📍 Next Beyond Labels Parenting Lab
For Parents of Neurodivergent & Sensitive Children

🗓 Monday 22nd June | 6:00–7:30pm BST
💻 Online via Zoom

👉 Parenting Beyond The Playbook
Updating Our Expectations To Meet The Child We Have

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Resonant Parenting Project #67

Last Monday, Louis Weinstock and I held our first Beyond Labels Parenting Lab and were joined by a wonderful group of parents and carers raising sensitive children. I left the session deeply touched by the openness and honesty of parents. There was something so nourishing and grounding about being with a group of parents who were able to take off the masks, and simply be present with and witness each other.

One of the strongest feelings Louis and I both left with afterward was this sense that spaces like this are so needed.

To give you a flavour of the evening, here are some of the themes that emerged throughout our conversations:

1. The Deep Need For Connection and Community

A strong theme throughout the evening was the deep longing for connection with other parents who truly understood what life can feel like when raising sensitive or neurodivergent children.

Many parents spoke about:

• Feeling isolated, unseen, or misunderstood by friends, schools, professionals, or even wider family

• The relief of being in a space where they did not need to constantly explain, justify, or defend their experiences

• A longing for “the village” — a supportive community where families navigating neurodiversity, sensitivity, burnout, school struggles, and emotional intensity could feel less alone

There was a strong sense of resonance around:

• The comfort of “others getting it”

• The power of shared experiences

• Feeling witnessed rather than advised, analysed, or judged

• The healing effect of simply listening and being listened to

2. Parenting Sensitive and Neurodivergent Children Often Requires a Different Paradigm

Many parents reflected on how the usual parenting “playbooks” often don’t seem to fit the children they are raising.

Themes included:

• Letting go of ideas about what parenting is “supposed” to look like

• Realising that stricter or more traditional parenting approaches simply don’t work for sensitive and neurodivergent children

• Learning to move away from control and toward connection, understanding, and attunement

• Understanding children through their nervous systems, sensitivity, and lived experience rather than simply focusing on behaviour

Several parents also reflected on:

• Their children being “truth tellers” who so often see through systems, rules, and social expectations

• Children struggling not because they’re unwilling, but because certain environments genuinely overwhelm or do not support them

• The need for more compassionate, flexible, and human ways of supporting children and families

Alongside this shift in approach, another important conversation emerged around diagnosis and labels and how they shape the way we understand children.

3. Labels, Diagnosis and Identity

A nuanced conversation also emerged around diagnosis and labels.

The potential benefits of diagnosis:

Many parents shared that labels can:

• Be life-changing and sometimes even life-saving

• Provide clarity and a shared language for understanding experience

• Reduce shame, confusion, and self-blame

• Open doors to support, accommodations, and resources

• Help children (and adults) better understand themselves

The complexities and concerns:

Others reflected on:

• A fear that labels can sometimes feel reductive, reducing a child to a set of difficulties or deficits

• Worries about how family, school, or society may respond

• Concerns that children might internalise a sense that “something is wrong with me”

• The ongoing challenge of balancing understanding with protecting identity, confidence, and strengths

A phrase that stayed with many of us was:

“Children are always bigger than the label.”

Alongside these conversations about understanding children, a parallel theme emerged around the parents themselves and how much they were carrying in navigating all of this.

4. Trusting Parental Instincts

A central thread throughout the Lab was the idea that:

Parents know their children better than anyone else.

And yet, many parents spoke about how hard it can be to trust that inner knowing.

Themes included:

• Constant self-doubt and second-guessing

• Feeling invalidated or dismissed by professionals, schools, or systems

• The emotional exhaustion of needing to “prove” their child’s needs

• The tension between parental intuition and external pressure

We also spent time reflecting on what helps parents reconnect with their own instincts:

• Trusting parental wisdom, even when it feels uncertain

• Reclaiming a sense of parental authority

• Letting go of the idea that there is a single “right” or universal approach

• Creating enough space, calm, and nervous system safety to hear their own inner knowing more clearly

Many parents who joined us shared that they would love these conversations to continue, so Louis and I are opening another Beyond Labels Parenting Lab next month.

Parenting Beyond The Playbook

Updating Our Expectations To Meet The Child We Have

🗓 Monday 22nd June
⏰ 6:00–7:30pm BST
💻 Online via Zoom

This next session will explore the emotional reality of parenting beyond expectation — including the identity shifts, uncertainty, grief, and self-doubt that can emerge when parenting looks very different to what we imagined.

As with the previous lab, this will be a small-group space intentionally designed to be calm, reflective, thoughtful, and emotionally safe.

There’s no pressure to speak or share. Some parents come simply to listen, reflect, and experience the relief of being in a space where they no longer feel judged or have to explain their choices.

If this resonates with you, you’d be very warmly welcomed.

Join the Next Parenting Lab 22nd June

I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a conscious parenting coach and looking after my eight-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing or subscribing helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

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Resonant Parenting Project #66

📍 Last call: Beyond Labels: A Lab for Parents of Neurodivergent & Sensitive Children – tonight
🗓 Monday 11th May | 8:00–9:30pm (BST) | Online via Zoom

👉 Final tickets here:

Join the Parenting Lab Tonight

In this clip from our Substack Live, Louis Weinstock and I reflect on parenting, neurodiversity, social media overwhelm, and the growing need for spaces where parents can pause, reflect, and feel less alone.

“You and I, Louis, have been working in this field for a long time. I’ve worked as a clinical psychologist with children and families for 20 years, and I’ve seen the whole landscape change since I was a trainee psychologist in 2006. It feels like we’ve shifted from talking about mental health to talking about neurodiversity and that’s certainly reflected in my work with children, teenagers, and parents. There’s so much more awareness now. Young people come in looking for explanations and understanding. I see the whole spectrum — but I also see a lot of confusion. And honestly, I feel overwhelmed at times too by the huge amount of information on social media. Instagram, algorithms, influencers, therapists online… there’s so much information. In many ways it's positive that we're so much more aware. But it can be incredibly difficult as a parent to know: Am I doing the right thing for my child? Because every parent simply wants to do the best for their child.”

That’s exactly why Louis and I have created Beyond Labels, a lab for parents raising neurodivergent and highly sensitive children. It's a structured and guided space for parents to exhale. A space to breathe, think, reflect, and feel less alone in the complexity of raising neurodivergent and highly sensitive children.

