Creative Space Art Therapies

16/01/2026

Don’t mistake your ADHD strengths for symptoms! They are unique traits and abilities that make you more creative, spontaneous, caring, and energetic than anyone you know. Here are a few of our favorites benefits of ADHD.

Image Australia ❤️

16/01/2026

Tantrums are goal-oriented outbursts (wanting something/avoiding something) where the child has some control, often stopping if they get their way, while meltdowns are involuntary, overwhelming responses to sensory or emotional overload, beyond the child's control, requiring safety and calm regulation, not negotiation. The key difference is intention: tantrums are a tool, meltdowns are a shutdown.

Image Caudwell Children ❤️

13/01/2026

We had a lovely time yesterday at the Cheltenham Community Centre creating vision boards that helped us set our intentions for the new year!

Some words about the process included:

⭐️ Meditative

⭐️ Relaxing

⭐️ Fun

⭐️ Makes you focus on what’s important

⭐️ Helps to find clarity when setting intentions


Thank you to everyone who participated and stay tuned for other workshops offered at the Cheltenham Community Centre in the coming months 💖

13/01/2026

A Child’s Voice – After School, I Need You to Know
The Child Who Masks

Earlier today I shared the swan model.

The one that looks calm on the surface, gliding through the school day — while underneath, it’s paddling fast just to stay afloat.

This is that same child, speaking now.

When I come out of school, I’m not being “dramatic”.
I’m not suddenly difficult.
I’m not undoing all the good behaviour you were told about.

I’ve been holding it together all day.

I’ve pushed feelings down so I didn’t stand out.
I’ve copied others so I could fit in.
I’ve kept my stims small and hidden.
I’ve smiled when I didn’t feel OK.
I’ve tried to remember every rule so no one got cross.
I’ve ignored what felt too loud, too bright, too much.

And by the time I reach you, there’s nothing left in the tank.

What looks like defiance, tears, shutdown, or anger after school is often exhaustion from masking.

If this feels familiar, you’re not alone — and neither is your child.

To SAVE, click on the image, tap the three dots, and choose Save.
If you’d like the boy version, comment BOY below.

My Masking Toolkit supports parents and educators to understand masking, recognise the hidden load, and reduce the pressure children carry just to be accepted. Link in comments below ⬇️ or via Linktree Shop in Bio.

09/12/2025

Dive deep into the incredible connection between core muscle exercises and their impact on learning challenges. https://ilslearningcorner.com/2015-11-why-these-core-muscle-exercises-help-prevent-learning-challenges-in-the-classroom/

09/12/2025

If your child or student always says huh? or what?, it’s not their hearing…

Kids who often need instructions given to them multiple times, or those that appear to not be listening, typically don’t have hearing problems.

If the child often asks “huh?” or “what?”, it could be an Auditory Processing problem.

You may begin to notice the signs as the child gets older when the teacher says the child struggles to complete homework, tasks and consistently asks what they should be doing.

Other signs may include the following:

👂🏻Doesn’t like to read or to be read to
👂🏻Understands written language rather than spoken language
👂🏻Hears, but doesn’t listen
​​👂🏻Struggles to follow conversations

It’s easy to feel like you are being ignored. However, the child is usually not ignoring on purpose, but is rather having trouble following directions through their auditory system.

For more signs and symptoms that come with an auditory delay and how to recognize it in your child, follow the link here:

https://ilslearningcorner.com/2015-08-auditory-processing-the-secret-behind-why-your-child-may-not-follow-instructions/

09/12/2025

Between ages six and nine, something subtle but powerful begins to shift.
Emotions grow stronger. Friendships feel deeper. Reactions get bigger.
It’s not attitude — it’s adrenarche, the brain and body’s quiet rehearsal for puberty.

Children at this stage are learning to ride emotional waves that feel new and intense, without yet having the brain maturity to manage them smoothly.
They need calm guidance, not correction.
Understanding, not shame.

Explore Managing Big Feelings: The Toolkit for Parents & Educators — practical, brain-based support to help children navigate the emotions of these in-between years. Link in comments ⬇️ or via Linktree Shop in Bio.

23/09/2025

💖

When a child feels seen, their behavior shifts — not out of fear, but out of trust. 💛

They begin to regulate, connect, and try again… not because they’re scared of consequences, but because they feel safe enough to grow.

That’s the power of being truly present.

23/09/2025

🧠Executive function refers to a set of cognitive processes that help us manage and regulate our thoughts, actions, and emotions to achieve goals. These processes include skills such as working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control.

🤸🏽Vestibular input, on the other hand, involves the sensory information related to balance and spatial orientation, primarily managed by the inner ear and brain. It plays a crucial role in our ability to move, balance, and maintain posture.

↔️The connection between executive function and vestibular input is significant, especially in children. Proper vestibular input can support the development of executive function skills by promoting body awareness, spatial orientation, and overall sensory processing.

Activities that provide vestibular stimulation, like swinging, spinning, or balancing, can enhance attention, focus, and the ability to regulate emotions, all of which are critical components of executive function.

Incorporating vestibular activities into daily routines can therefore be beneficial for children and individuals who need to strengthen their executive function skills. This is particularly useful in therapeutic settings, where targeted vestibular input can help improve cognitive and emotional regulation.

https://www.theottoolbox.com/vestibular-activities/

22/09/2025

The ‘Magic’ of Art Therapy – Psychology Today Article by Jennifer Gerlach LCSW

I came across this article recently that I thought was important to share. The article outlines the benefits of art therapy and the ‘magic’ that comes from the creative processes that provide insight and healing for the client.

The author interviews a qualified Art Therapist who describes their role and specifically how art making is used in Art therapy sessions compared with psychologists and counsellors who may use art as a modality to support traditional talk therapy.

I think this is a really important distinction to make and the article outlines this extremely well. Art Therapists do have a distinct role, and their skills are founded in specific training to develop their understanding of the connection between art and psychology and how it is specifically used for emotional processing and healing.

Please click the link below to read the article.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/beyond-mental-health/202506/the-magic-of-art-therapy

Warm wishes
Tanya 🌼

An interview with art therapist Marina Doering.

20/09/2025

Agreed!!

Words Worth Holding Onto is a gentle collection of quotes, reminders and affirmations for children and young people navigating big feelings. Sometimes, the right words at the right time can make all the difference.

NEWLY AVAILABLE to accompany our series on the topic. Only £3.25 until 7 October 2025.
Misunderstood Defiance: the Vulnerable Child Toolkit for Parents & Educators
Electronic download in comments.

20/09/2025

Beautiful 💖