TRK Coach Emily

Home
United Kingdom
Chester
TRK Coach Emily

Do you need support for your child? I help children aged 4–18 and their families build confidence and emotional resilience.

My warm, practical approach gives children and parents simple strategies they can use at home, school and beyond.

07/03/2026

This week, I’ve been posting about how we support children and teenagers who are navigating anxiety, and exploring what that looks and feels like for them during our sessions.

Anxiety is one of the most common challenges young people are experiencing right now. It can appear in so many different ways—worries about school or friendships, difficulty coping with changes, or feeling overwhelmed by things that might seem small from the outside but feel huge to them on the inside.

In our sessions, we gently unpack what anxiety feels like for the child, help them understand what’s happening in their body and mind, and begin building practical tools that help them feel calmer, more confident, and more in control.

Although anxiety is something many families are seeking support for at the moment, it’s far from the only area I work with. I also support children and teens with:

Emotional regulation

Managing anger or big feelings

Building confidence and self-esteem

Friendship challenges

Navigating worries or difficulties at school

You also don’t need to have a specific concern or a clearly defined “problem” to reach out. Sometimes, as a parent, you sense that something isn’t quite right, or that your child or teenager might benefit from having someone neutral to talk to outside of home or school.

Supporting your child means supporting you as a parent too. I frequently work alongside families, helping parents understand what their child is experiencing and how best to support them.

Every young person is different, and sessions are always tailored to their needs. Some come for short-term support around a particular issue, while others benefit from having a regular space to talk, reflect, and process things at their own pace.

If any of this resonates and you feel your child or teenager might benefit from talking to someone, you’re welcome to get in touch to learn more about how sessions work.

04/03/2026

So far we’ve been talking about how sessions work with primary-aged children, but how does this differ when working with teens?

The first session is still very much about getting to know each other and helping the young person feel comfortable. We usually begin with a game — Dobble remains a favourite with many teens — or we might choose something that links to the young person’s interests.

From there, we begin to explore their journey so far. This helps them start to recognise both their strengths and the challenges they may have faced.

With teenagers, we also look at the brain in more depth and in a more age-appropriate way. Adolescence is a time of significant brain development, so understanding what’s happening can be really empowering. We explore stress responses — fight, flight, freeze and fawn — and how these can show up in everyday life. This part may take several sessions, as building a clear understanding is important.

All sessions follow a predictable structure. This consistency can be particularly supportive for teens who are neurodiverse or who show neurodiverse tendencies, helping them to feel more relaxed and comfortable within the sessions.

However, there are times when a young person arrives with something they really need to talk about. They might come to the session feeling dysregulated, or they may be having a day where they need to do the opposite of what I had planned — and that’s okay. The most important thing is that they feel heard and supported. We always say that we meet the young person where they’re at.

03/03/2026

Following on from yesterday’s post about the first few sessions, I thought I’d share a little about what happens next.

One of the first things I do is arrange a parent call. This is a chance for us to catch up on what we’ve been working on, what’s going well, how parents feel things are progressing, and to talk through what I’ll be focusing on in upcoming sessions.

For primary school children, we use characters and storytelling. Research shows that stories help children learn, grow and build resilience. Abstract ideas such as thoughts, feelings, and behaviours can be difficult for children to grasp, but through storytelling, these concepts become easier to understand because they are personified. Stories also help children step into someone else’s shoes and see situations from a different perspective.

We also introduce the idea of being a “worry detective”. Together, we explore worries and learn that not every worry needs our attention. We look at physical sensations in the body, common thought patterns, and unhelpful thinking styles.

In each session, I teach several practical tools that children can use at home and at school. These include things like “hot chocolate breathing” and subtle techniques such as finger holding, which children can use quietly under the desk if they start to feel overwhelmed.

The aim is to give children simple, practical strategies they can use in everyday situations so they begin to feel more confident in understanding and managing their worries.

02/03/2026

I thought I would let you know what happens in the first few sessions I do with a primary-age child who comes to see me about anxiety.

The very first session is all about getting to know each other and helping them feel comfortable.