Raising a sensitive, intense, deeply feeling, or neurodivergent child can bring a constant sense of adapting, anticipating, researching, and second-guessing yourself. Managing big emotions, navigating daily transitions, holding the tension between what your child needs and what the world expects of them, it can be exhausting and, at times, deeply isolating.

Many parents are carrying far more than others can see, often without the support or “village” that makes this sustainable. And underneath it all can sit the question:

“Am I doing this in the right way?”

Whether your child has a diagnosis, doesn’t have a diagnosis, or simply doesn’t fit the mould, this is a space for parents to pause, breathe, reflect, and connect with other parents navigating similar experiences.

We’re not creating another space filled with endless tools, tips, and answers, as there are already so many amazing resources available. Instead, this is a space for thoughtful conversations, support, and curiosity about our children beyond labels.

📍 Beyond Labels: A Lab for Parents of Neurodivergent & Sensitive Children
🗓 Monday 11th May
⏰ 8:00pm–9:30pm
💻 Online via Zoom

All parents are warmly welcomed.

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I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a conscious parenting coach and looking after my eight-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing or subscribing helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

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Resonant Parenting Project #65

Shame is something so many of us as parents carry quietly and hardly ever talk about.

As Louis shared in our Substack Live conversation, shame isn’t just a passing feeling, it’s deeply wired into us. It’s the part of us that wants to belong, that worries we might be judged, exposed, or even excluded. And when you’re a parent, especially if you’re raising a sensitive or neurodivergent child, those feelings can feel even bigger.

For parents I work with, we often talk about the shame that can come up when family imply they’re not taking a firm enough line, even though the parent can see their child is dysregulated, tired, hungry, or overstimulated. They know their child needs space, but it’s a lot to manage in front of family.

Or the comment from a teacher that makes you doubt yourself as a parent — “she’s fine at school, we’re having no problems here,” even though at home everything gets released, your child is very resistant and often needing to discharge and recover at home. In those moments, it’s so easy for shame to creep in, that sense you’re somehow getting it wrong as a parent, especially when what you’re experiencing at home doesn’t match what others are seeing on the outside.

Or when your child comes home so sad and tells you they were walking around by themselves with no one to play with at break time. That fear that your child is being excluded or left out.

I can look back on those moments when my daughter and I have been out and she’s been so dysregulated, and things have felt really overwhelming — just trying to manage her while also managing my own shame in front of passers-by.

It’s a lot, and we don’t talk about it nearly enough. And the truth is that parenting is confronting, exposing, and full of unknowns.

Louis shared a really relatable example from his own life, with his new puppy. He said when she misbehaves in the park, biting the lead, biting him, not quite doing what he hopes she’ll do, he feels shame. He becomes aware of the possible judgments of other dog-walkers, whose dogs seem so much better behaved than his little rascal. But when the same thing happens in his garden? He barely notices.

And I think we underestimate the impact of shame on our parenting, especially in this age of social media, constantly comparing ourselves to the performed version of others.

It also raises something really important, how much of what we feel as “personal failure” is actually shaped by who might be watching us.

We would love for there to be more spaces and more opportunities for us as parents to share the reality of what’s going on without fear of being judged. To drop the masks, drop the performance, and just be honest about the reality and how things are.

This is exactly why Louis and I have created Beyond Labels: A Lab for Parents of Neurodivergent & Sensitive Children.

This will be a live, 90-minute guided reflective space, a calm, structured space to pause and think, and a chance to connect with other parents who get it, with no pressure to speak. These are sanctuaries — places to breathe, reflect, be experimental and creative, and be with the dilemmas and questions so many of us carry as parents raising this next generation of sensitive kids.

They’re non-judgement spaces because we know just how hard, intense and relentless, and also joyful, it can be to parent these children.

🗓 Monday 11th May, 8–9:30pm BST

If this resonates, you’d be warmly welcomed to join us.
Link to book: https://lnkd.in/eQ5ECnpK

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Recent Substack Live Conversation

Louis and I recently hosted a live conversation on Substack, exploring many of the themes we’ll be bringing into the session on Monday 11th May.

If you’d like to get a sense of how we think, speak, and hold these spaces, you’re welcome to listen here:

Louis Weinstock - The Heart Of Being Human

Beyond Labels: What Your Child Might Really Need Right Now

I sat down this week with my friend and colleague Dr. Genevieve von Lob to explore something we’re both seeing more and more in our work with children and families…

Listen now

a month ago · 9 likes · 3 comments · Louis Weinstock and Dr Genevieve

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I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a conscious parenting coach and looking after my eight-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing or subscribing helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

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We’re launching the Resonant Parenting Labs

and I (Dr Genevieve von Lob) are launching a new space for parents navigating the complexity of raising children who are sensitive, neurodivergent or who don’t quite fit the mould.

The Resonant Parenting Labs were created in response to something we’re seeing again and again in our work: parents don’t need more information. We’re already saturated with it and often it only leaves us feeling more confused, not less.

What parents actually need is space to think, reflect, and make sense of their children without feeling like they’re getting it wrong. Sanctuaries to exhale in the here and now, moments where we can pause, drop the constant effort of figuring it out, and simply be with what is.

Event Details

Live online zoom | 90-minute sessions

Dates:

• Tuesday 5th May | 12:30–2:00pm (BST)

• Monday 11th May | 8:00–9:30pm (BST)

👉 [Join the Parenting Labs on Eventbrite]

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I sat down with my friend and colleague on Thursday for a Substack Live to explore something we’re both seeing more and more in our work with children and families:

• A huge rise in diagnoses such as ADHD and autism

• Parents and teachers feeling overwhelmed with information, and pulled in different directions

• And a growing sense of confusion about what to actually do

Some parents don’t want a diagnosis and feel unsure what the alternative is.

Others receive one, and feel at least an initial sense of relief.

But then the same question returns: “Now what?”

What We’re Seeing Is:

• There’s more awareness than ever, and more overwhelm than ever: Parents are navigating a constant stream of advice, opinions, and identities. It’s very noisy in the space of parenting generally, and specifically parenting a sensitive or neurodivergent child.

• Diagnosis can bring relief…but rarely gives a roadmap: It can name the struggle, but it doesn’t always show you how to support your child day-to-day.

• We’re raising children in a world that’s changing faster than the systems around them: Children are adapting to a rapidly evolving culture. Schools are often working under significant pressure and it can be difficult for systems to fully keep pace with childrens’ rapidly changing needs.

