Programmes for school staff and students

Education can be one of the most rewarding careers there is, but there is no doubt that it can also be one of the most stressful with high targets, low budgets and pressure from many different demands. While this was the case before the pandemic, events since then have only exacerbated the situation. The charity Education Support has found that 52% of the UK’s teachers said their mental health declined during the first stage of the pandemic, and work related stress has been on the rise for a number of years. *

Working with teachers & school staff

As someone who has worked in education as a teacher and an education advisor I understand the challenges teachers face. Using this experience I have developed a course to help teachers and school staff build resilience and better cope with stress. My course covers the importance of recognising the symptoms of stress and burnout while emphasising that everyone struggles with stress to a greater or lesser degree. I explain a number of different techniques in detail to help people best support themselves. Everybody, no matter their age or profession, needs to build their own varied toolkit to better equip themselves to cope with the challenges of life.

The work I deliver can be personalised to suit the needs of your school but I currently offer a standalone session around stress management or a four part programme which covers the topic in greater detail. Each individual session lasts around an hour which comprises a half hour presentation followed by a deeply relaxing guided meditation. Although I am a trained hypnotherapist, hypnotherapy is not the focus of my courses for teachers & school staff. My programme covers a wider range of issues, such as the evolution of the human brain and fight & flight system, examining the importance of good sleep habits, breathing techniques to calm down the body, and self compassion. All my courses are carefully researched, using the latest findings in psychology and neuroscience.

Working with school students

I also offer courses for primary and secondary school pupils which can be delivered as part of a personal development programme. Children and teenagers are often fascinated by the idea of hypnotherapy; they have lots of questions which I am more than happy to address.

I explain the brain in terms that young people can understand so that they recognise the two different systems at play in themselves and other people (the fight & flight response versus the calm, rational response.) I then look at different techniques that children can use to help themselves when they feel angry, frightened or worried. Many children (and adults) have not considered that other people may feel how they do and this is enlightening for them. I use fun ways of engaging and interesting children which helps them learn in an effective way.

I can also work with groups of students helping them with boosting confidence and reducing nerves around exams. I offer a 3 or 4 part programme aimed at working with small groups of students. This can culminate in taking students through a guided visualisation of a day they are doing their exams emphasising how they feel in control and comfortable. This can even be delivered in the exam hall itself! Using guided visualisation is a powerful technique, often used by sports players to improve their technique, and I have used it to help young people address their exam fears with great success.

For more information about my individual work with younger children please click here. For details of my work with teenagers and young people please click here.

Delivering courses online and face to face

I can work with schools in a face to face capacity or online to deliver courses via Zoom.

*See www.educationsupport.org.uk