Child Therapy Toolbox

Child Therapy Toolbox Clinical Psychologist Lauren Snailham & Delyce Knowles have created therapeutic tools to teach and empower children to identify and express their emotions.

Children often find it difficult to identify and express their emotions so when they experience uncomfortable feelings they tend to act out or internalise them. Not knowing how to express their emotions appropriately can lead to consequences such as: bullying, aggression, hyperactivity, learning problems, soiling, bed-wetting, anxiety, obsessions, sleep problems, nightmares, eating problems, withdrawal and depression. Child Therapy Toolbox provides tools that can be used to by therapists, teachers and parents to educate, empower and help children begin to heal. The products have all been tried and tested in therapy, in the classroom and by parents. Individually and in group settings. Products include: therapeutic story books,
charts, games, puppets, puzzles and much more. All created to help children identify emotions, learn appropriate ways of expressing them and to address some difficult issues they may be facing in a non-threatening and playful way. We also run workshops for parents and educators on a variety of relevant topics. Please see www.therapeuticstories for more information and to view our products.

28/01/2026

Co-Regulation Practices for Parents 🧘🌸

Heres the first one: The Power of Presence

When children are overwhelmed, their nervous system is not able to calm itself yet.

This is where co-regulation matters.

Research in developmental neuroscience and attachment theory shows that children regulate through the presence of a calm adult before they can regulate on their own. A steady, regulated caregiver helps bring a child’s nervous system out of fight, flight, or freeze and back into safety.

You don’t need to fix, explain, or problem-solve in these moments.
Your calm body, slow breathing, and quiet presence send a powerful message of safety.

Over time, these repeated moments of co-regulation help children:
• feel safer in their emotions
• recover from distress more quickly
• build their own capacity for self-regulation

Co-regulation is not a weakness.
It is the foundation for emotional resilience.

coregulation




The Overloaded Child 😩Why Kids Are Struggling More Than Ever - and What Actually HelpsChildren today are growing up in a...
27/01/2026

The Overloaded Child 😩

Why Kids Are Struggling More Than Ever - and What Actually Helps

Children today are growing up in a world that places increasing emotional, cognitive, sensory, and social demands on them. Many of the behaviours we are seeing - meltdowns, anxiety, withdrawal, defiance, or emotional exhaustion - are not signs of poor behaviour or poor coping, but signs of overload.

This workshop will help parents and teachers better understand what children may be carrying beneath the surface, and how we can support them in ways that are realistic, compassionate, and effective.

In this workshop, we will explore:

• Why many children are struggling more than ever
• The different types of overload children experience
• How overload shows up in behaviour, emotions, and learning
• Why traditional strategies often stop working
• Practical ways to reduce stress and support regulation at home and at school.

This workshop is suitable for parents and teachers of children from early childhood through to the teenage years.

Date: 25 Februaury 2026
Time: 7pm - 8:30pm
Cost: R200 pp

If you’d like to attend email laurensnailham@yahoo.com

Working therapeutically with children and adolescents invites us not only to support growth and healing in others, but a...
26/01/2026

Working therapeutically with children and adolescents invites us not only to support growth and healing in others, but also to remain attuned, regulated, and grounded ourselves. Nature-based therapy offers a powerful way to do both.

I warmly invite you to join me for a Nature-Based Therapy Workshop with Children & Teens, designed for psychologists working with children and adolescents, including registered psychologists, intern psychologists, and community service psychologists.

Nature-based therapy draws on growing research highlighting the role of natural environments in nervous system regulation, emotional processing, attention, and restoration. Time spent in nature has been shown to reduce stress, support self-regulation, enhance emotional awareness, and foster a deeper sense of connection - benefits that extend to both clients and therapists.

This workshop explores how the natural environment can be thoughtfully and ethically integrated into therapeutic work with children and teens. Nature becomes more than a setting; it becomes a co-therapist - offering opportunities for symbolic play, sensory regulation, embodied exploration, reflection, and meaning-making.

Beyond its therapeutic value for clients, many practitioners find nature-based work deeply nourishing for themselves. Being outdoors invites us to slow down, reconnect with our own bodies and rhythms, and experience restoration alongside the children and adolescents we support.

Workshop Details

Online Workshop

Date: 27th of February, 2026

Time: 8:00 am – 3:30 pm.

Cost: R1100 pp

Presented by Lauren Snailham – Clinical Psychologist

HPCSA ACCREDITED for 6 CPD points

To register, please email laurensnailham@yahoo.com

LEGO™ Therapy Workshop for Psychologists working with Children & Teens 🧱✨ONLINE WORKSHOPAs psychologists working with ch...
17/01/2026

LEGO™ Therapy Workshop for Psychologists working with Children & Teens 🧱✨

ONLINE WORKSHOP

As psychologists working with children and adolescents, we are always growing our therapeutic resources and finding new ways to engage young people meaningfully in the therapy space.