• The search for labels is also a search for belonging: When you find a framework, you often find a community and we all have a fundamental human need to belong.

• Sensitivity is not a problem, but it often gets treated as one: The children we see are not broken or flawed, they’re deeply feeling and perceptive, and may sometimes struggle when their needs are not fully matched in their environments.

We’re not here to tell you the system is broken; you already know how stretched it is.

And we’re not here to say labels are the enemy. Because sometimes they help, and sometimes they open doors.

But they don’t always tell you how to raise this child…in this life…with the reality you’re actually living.

For Many Parents, This Goes Deeper

• Raising a sensitive, intense, deeply feeling or neurodivergent child can be incredibly exhausting, requiring a level of emotional attunement, flexibility, and presence that’s hard to fully understand unless you’re living it.

• There can be a cumulative build-up of stress and fatigue, a kind of ongoing background alertness that doesn’t fully switch off. It can come with constant hypervigilance, adapting, anticipating and second-guessing your child, often without a clear map.

• It can feel deeply isolating. Many of us are not living in the kind of village we were designed to raise children in. We’re holding a lot, often on our own.

• For some parents, there’s also a grief. A sense of the gap between how they imagined parenting would feel, and the reality they are living. The reality of appointments, assessments, constant research… and how hard it can all be.

• And alongside all of this, many parents are sitting with a sense of ongoing uncertainty about how to move forward.

We’re parenting in a time where a whole generation of children are, in different ways, challenging us and the systems around them. As parents, we’re often left holding that complexity. There can be a strong pull to find the answer — the right strategy, approach, or label. And sometimes a diagnosis really helps, it can open doors and bring access to much-needed support, especially within the school system.

But it doesn’t resolve everything.

So many parents still find themselves sitting with the same deeper questions, just in a different form. And this is where things can become overwhelming, when it feels like more tools, more strategies, more information should help, but often just adds to the noise.

Why We’re Creating the Parenting Labs

What became really clear in my conversation with Louis is that parents don’t need more information. We’re already saturated with it and often, all that information just leaves us feeling more overwhelmed. What we all need is a space to think, reflect, and make sense of our children without feeling like we’re getting it wrong.

We need sanctuaries to exhale in the here and now, moments where we can pause, drop the constant effort of figuring it out, and simply be with what is.

About the Parenting Labs

These labs are live, 90-minute experiential space for parents who are asking:

• How do I support my child without reducing them to a label?

• What actually helps in day-to-day life?

• How do I trust my own judgement again?

There’s nothing to learn, perform, or get “right.”

Instead, this is a guided, reflective space where you can:

• Slow things down

• Reflect on your child and your experience as a parent

• Sit with the dilemmas, the complexity and uncertainty

• Hear from other parents navigating similar realities

• Feel less alone in what you’re holding

Who this is for?

Parents who are:

• Raising a child who doesn’t quite fit the mould

• Supporting a sensitive or neurodivergent child

• Waiting for assessment, or unsure about diagnosis

• Feeling overwhelmed by conflicting advice

• Wanting space to think and be — not more information

We also welcome carers, teachers and professionals working closely with children who want space to reflect more deeply on the children they support.

Event Details

Format: Live online session

Duration: 90 minutes

Dates:

• Tuesday 5th May | 12:30–2:00pm (BST)

• Monday 11th May | 8:00–9:30pm (BST)

You’re Welcome Here

This is shared live reflective space to breathe, think and feel less alone in the complexity of raising children who are sensitive or neurodivergent. If this is something you’re navigating or quietly carrying on your own, you’re warmly welcomed to join us.

Join The Parenting Labs on Eventbrite

I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a conscious parenting coach and looking after my eight-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing or subscribing helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

Get more from Dr Genevieve in the Substack app

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Resonant Parenting Project #63

Next Thursday from 1pm-2pm (BST) I’ll be joining child psychotherapist Louis Weinstock for a Substack Live conversation about ADHD, autism, and what families actually need beyond diagnosis, especially when things still don’t feel clear after a label.

Louis and I have known each other for nearly 20 years. When I first met him, he was already doing incredible work running a therapeutic education setting for some of London’s most troubled teenagers, while I was just beginning my career as a newly qualified clinical psychologist in the South London NHS, working with adults in primary care. Since then, Louis has gone on to train as a transpersonal psychotherapist, write How the World is Making Our Children Mad and What to Do About It, and create both a mental health charity and the award-winning app Apart of Me, supporting young people to open up about loss and trauma in a safe, accessible way.

Fast forward two decades, and it’s striking how much our work has evolved in parallel. We’ve both grown over time, been on our own personal healing journeys, and become parents ourselves. And while our paths have taken different shapes, we’ve remained deeply engaged in understanding and supporting children, families, and how they’re navigating their mental health in the world we’re living in today.

In my work as a clinical psychologist, I spend my days in conversation with children, teenagers, and their parents. No two stories are the same. Most families come to see me seeking support with what their child is struggling with, not a label. Some are curious about assessments, others feel more hesitant, and some arrive having already had their child assessed now asking, “what next?” and “how do we actually make this useful in everyday life?”

Sometimes I’m the one encouraging an assessment for ADHD, autism, or other neurodevelopmental differences, where it can unlock important much needed support and understanding. Other times, I’m helping families step back from labels, when they risk pathologising something more nuanced, and instead think more holistically about what’s going on.

So I really do see the full spectrum.

What I also see is how much many of us are struggling right now. Parents are struggling. Young people are struggling. And alongside this, the language of neurodiversity has expanded rapidly — it’s everywhere: in schools, on social media, in the news, and in parenting conversations.

There is so much to welcome in this. Our understanding of ADHD, autism, and other forms of neurodivergence has broadened in important ways, alongside a growing compassion and acceptance of difference across society. For many, this expansion has been profoundly helpful, offering language that reduces shame, deepens self-understanding, and opens up access to support.

And yet, alongside this progress, I’m also seeing something else.

Confusion.

Many of the families I work with feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information. There are more diagnoses, more labels, and more opinions than ever before. Parents are trying to do the right thing, but often feel torn, wanting to support their child fully, while also feeling uneasy about what a diagnosis might mean, how it could shape a child’s sense of self, and, at times, whether medication is the right path.

