Creating safe spaces is at the heart of trauma-informed practice. This reflection explores how safety is built through the quiet art of noticing without judgement — in our environments, our policies, and our relationships. It reminds us that safety begins in the small moments, shaped by the calm, compassionate presence of practitioners who hold spaceContinue reading “Creating Safe Spaces: Environment, Policy, and Practitioner Wellbeing in Trauma-Informed Practice”
Category Archives: Special Educational Needs
Title: Play as Healing: Harnessing the Prepared Environment to Support Young Children Who Have Experienced Trauma
Introduction In recent years, the field of early childhood education has recognised more fully the prevalence and profound impact of trauma on young children’s development. Children exposed to adverse experiences—such as abuse, neglect, loss, impacts from covid, war or displacement—are at risk of disruptions in regulation, attachment, executive functioning and learning (Maynard 2019). Within thisContinue reading “Title: Play as Healing: Harnessing the Prepared Environment to Support Young Children Who Have Experienced Trauma”
When the Past Doesn’t Stay in the Past: How Childhood Trauma Echoes Through Adult Life
When people seek therapy, they often describe symptoms like anxiety, low mood, relationship struggles, or a persistent sense that something is missing. Yet when I ask about childhood, the response is frequently: “Nothing terrible happened, it was fine really.” This is an important moment, because trauma is not always obvious. It doesn’t always look likeContinue reading “When the Past Doesn’t Stay in the Past: How Childhood Trauma Echoes Through Adult Life”
New Beginnings: Supporting Your Child Through School and University Transitions
Whether your child is starting school for the very first time or your young adult is packing for university, transitions can be an emotional rollercoaster—for them and for you. The start of something new brings excitement, but also a fair share of anxiety. It’s completely normal to feel a little (or a lot) unsettled duringContinue reading “New Beginnings: Supporting Your Child Through School and University Transitions”
The Soothing Power of Sensation: Why Early Sensory Experiences Matter for Babies’ Development
When you watch a baby reach for the grass beneath them, wiggle their toes in soft sand, or splash joyfully in water, you’re witnessing something profound. These simple, natural moments aren’t just adorable—they are crucial developmental experiences. As a psychologist who works with early childhood development, I often speak with parents and early years practitionersContinue reading “The Soothing Power of Sensation: Why Early Sensory Experiences Matter for Babies’ Development”
🎵 Music and Emotions: Supporting Preschool Children’s Wellbeing through Sound and Song
In the hum and bustle of early childhood, big emotions often arrive without warning — frustration, joy, fear, sadness, or sheer excitement. For preschool children, who are still developing the language and cognitive tools to express and regulate these feelings, the journey through emotional awareness can be overwhelming. But one powerful, nurturing tool can helpContinue reading “🎵 Music and Emotions: Supporting Preschool Children’s Wellbeing through Sound and Song”
The Different Pathways to a Life Well Lived
As exam season begins, there’s a particular kind of pressure that settles in the air — unspoken but heavy. The Leaving Cert, A-levels, finals… whatever the name, the message often feels the same: This is it. Your future starts (or ends) here. But I want to offer another truth, one that might sit more gentlyContinue reading “The Different Pathways to a Life Well Lived”
Dr M’s thoughts 