We always start with a game, usually Dobble (and anyone whose child works with me will happily confirm that I am absolutely terrible at it). But that’s the point, it breaks the ice, helps us laugh together, and shows that sessions don’t have to feel scary or serious all the time.

From there, we spend the session getting to know each other in a relaxed, pressure-free way. We might draw, build things, or play with magnets — whatever helps the young person feel safe enough to be themselves.

Depending on age, we then spend a little time looking at the brain and how it helps keep us safe. We draw on our hands (or use stickers if sensory needs make drawing uncomfortable) to represent a guard dog, a wise old owl, and a hippo — simple, child-friendly ways to understand what’s going on inside our minds and bodies.

We also talk about the “super fuels” that get released in our bodies when we move into fight, flight, freeze, or fawn, and how anxiety can show up physically, from fast hearts and wobbly tummies to tense muscles and busy thoughts. Helping young people understand these responses can make them feel much less scary.

There’s no rush to talk about big feelings straight away. The first sessions are about connection, trust, and making the space feel calm and welcoming. When that foundation is there, the real work can begin at the young person’s pace.

28/02/2026

Still smiling after last night. We were so proud to win the Heart of the Community award at Womanifest, and it honestly meant so much.

Today it’s back to reality with a full day of training and writing lessons to deliver to schools. Feeling tired but very grateful, and lucky to do what we do with such an amazing team 💜

25/02/2026

Children need to know they are worthy, not because of grades, achievements, or how “well behaved” they are, but simply because they exist.

Self-worth starts in the small moments: being listened to, feeling safe to make mistakes, hearing “I’m proud of you” for effort, not just results. The words we use today become the voice they carry inside tomorrow.

Let’s remind our children that they don’t have to be perfect to be loved. They are enough exactly as they are, growing, learning, and finding their way.

When we build their confidence, kindness, and belief in themselves, we’re giving them something that lasts far beyond childhood 🤍

22/02/2026

If your feed is anything like mine, it’ll be full of posts saying half term has felt about 20 million days long… and for some of you, that will be exactly how it’s felt. The snacks, the mess, the constant noise, the juggling — it’s been a lot. If that’s you, you’re nearly there.

But for others, half-term has felt like a deep breath. A pause. A week without the morning battles, the tummy aches, the tears, the “I can’t do it.” A week where everyone got to just be for a little while.

And if that’s you, Sunday afternoons can feel heavy. That quiet anxiety is creeping back in as uniforms appear, bags get packed, and Monday starts edging closer. That mix of relief and worry all at once.

So if the return-to-school dread is sitting with you today, here are a few gentle things to try:

Keep today soft, slow things down and let calm be enough.

Prep a few small things tonight. not to be perfect, just to make tomorrow feel a little lighter.

Let feelings be feelings, yours and theirs. They don’t need fixing, just understanding.

Find one tiny thing to look forward to: a smile at the gate, a favourite snack, a familiar face.

Hold your boundaries gently, but confidently, children borrow our calm when they can’t find their own.

And please remember: you matter in this, too. You are not failing because this feels hard.

However this half term has been for you, long, short, chaotic, calm, healing, exhausting, tomorrow doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be one small step forward.

19/02/2026

Thank you so much for the follow, and welcome!

I’m really glad you’re here. If there’s anything specific I can help you with, please feel free to send me a message anytime. I’d love to hear from you ☺️

17/02/2026

I've just reached 300 followers! Thank you for continuing support. I could never have made it without each and every one of you. 🙏🤗🎉

16/02/2026

“I don’t know how to help!”
“I want to make it all better for …”

These are things that parents say to me all the time (I say them too). Supporting your child with anxiety isn’t easy. This Thursday, 19th February, please join us at 7pm for a parent workshop. If you have a specific question/issue then you message us before hand and we can answer it anonymously.

If you are a family that we are currently working with then remember there is no cost to this.

We would love you to join us.

Address

Chester

Website

https://www.theresilientacademy.co.uk/emily, https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-parker-83b09b33b/, https://www.instagram.

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when TRK Coach Emily posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to TRK Coach Emily:

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Chester?