This sits right at the heart of something I see all the time in my work and this is what Louis and I will be exploring together👇

And an exciting news announcement. On April 23rd, at 1pm, I will be joining a Substack Live with my colleague a brilliant and wise psychologist Dr Genevieve Von Lob. The theme of the Live is “Beyond Labels” and I will share a brief description below. You can download the invite to your calendar here.

“Your child doesn’t quite fit the mould.

And if you’re honest, you’re not sure you want them to.

But you can see where they’re struggling — at school, with friends, within themselves — and you’re trying to work out what actually helps.

Maybe your child has a diagnosis. Maybe they’re on a waiting list. Maybe you’ve decided that route isn’t for you.

But the same question keeps showing up:

How do I actually support this child, today, in the life we’re actually living?

We’re not here to tell you the system is broken; you already know how stretched it is.

And we’re not here to say labels are the enemy. Sometimes a diagnosis brings real relief. Sometimes it opens doors.

But sometimes it raises as many questions as it answers.

It doesn’t always tell you what to do next.

And that’s where many parents feel stuck, wondering: now what?

This Substack Live is the beginning of a different kind of conversation.

Between us, we’ve spent decades working with children and families, often sitting in that gap between what’s needed and what’s currently on offer.

Together, we’ll explore a more practical, human way of understanding your child — one that goes beyond labels, without dismissing them, and gives you grounded, evidence-based ways to actually help.”

Louis and I will exploring why this surge in language and diagnosis is happening now, what it means for young people, and how parents can navigate this landscape with more clarity without losing sight of the whole child.

At the end of the conversation, we’ll also be sharing some ways you can continue exploring this topic with us, for those who want to go deeper.

If this is something you’ve been thinking about, questioning, or carrying, I’d really love you to join us.

Join Us Live On Thursday

I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a conscious parenting coach and looking after my eight-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing or subscribing helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

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Resonant Parenting Project #63

I’m excited to share a podcast conversation I recorded with somatic psychologist Ailey Jolie for her beautiful podcast “In This Body.”

You can listen here.

Ailey creates such a nourishing, spacious container for exploring embodiment, and our conversation felt like a deep dive into the heart of my twenty years of work with parents and children and the evolution of where it’s now leading.

We explored so much together, including:

• My journey into psychology, and how early loss shaped my relationship with embodiment

• What it really means to “come back” into the body after dissociation, and how numbness can be protective, helping us survive and stay here.

• Conscious parenting as an embodied practice, not just something we think, but something we feel

• Highly sensitive parents and children, and the intensity of feeling everything so deeply

• Why our children trigger us and how those moments are invitations into healing

• The difference between co-regulation and resonance

• Repairing with our children from a truly embodied place

• Shame, how it lives in the body, and why it needs to be witnessed (not fixed)

• The importance of community and why we were never meant to parent alone

• How individual healing ripples into our children, our ancestors, the collective, and the future

• How my current studies in collective healing with Thomas Hübl are shaping the next evolution of my work

Here’s one moment from our conversation:

“When we begin to connect with our bodies as parents — when we learn to stay present with our own discomfort, to track what’s happening inside us — we’re not just doing that for ourselves.
We’re doing it for our children, for our lineage, and for the collective.
Every moment of awareness interrupts a pattern. Every moment of presence creates something new.”

For many years, I’ve worked as a clinical psychologist one-to-one with parents and children. But it’s becoming clearer to me that this work was never meant to stay at the individual level. Healing doesn’t happen in isolation and parenting was never meant to be done alone.

This is what we’re really being called into — especially at this moment on the planet is something collective.

And this is what has drawn me to study collective healing with Thomas Hübl. Parents face immense pressures, guilt, and isolation in the modern world. But when we bring healing into a shared field, into community, something transformative becomes possible. This is at the heart of everything I’m creating through The Resonant Parenting Project, holding space for conscious parenting while also inviting us to reconnect with these essential, often forgotten and deeper dimensions of ourselves, — our spiritual, ancestral, embodied, and sacred selves — and the mystical.

I hope you find this conversation nourishing and supportive.

You can also explore more of Ailey’s work here:

Words From This Body | Ailey Jolie

This is where I write the words of my body... words intended to inspire you to know yourself intimately, make friends with messiness, act fully, and live life fully within the wisdom of your very own body, too.

By ailey jolie

I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a conscious parenting coach and looking after my eight-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing or subscribing helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

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Register for the Summit

Resonant Parenting Project #62

I’m excited to be speaking at this free parenting summit from 11-12 March 2026 on ‘How to raise an Emotionally Strong Highly Sensitive Child.’ The summit is hosted by Jill Gilbert, a family and parenting coach from America, and creator of Calm Mama Revolution, and I’ll be appearing alongside an incredible line up of fourteen other speakers on a shared mission to support families raising highly sensitive children. More details here.

After twenty years of working with families of highly sensitive children, there’s one thing I see over and over again:

Parents who have been told their child is “difficult,” “dramatic,” or “too sensitive” when the reality is they just haven’t been given the right framework to understand their child.

In my interview, I’ll be sharing the simple but powerful roadmap I use with families of highly sensitive children: Prepare → Connect → Repair.

We’ll explore:

• How to prevent overwhelm before it turns into meltdowns and how to really get to the root of what’s happening beneath your child’s behaviour.

• Why highly sensitive children aren’t “difficult,” or “dramatic” but often overstimulated, stressed, or dysregulated.

• How to stay calm and connected in the middle of an emotional storm (and the common traps parents fall into that can unintentionally escalate things).

• And why repair after rupture is one of the most powerful tools we have for building emotional strength and resilience.

Each presentation will be available for 24 hours during the summit. If you’d prefer to watch at your own pace (and revisit the sessions whenever you need), you can also upgrade to the Calm Mama VIP Pass, which gives you lifetime access, along with some additional bonuses available at a special price right after you register for your free ticket.

If you’ve ever felt confused by your child’s intensity, exhausted by their resistance, or triggered in the moment yourself, this conversation will offer both clarity and practical tools you can begin using immediately.

I find that once parents understand what’s truly happening for their child, everything shifts. The meltdowns start to make sense, triggers become more predictable and the guilt starts to lift because you finally realize it was never about you “doing it wrong.”

Is This Summit For You?

