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Hello!
Emotional literacy (EL) and stages of development are the main focus of my work. Through this work we are able to create solid foundations on which to build our lives and learn to problem solve in even the most difficult circumstances.
In my work I use an Emotional Literacy Floor Sheet which allows clients to walk and learn the process of EL. It is surprising how quickly this process can be incorporated into our everyday lives.
Each stage of our early development has tasks which need to be achieved in order to stabilise and complete that stage ready for the next one. We need the stages to be as solid as possible as these are the foundation blocks on which we build our lives.
Sometimes there are recognised deficits in a stage due to unforeseen circumstances during our development but stages can be revisited so that gaps can be filled. This can happen through a variety of chosen activities and then healing begins.
Throughout the course of our lifetime it is natural for us, unprompted and unplanned, to revisit themes and issues of earlier stages giving us new opportunities to grow through them. This natural growth generally happens without determined effort and can occur in a quite sophisticated way.
We can heal the past and leave it in its rightful place – the past. Here it will provide a solid base on which we can build our future lives.
Emotional literacy is the ability to recognise and understand our emotions and be able to manage and regulate them. Managing our emotions teaches us how and when to express them and how to do so in an appropriate manner.
It is also the ability to recognise other people’s emotions and to respond to them with sensitivity and respect. It is about developing empathy and learning how to be kind to ourselves.
Emotional literacy is essential for our personal development but even more importantly for our mental wellbeing.
When we aren’t emotionally literate a dimension of our life is missing. Feelings are energy so we need to use them – they motivate us.
While I love my work I do make time to relax. That’s when I can be found with my head in a book or, when the opportunity arises, fell walking – as ever, trying to pretend that I’m super fit! I may even be filling in some gaps in my early development when I was learning to explore and be really physical – just a thought!!
My Story
I enjoyed my first career as a primary teacher for twenty years but made the decision to change direction when I started wondering why there seemed to be so many children categorised as ‘special needs’. I imagined that children born prematurely, those who had experienced early trauma or had an adverse childhood experience fell into the category of ‘special needs’. But that got me wondering about the nature of the support they received if their early developmental stages were incomplete.
I was curious - about many things. I wanted to revisit early years’ development theories to see what is considered essential for children to create healthy foundation blocks on which to build their lives. How do they get those experiences no matter what their background? I was also interested to know how adults who have had difficult early years could fill ‘gaps’ created by their then circumstances and start to heal and grow.
So I left teaching, gained a degree in psychology and trained as a therapist in the field of education. With hindsight I recognise that this was the beginning of a personal journey for me. I no longer wanted to live the life I was leading, a life chosen for me by my parents, so I needed answers to questions about my early years.
My journey has been very, very successful. I have discovered what it is to be autonomous and am now passionate about helping others find total independence.
On my journey I learnt that when we have deficits in our stages of development we can identify those gaps and fill them by engaging in appropriate activities. We can enjoy the healing process and know that this is the beginning of autonomy for us.
I also discovered the importance of being emotionally literate. That is, identifying how we feel in any situation so that we can consider our options and behave appropriately. Emotional literacy is key to getting along with people. It is about empathy and learning how to be kind to ourselves. It is about learning to problem solve when we aren’t sure what to do.
Filling the gaps in my early development and learning the process of being emotionally literate has been life changing for me. The purpose of my work is to help those looking for change to live the life they choose for themselves without the anxiety of feeling that they need permission or approval from anyone else.
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting connections. Get in touch.
+44 (0)7385 097 493