ZB Therapy

14/11/2025

Helping children talk about their feelings using creative activities can be a great way to get them to open up in their therapy sessions.

Talking about anger whilst using mood cards we might discover underlying feelings of sad, worried, scared, stressed, frustrated, helpless. This can really help build emotional vocabulary, improve communication and help a child understand themselves.

13/11/2025

Using creative tools and play to explore emotions can be a great way to build trust and safety with children in therapy.

This toy house is always popular in the therapy room with its lockable doors and doorbell sounds, outgrown by my own children but a new lease of life now as a therapy resource.

10/11/2025

Supporting a child through a meltdown is not just about what we say or do.
It’s also about what is happening inside us.

Our nervous system responds to their overwhelm.
Their panic can trigger our panic.
Their intensity can activate our urgency.
Their distress can stir our own history of not feeling safe.

So before we can co-regulate a young person, we often need to regulate ourselves.
Not perfectly — just enough to stay steady.

This post shares supportive ways to stay regulated as the adult, so that we can be the grounding presence a child’s nervous system is reaching for in the storm.

Because when we are calm, predictable, and connected — the child feels safe enough to return to calm too.

If you’d like a deeper breakdown of every phase of the meltdown cycle — and how to respond at each stage without shame, fear, or urgency — you’ll find the full Timeline of a Meltdown resource via link in comments below ⬇️ or via Linktree Shop in Bio.

Save this post to return to when you need it

10/11/2025

Happy Monday!

This made me laugh ☔ but I can also remember being a certain age and not wanting to wear a coat 🙈 now I can't be wrapped up enough 😂

06/11/2025

If you're experiencing violence from your child or teen, you're not alone and support is available. Our advice provides guidance in an appropriate way to help keep you safe, find further support and get help for your child or teenager ow.ly/r4av50UJZjO

06/11/2025

"Mummy, can I get this teddy?" 🙈

I did say no but maybe it's one for the Christmas list.. 🤔 🎅

Anyone else say no when they wonder where on earth these giant teddies will live but also feel torn with knowing our kiddos don't stay small forever?

Maybe this is the answer to a therapy 'dog?' 😂 🐶

05/11/2025

Prep for a group wellbeing session this afternoon and this seems very fitting after prioritising my own physical and mental wellbeing today, and it works, I do feel less stressed👌

05/11/2025

https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/1232672

Zoe Brown - Children & Young People Zoe Brown (ZB Therapy), Counsellor, Peterborough, PE4, 01733 964947, Is your child or teen struggling with their mental health? Are they anxious, angry, low in mood, angry or withdrawn? As a parent I know it's hard seeing your child struggle and I understand the c...

05/11/2025

Happy Wednesday. Feeling a little tired this morning, lots to do but trying to prioritise myself for an hour by going to the gym.

So easy not to, to stay home and catch up with the other things on my to do list that feel more important but I know I'll feel better once I've done it, and hopefully more energised too. Something I recommend to some of my clients is exercise, movement and physical activity as it's proven to boost mood and energy so I'm going to practice what I preach!

What are you doing to prioritise yourself today?

05/11/2025

Understanding how your child's brain works is a key part of being able to help them learn to regulate their emotions and behaviours.

The amygdala acts like an internal smoke alarm, alerting us to danger or threat. When triggered it can send us into a state of panic, put us on high alert and make it hard for us to think and behave logically.

Now imagine being a child and feeling so overwhelmed with emotions, panic or fear but someone is demanding that you calm down, be quiet, stop crying and get on with your work...

The Contented Child, Child Wellbeing Consultancy

A Child’s Voice: When My Amygdala is Triggered

Sometimes my brain reacts before I can think. My body goes into protection mode — fast heartbeat, tight tummy, shaky hands. It’s not me being naughty — it’s my amygdala sounding the alarm.

Helping a child understand what’s happening in their brain is the first step to calming the storm.

Teen version also published.

Explore practical tools and scripts to support emotional regulation in our Managing Big Feelings Toolkit — link in comments below ⬇️ / Linktree Shop in bio.

04/11/2025

So much helpful content on the The Contented Child, Child Wellbeing Consultancy page for parents.

Curious Conversations: Gonadarche for Boys (ages 9–14)

The first in our new series - Curious Conversations - supporting you to have those tricky chats with your young people.

This stage often sneaks up quietly — changes in hormones long before visible puberty signs appear. Boys may not have the words for what’s happening inside, but you might notice more irritability, sensitivity, or emotional ups and downs.

These shifts aren’t just physical — they’re emotional too. Supporting boys through gonadarche means helping them understand what’s happening in their bodies and their feelings.

Our Managing Big Feelings Toolkit offers simple ways to help young people name, regulate, and express emotions safely during this big transition.

Explore it via the link in comments or our Linktree Shop in bio.

FOLLOW for the female version later today.