This summit is perfect if you:

• Have a child who experiences big feelings, sensory sensitivities, or intense reactions to “small” things

• Feel like traditional parenting approaches just don’t work for your child

• Are exhausted from walking on eggshells and managing daily meltdowns

• Feel isolated, judged, or misunderstood by others who don’t “get it”

• Are desperate for strategies specifically designed for highly sensitive children

• Want to connect with other parents who understand your journey

• Are ready to stop surviving and start thriving with your child

This summit might not be for you if:

• You’re looking for ways to “fix” or “toughen up” your child (we celebrate sensitivity as a strength)

• You want quick fixes or magic solutions (real change takes understanding and practice)

• You’re not willing to adjust your parenting approach (these strategies require openness)

• You’re looking for medical diagnosis or treatment (this is educational support, not medical advice)

  ---

If you’re ready to parent your highly sensitive child with more confidence, calm, and clarity, I would love for you to join us!

You can register for your free ticket here:

Register for the Summit

I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a conscious parenting coach and looking after my eight-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing or subscribing helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

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Resonant Parenting Project #61

Over the past couple of years, I’ve become increasingly curious about hypermobility (and how often it seems to be a missing piece of the puzzle for so many of the children, teenagers and adults I work with. (ResonantParentingProject#44).

Hypermobility is often misunderstood as simply being “very flexible.” In reality, it reflects a difference or laxity in connective tissue (including the fascia) which supports our joints, muscles and internal organs. Because fascia runs through every part of the body, hypermobility can affect posture, energy levels, digestion, emotional regulation and the nervous system as a whole. It can present as over-flexibility but also as stiffness because overly-flexible joints can cause muscles to tighten.

What I’m noticing more and more in my clinical work is how frequently hypermobility overlaps with neurodivergent patterns such as ADHD, autism, dyspraxia and sensory sensitivity and how unsupported hypermobility can contribute to overwhelm, anxiety, distress, fatigue and difficulties with regulation. Hypermobility can also affect the brain, breathing, speech, ears and eyes.

At the same time, hypermobility also brings many gifts: creativity, sensitivity, empathy, artistry, deep perception and originality. With the right understanding and support, hypermobile children and adults can absolutely thrive.

‘Hyper and Happy.’ A Free Drop-In Afternoon

Together with friends and colleagues, Felicity Evans will be hosting a free, informal drop-in session to share information, practical insights and supportive conversations around hypermobility.

Saturday 7th February, 1:30pm–4:30pm
The Maltings Theatre (Second Floor)
The Maltings, St Albans AL1 3HL

The afternoon is open to parents, carers, adults who recognise themselves in this description, and professionals working with children and families. Children are welcome (with activities available, though children remain your responsibility).

During the afternoon, we’ll explore:

• How to recognise visible and less obvious signs of hypermobility

• Links between hypermobility and neurodivergence

• Why unsupported hypermobility can increase overwhelm, anxiety, low mood and behavioural distress

• How fascia and the nervous system are involved

• Practical ways to support regulation, stability and wellbeing

• How approaches such as myofascial release can help the body feel more supported and organised

You’ll be able to chat informally with members of our team, including:

• Felicity Evans, after many years of bringing together education and health, set up NatureKids in 2000 for children and teenagers not managing school. She now supports all the Hyper struggles, for all ages to reach Happy:

• Suzy and Nicky use Myofascial Release Therapy and will show you how to recognise and support Hypermobility in yourself or your children.

• Lucy will share how the Moro ‘fight or flight’ response can underlie children’s behaviours and sensitivities and give insights into how to support these children.

• Juliet (whose story features on the documentary ‘Attention Please’ ) will also be there to talk about her recovery from anorexia. She recently graduated from Arts University Plymouth with a degree in Illustration and has produced a beautiful graphic book ‘Untangling’, using nature-inspired imagery, to describe her eating disorder, challenge misconceptions, and highlight the possibility of full recovery.

• Alicia offers her book, ‘The Human Web’ from her young perspective, exploring how if we can change, the world can change.

• Rebecca has created a fun online Dyscalculia programme, proven to be effective.

• James will be doing a live painting ‘Mind and Body dancing to the Soul’s rhythm’, representing the body / brain connection and harmony that creates Happy. Last year he pained ‘Outcry’ to represent the painful and isolating Hyper disconnections, as an example of the Wasteland in Felicity’s book, Hyper and Happy.

• And myself and others working creatively and practically to support hypermobile children, teenagers and adults

Why This Matters

When a child’s body doesn’t feel well supported from the inside, it has to work much harder just to stay regulated. What can look like “inattention”, “restlessness” or “withdrawal” is often a body doing its very best to cope.

Understanding this shifts us from asking:
“What’s wrong with this child?”
to
“What’s going on inside this child’s body and how can we help them feel more at ease?”

That change in perspective can be profoundly relieving for children, parents and professionals alike.

Please do share this invitation with anyone who might be interested, including teachers, SENCOs and colleagues working with children and young people.

Further Reading and Listening

For those who would like to deepen their understanding of hypermobility and its links to physical and mental health, the following resources are highly recommended:

Dr Jessica Eccles, Associate Professor at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, is a world-leading expert on hypermobility and its connection to both physical and mental health. Her work has been instrumental in increasing awareness of how differences in connective tissue and the autonomic nervous system can impact wellbeing, emotional regulation and neurodivergence.

You can watch an accessible and informative talk by Dr Eccles here:

Psychiatrist Dr James Kustow’s work also offers important and emerging insights, particularly into the overlap between ADHD and hypermobility. His research and clinical perspectives help to illuminate why so many children and adults experience shared patterns of physical, sensory and emotional challenges. You can listen to a podcast exploring this ground-breaking understanding here:

Nick Potter, consultant osteopath and author of The Meaning of Pain, explores the hidden connections between ADHD, hypermobility and pain, while gently challenging some of the biggest myths around pain and the body. His perspective is particularly helpful for understanding why pain can be persistent, confusing or misunderstood in hypermobile and neurodivergent people.
You can listen to the podcast here:

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I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a clinical psychologist, conscious parenting coach and looking after my eight-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing or subscribing helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

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This week’s edition of The Resonant Parenting Project is a special guest-authored newsletter written by my friend and colleague Lucy Simmonds, a neurodevelopmental therapist whose work I deeply respect. Lucy brings a thoughtful, practical perspective to children’s wellbeing and development and I’m delighted to feature her voice here. This piece also draws on insights from Molly Roberson, a Nutritional Therapist who specialises in children’s health and is passionate about helping kids thrive.

