devices in shared spaces, discuss privacy, and monitor online risks.

5 Build Emotional Literacy & Safety Skills – Help children identify and express feelings, solve problems, and recognise safe vs unsafe situations.

6 Establish Trusted Support Systems – Ensure children know multiple safe adults and create family safety plans.

7 Model Respectful Relationships – Demonstrate kindness, respect, and healthy boundaries in your own interactions.

8 Empower Children to Speak Up – Reinforce that their voice matters, validate their courage, and teach it’s ok to ask for help.

9 Engage in Global Awareness & Activism – Teach empathy for children worldwide. Discuss conflicts, war, or crises age-appropriately, and model ways to support humanitarian efforts.

10 Understand and Influence Systems – Stay informed about child protection laws and policies, advocate for safer systems, and teach older children the importance of civic engagement.

Children thrive when they feel safe, respected, and protected at home, at school, in the community, and globally.

At The Gentle Counsellor, I support families with trauma-informed counselling and offer resources like my children's books Tricky People and the My Body series, which are great tools to start conversations about body safety, consent, and tricky situations.