This LEGO™ Therapy Workshop offers a creative and practical addition to your therapeutic toolbox - particularly valuable for children and teens who thrive on building, constructing, and creating, rather than more traditional expressive modalities like drawing or clay.

LEGO™ Therapy is not a stand-alone intervention, but an adaptable resource that can be integrated into your existing play therapy or therapeutic framework, offering new opportunities for engagement, collaboration, problem-solving, and expression.

🗓 20th of March, 2026
⏰ 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m (SAST)
💰 R1000
👩‍⚕️ Presented by Lauren Snailham – Clinical Psychologist

📧 To register: laurensnailham@yahoo.com

LEGO™ is a trademark of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize, or endorse this workshop.

04/12/2025

🎄Holidays bring extra magic… and extra meltdowns.

Long days, excitement, and routine changes can make regulation harder for little nervous systems.

So this is the perfect time to practice tiny in-the-moment calming strategies - for you and your child.

With practice, these moments of co-regulation become second nature and deepen your connection in the process.











25/11/2025

🌟 Ubomi 🌟

“Ubomi” means life - in a beautiful African language.

The name reflects everything this game is about: growth, connection, emotional development, and bringing life into learning and play.

Ubomi is our proudly South African-made twist on the classic block-stacking concept (think Jenga… but with meaning!).

Each wooden block has a question or instruction on the front and back - turning simple play into a powerful emotional and relational tool.

✨ What’s inside Ubomi?

Each block invites children (and adults!) to:
💛 Explore emotions and where they’re felt in the body
💛 Learn what to do with big feelings
💛 Strengthen social skills
💛 Identify strengths and positive characteristics
💛 Explore family relationships
💛 AND enjoy joyful prompts like “Snort like a pig,” “Bark like a dog,” and “Jump up and down 5 times!”

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or therapist, the Ubomi Game creates space for insight, laughter, bonding, and emotional learning.

🎁 Makes an amazing Christmas gift
🏡 Perfect for home
🏫 Loved in classrooms
🪴 Essential in therapy rooms
🌍 Proudly South African-made

You can get your Ubomi now on our website! See link in comments below 😊

🌟 Why Affirmation Cards Matter for Children 🌟Children often feel their strengths long before they can name them. Affirma...
21/11/2025

🌟 Why Affirmation Cards Matter for Children 🌟

Children often feel their strengths long before they can name them. Affirmation Cards give them the language to recognise who they are - and who they’re becoming.

✨ Why Affirmations Work

🧠 Build self-belief: Repeating positive, accurate statements strengthens neural pathways that support confidence and resilience.

💬 Give children words for their strengths: Kids often don’t have the vocabulary for qualities like being caring, patient, observant, or thoughtful. Cards help them identify these traits in themselves.

💛 Support emotional regulation: When a child believes “I can do hard things,” “I am capable,” they are more able to calm themselves and try again.

👂 Strengthen connection: When parents reflect strengths back to a child, it builds secure self-worth and a deeper sense of being seen.

💡 How Parents & Teachers Can Use Them

• Let children choose a card that “feels like them.”
• Pick one for them and share why you see that strength.
• Use a card after a challenge to help them reframe the experience.
• Include them in morning routines, check-ins, or therapy sessions.

You can find some Affirmation Cards on our website www.childtherapytoolbox.co.za 🌈🌸🌱

🌱 Why Do Children Tell Lies?Before we rush to punish or shame a child for lying, it can help to slow down and ask why th...
21/11/2025

🌱 Why Do Children Tell Lies?

Before we rush to punish or shame a child for lying, it can help to slow down and ask why the lie might be happening. Children don’t lie because they’re “bad” - they lie because they are human and learning.
Here are some common reasons:

🐢 To avoid getting into trouble
When children feel afraid of a reaction, they may lie to protect themselves. Lying can be a shield when they fear punishment, disappointment, or anger.

🧸 To protect someone else’s feelings
Children who care deeply may lie to avoid hurting someone they love. It can be a sign of empathy still taking shape.

💡 Imagination and storytelling
Young children often blend reality and fantasy. Their “lies” might actually be creativity or wishful thinking, not intentional deception.

❤️ To get connection or attention
Sometimes children lie to feel noticed, valued, or included. It may be a sign of a deeper emotional need.

🧊 Shame or low self-worth
A child who lies might be carrying a fear of not being “good enough.” They might be trying to appear more capable, confident, or clever than they currently feel.

⚡️ Impulsivity
Some children speak before they think-especially those who struggle with self-regulation. The lie comes out fast, and the regret comes later.

🌼 Instead of asking:

“Why is my child lying?”

Try asking:
“What might my child be needing or feeling that led to this lie?”

Then we can guide them toward honesty with:
🧩 safety
🧩 curiosity
🧩 compassion
🧩 skill-building

Because honesty grows best in a relationship where it is safe to tell the truth.

















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