In this newsletter, Lucy explores a topic that many parents ask about: children’s supplements and gummies: what’s helpful, what to look out for, and how nutrition can support emotional and neurodevelopmental health.

Resonant Parenting Project #60

This newsletter provides some general guidance on children’s supplements and has been created with the input of Molly Roberson, an experienced nutritional therapist who specialises in children’s mental health and neurodiversity.

A lot of the children I see in my practice have a restrictive diet, often because of sensory issues and fears around trying something new.

This is very common for children with neurodevelopmental delay.

The Moro Reflex and Fear Paralysis Reflex are closely tied to the sensory system and, as a result, children who have retained one or both of these reflexes often struggle with taste, texture and smells. They typically prefer to eat familiar, repetitive foods that are within their comfort zone.

So how can we help these children?

Primitive reflex therapy is a great place to start. I have seen many children become less fearful around new foods and expand their food repertoire as their reflexes start to integrate. However, change doesn’t happen overnight; it is usually a gradual process.

With increasing understanding of the importance of children eating a balanced diet (for their body, brain and behaviour) it’s not surprising that parents are looking for other ways to ensure their children receive all the nutrients they need. This has led to a vast array of children’s supplements entering the market, often in the form of gummies. These are readily available in most supermarkets and health shops.

However, not all supplements and gummies are created equal, and I have learned from Molly that many of the more popular brands can often do more harm than good, as they contain preservatives, additives, sugars and artificial sweeteners. Furthermore, they often contain very low doses of nutrients and use forms of nutrients that are poorly absorbed or synthetic.

Some of the brands we have looked at include:

• Bassetts.

• Haliborange

• Wellkids

• Nutrigums

• Sambucol

• Centrum

• Novomins

• Bioplan

• Holland & Barrett

• Vitawell

• Chewy Vites

• Tonic

For parents interested in giving their children supplements, Molly has advised that a better alternative would be Simple Spectrum (Nutritional Support Supplement) , which is a much cleaner option specially formulated for those on the spectrum (but suitable for all children), who have unique needs for nutrients such as zinc, B vitamins and magnesium. The forms of the nutrients Simple Spectrum uses are active, highly absorbable and readily available for the body to use.

The above-mentioned supplement comes in powder form, which most children seem to tolerate well. The powder can also be made into gummies. Here is the recipe. The dose ends up more diluted, but it could be a good way for your child to get involved if they like to have control — just be sure to use the lowest heat possible to protect the nutrients.

Simple Spectrum also used to do a lollipop which Molly has had huge success with in clinic (Simple Spectrum Lollipops), but these are currently out of stock whilst they are making adjustments to the original formula.

You can purchase Simple Spectrum products directly through the company’s (US) website, but they are also sold by Mupeto Health Care in the UK.

It’s worth noting that a child’s sensitivities around food can also be the result of a zinc deficiency. Zinc deficiency is common for children with a restrictive diet and, perhaps rather ironically, studies have shown that zinc deficiency in itself can be a contributing factor for children preferring bland foods (and some, intriguingly, craving very strong-tasting foods), so they are caught in a vicious circle. The Simple Spectrum supplement includes zinc.

Please note that neither Molly nor I are associated with, or sponsored by, Simple Spectrum or Mupeto Health Care. Furthermore, as the name suggests, supplements are just that — they are intended to supplement, and not be a substitute for, a balanced diet.

Balanced Brains: Nutrition for Children’s Mood, Sleep & Learning

Molly will soon be launching a six-week self-paced online course for parents and carers of:

• Neurodivergent children; and

• Children who struggle with sleep, focus, meltdowns or mood.

This programme will bring together the latest science with practical advice. It promises to be a very useful and cost-effective way to support your child’s mood, focus, sleep and resilience and their general wellbeing. All content will be yours to keep.

Learn more about the course or express your interest [here].

Warm regards,

Lucy Simmonds, Neurodevelopmental Therapist

A Note from Me

I’m so grateful to Lucy for sharing her knowledge and practical insight in this week’s edition and to Molly for her generous contribution and expertise. Their work highlights the subtle but powerful links between nutrition, sensory processing, and emotional wellbeing and reminds us how small, thoughtful changes can make a real difference for our children.

Both Lucy and Molly will also be joining me soon on my new podcast Beyond the Label, where we’ll be diving deeper into these themes. I can’t wait to share those conversations with you.

If this topic resonates with you, I’d love to hear your reflections in the comments or by replying to this email.

Until next time,

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I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a clinical psychologist, conscious parenting coach and looking after my seven-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing, subscribing or buying me a coffee helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

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Resonant Parenting Project #59

I feel increasingly concerned about what young people and parents are sharing with me about how behavioural systems in many schools rely on rewards and sanctions, rather than co-regulation and connection. Systems like traffic light charts (green, yellow, or red cards) for “rule breaking” are often implemented with good intentions to help children reflect and learn from their actions. But too often, they cause real and lasting consequences to a child’s physical health, nervous system, self-worth, and their long-term relationship with learning.

Unfortunately, just as these behavioural tools don’t work for parents at home, they don’t work in classrooms either. They don’t teach children, they control them.

These are not “behaviour problems” they’re nervous system needs

In classrooms, often children display behaviours like fidgeting, chatting, calling out, zoning out, struggling to complete tasks, or becoming overwhelmed.

These are not signs of deliberate misbehaviours and defiance. They’re often signs of a dysregulated nervous system, or of underlying needs, such as retained primitive reflexes, impulse control challenges, or sensory sensitivities.

Worryingly, the very things children need in order to regulate e.g., breaks, water, movement, and emotional safety are often the very first things removed when they “misbehave.”

I’ve heard examples like:

• A child who talks during class due to impulse control struggles who is made to miss their break.

• A child who can’t complete work quickly enough is kept in while others play.

• A child who asks for water during class due to hypermobility and sudden thirst is told no, because “everyone else will want water too.”

• A child who speaks during a “1, 2, 3” transition (where a teacher says: “1” – stand up, “2” – push in chairs, “3” – line up) is blamed for the group being reset, shamed in front of peers while others grow frustrated with them. Over time, this can lead to scapegoating and social rejection of that child.

To an adult, being denied these things might seem trivial. But to a child, these experiences can feel deeply unfair, shaming and very isolating.

Without co-regulation or support, children simply don’t learn a lesson, they hold on to their distress and their nervous systems spiral further into dysregulation.

As my friend and colleague Felicity Evans beautifully puts it:

“Punishment doesn’t change how a child feels. It doesn’t help them access the rational, logical, working-out part of their brain. And it certainly doesn’t help them process feelings so they can self-regulate back to OK.”

What children most need in these moments is not to be told off, but to be soothed and understood.

The invisible stress and panic underneath the behaviour

Many children, especially sensitive or neurodivergent ones, internalise discipline and disapproval as threat and danger. A harsh tone or behavioural sanction might seem mild to us, but to them, it can trigger panic.

And it’s not just being told off themselves. I’ve worked with many highly sensitive children who are often just as affected by witnessing another child being told off. The emotional energy in the room shifts, and their nervous systems absorb the disconnection, shame, and fear. Even if they were not the focus, their bodies still react. Their anxiety increases, their sense of safety decreases, and they may carry that moment inside their body for the rest of the day.

Sensitive, hypermobile, or anxious children can shift from calm to overwhelmed in an instant. These aren’t conscious choices, they’re visceral, physical responses from a body experiencing threat. And for the child who doesn’t yet understand what’s happening inside them, these moments can feel frightening and deeply confusing.

Because this stress is invisible, it often goes unnoticed and unsupported. Left unsoothed, it can evolve into chronic anxiety, shutdown, or even full school refusal.

Why control doesn’t create change and why relationship is the answer

The assumption behind consequences or punishments is that if a child receives enough of them, they’ll do better next time. But a dysregulated child doesn’t need more sanctions, they need co-regulation, compassion, and attuned support.

Neuroscience shows us that kids just can’t learn when they feel unsafe or overwhelmed. Real learning, the kind that actually sticks and leads to real change, happens when they feel safe, grounded, and open. That’s when they’re able to really listen, think about what happened, and start to make sense of how they might do things differently next time.

When punishment replaces co-regulation, many children may learn to push down or mask their feelings. I’ve spoken to several young clients who describe the almost physical pain of holding it all in during the school day, only to explode in tears or meltdowns the moment they get home.

Some children shut down completely, becoming quiet and withdrawn. Others can’t hold it in, their distress spills out through meltdowns, shouting, or even throwing chairs. Yes, it can look disruptive, but these are not signs of “bad behaviour,” they’re a sign of an overloaded nervous system.

The hidden harm of “good behaviour” systems

Many school behaviour policies in the UK still follow sanctions-based models, from verbal warnings to loss of privileges, and eventually, exclusion.

These systems assume that behaviour is a choice, rather than a communication of stress, overwhelm, or unmet need.

The reality is that sanctions-based policies like colour-coded behaviour charts or warning cards don’t help regulate a child’s nervous system. They don’t build trust and they don’t support long-term learning or emotional growth.

These systems may aim to keep children “on green” or behaving “well,” but they often do so through shame and pressure, not support.

Take, for example, the “1, 2, 3” group reset system. The unpredictability of being reset, the fear of causing a problem for others, the pressure not to “mess it up,” all of this can be overwhelming for children already managing internal challenges such as anxiety, sensory sensitivity or impulsivity.

These moments become less about learning, and more about surviving. They rarely teach emotional skills needed to regulated. More often, they punish children for being dysregulated, instead of supporting them through it.

When adults are dysregulated, children are too

I deeply respect teachers. They’re stretched far beyond what’s reasonable, trying to balance national curriculum demands, leadership expectations and Ofsted targets while holding the emotional needs of 30+ students.

And it’s important to say clearly that teachers are already under immense pressure and often feel judged, criticised, and blamed, from all directions. The last thing they need is more guilt or shame layered on top. That’s why we must always look at these challenges in the context of a wider system, a system that too often fails to support teachers just as much as it fails to support children.

But when teachers are unsupported and overwhelmed, they often find themselves reacting from their own fight-flight-freeze states. Stress makes us all more rigid, more reactive, and more likely to misinterpret a child’s struggle as a behavioural problem rather than a neurological need.

A stressed out teacher doesn’t just impact one child, it destabilises the entire classroom. And when emotional safety is missing, we begin to see:

• Increased bullying

• More “mean” behaviour and words

• More frequent outbursts and acting out

Our teachers need co-regulation too

I would love to see circles of co-regulation using principles of transparent communication for teachers, intentional spaces where they feel supported, centred, and held. Spaces grounded in the principles of transparent communication, where teachers can share honestly about what they’re carrying, be witnessed without judgement, and co-regulate with peers.

We need to offer more room for teachers to be flexible, intuitive, and responsive, with time to make spontaneous, heart-led decisions. Whether it’s taking the class out for a dance break to release energy, or letting a child run across the field to shake off stress.

Teachers also shouldn’t be dimmed by systems of pressure and control. Just like children, they have a right to move through the day connected to their creativity, their wellness, and their own life force.

Because when we zoom out, we see that our educators are part of a much bigger system, a top-down, hierarchical structure rooted in control, conformity and compliance. A system that’s not just a reflection of school policy, but a fractal of wider societal dynamics, inherited from authoritarian regimes of the past.

This work is too important to stop talking about

We’re facing an epidemic of teenage mental health struggles, and school refusal is rising at an alarming rate each year. At the heart of this crisis is a school system in urgent need of transformation, not just in structure, but in our collective attitudes toward our children.

The energy of control and conformity needs to shift towards relationship and co-regulation, toward seeing our children not as problems to fix or manage, but as beings doing their best under pressure, with nervous systems and spirits that deserve to thrive and flourish.

Children need us to be in deep relationship with them. They need us to look at them through the eyes of love and trust, not suspicion and fear and not with the belief that if we don’t control them, they’ll fall apart or fail.

We have to see their innate goodness, and believe that all children are doing the best they can.

This means creating trauma-informed classrooms where nervous system awareness is woven into everyday teaching and where teachers themselves are supported to do their own inner healing work. Because holding space for dysregulated children requires adults who are resourced and self aware.

When we can meet all children with deep presence and the deepest levels of compassion, we will invite them to meet themselves with the same.

And perhaps most powerful of all, I see this current generation of children as messengers. They’re showing us very clearly through their behaviours, their bodies, their nervous systems, all the places where our current systems are not aligned with love, safety and care.

Their meltdowns, their refusals, their shutdowns, their illnesses, their anxieties, and big emotions are communication. And sometimes it takes a crisis, for us all to finally listen.

We’re in that crisis now, but we’re also on the cusp of something new and emergent, if we choose to listen.

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I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a clinical psychologist, conscious parenting coach and looking after my seven-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing, subscribing or buying me a coffee helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

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Resonant Parenting Project #58

With so much emotion and reactivity around the autism conversation, especially after Monday’s press conference in America, it feels more important than ever to stay open, curious, and willing to hold multiple perspectives at once.

There is no one single cause of autism, that’s something we do know. It’s a multifactorial, deeply complex, nuanced picture most likely a combination involving genetics, environment, methylation, hypermobility, nutritional deficiencies, the microbiome, role of breathing and more.

And yet, sometimes, we can be quick to shut down conversations that challenge our beliefs or don’t fit our worldview. And while scientific research is essential, we also need to honour the real-life experiences of parents, many of whom have witnessed changes or plateaus in their children’s development that aren’t always captured in research findings or mainstream narratives.

These lived experiences must be part of the conversation, alongside expert opinions and emerging research. Science is always evolving and it doesn’t have all the answers.

I’m a huge advocate for neurodiversity and unconditionally accepting the incredible diversity in how our brains and nervous systems work. Each unique way of seeing and experiencing life brings incredible gifts such as creativity, empathy, problem-solving and wisdom. I have worked with highly sensitive and neurodivergent children who experience the world differently and when they’re feeling well, I’m constantly blown away by their insights, their humour, their creativity, their awareness, and their wisdom. When I’m around them, their presence lights up the room and shifts the energy in a way that’s hard to put into words.

But embracing neurodiversity shouldn’t mean ignoring suffering. We can honour each child’s unique way of being while still supporting those who are struggling, poorly or in distress. This is about helping all children thrive, especially when their challenges impact their health, communication, connection, or quality of life. Every child deserves to feel well, be supported and stay connected to the many gifts their sensitivity brings.

That’s why I really appreciated this compassionate, nuanced, and balanced article by Dr. Elisa Song, which discusses the possible links between Tylenol, autism, and leucovorin treatment. She shares both what we know and what we don’t, without fear, guilt, or blame, just a commitment to informed, empowered choices and open minded enquiry.

Over the past two years, I’ve been looking more deeply into these questions myself as I’ve witnessed shifts in this generation of children that I can’t easily explain. My friend and colleague, Felicity Evans, tells me she has also witnessed these changes. Since working as a teacher in the 1960s, later founding Nature Kids, an initiative for children unable to manage in mainstream education, and working with many children with developmental and behavioural needs, Felicity has dedicated her life to understanding the links between a child’s health, learning and happiness.

I definitely don’t claim to have all the answers. But I believe we need to keep the door open to all possibilities, not out of fear, but out of love for our children and a desire to understand and support them.

I have deep respect for all children. I see them as our teachers, awakening something vital in us as a collective.

I also have deep respect for all parents, many of whom carry an immense amount of blame and shame on this journey. I truly believe that parents need knowledge, not more judgment, to feel empowered to make the best decisions for their children.

Over the years, I’ve heard inspiring stories of children who have healed or made remarkable progress against what many medical professionals initially said was impossible. These stories remind me that life itself holds a healing intelligence, one that constantly strives for balance and wholeness. We must stay open to possibility, rather than telling parents what their children will never be able to do or become.

We’re living in a time when so many conversations have become deeply polarised, and it’s easy to fall into division. But we won’t move forward by shutting each other down or standing rigidly in one camp. We will move forward by staying in the conversation, by listening and by holding space for complexity. We need to come together as parents, practitioners, educators, and communities, to build bridges, not barriers. Because ultimately, we all want the same thing: for our children to thrive.

There is light and shadow in everything and everyone. My hope is that we can continue to make space for respectful, evidence-informed dialogue while also listening to parents’ voices, trusting intuition, lived experience, and each other as we navigate this path together.

These are also the kinds of topics I’m excited to explore more deeply in my upcoming podcast, Beyond the Label, launching soon. I’ll be speaking with practitioners, parents, and educators as we stay curious together about the questions so many of us are asking.

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I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a clinical psychologist, conscious parenting coach and looking after my seven-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing, subscribing or buying me a coffee helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

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Resonant Parenting Project #57

Just a gentle final reminder that Triggered to Transformed: A Four-Week Journey for Parents of Highly Sensitive, Strong-Willed Children begins this Monday (22nd September at 8 PM UK / 3 PM Eastern / 12 PM Pacific), and registration closes at midnight tonight.

I’d love to welcome you.

This course isn’t about fixing your child or yourself.

It’s about creating space within you, to respond instead of react, and to stay connected to yourself while holding the intensity of your child’s emotions.

It’s about seeing that those hard, triggering moments of parenting not as failures, but as powerful invitations: invitations to grow, to evolve, and to come home to yourself.

Here’s What We’ll Cover in the Course:

Week 1: Discover what conscious parenting really means. Seeing your child as a teacher and understanding triggers as chances to grow.

Week 2: Explore how your childhood shaped your emotional responses and protective patterns.

Week 3: Reflect on your earliest relationships and begin to gently release unhelpful patterns.

Week 4: Practice new ways of relating with yourself and your child, and celebrate your growth.

Each 90-minute session includes:

• Thoughtful presentations with slides

• Reflective journal prompts throughout

• Optional practices for in-between sessions

• Time at the end for questions, sharing, or quiet reflection

There’s absolutely no pressure to speak or have your camera on.
The chat box will be open if you’d like to interact, but you’re also warmly welcome to simply listen and receive.

If something in this feels like a yes, then I'd love to welcome you into this space.

Book Your Place

Meet Your Guide:

I’m Dr. Genevieve, a clinical psychologist, conscious parenting coach, author, community builder and specialist in high sensitivity. For the past twenty years, I have supported children and their families both in the NHS and in private practice.

Over time, I’ve come to see that while strategies and tools can be helpful, the real transformation begins when we, as parents, turn inward.

That’s why this course isn’t just about helping your child regulate — it’s about helping you reconnect with yourself, release old patterns, and step into a more grounded, authentic way of parenting.

My approach blends clinical insight with deep inner work including my current training in Thomas Hübl’s Timeless Wisdom course.

This course is part of a bigger vision I hold: to create safe, resonant healing communities where parents can come together, be witnessed, and feel less alone in the deep, crucial work of raising children.

I’m honoured to bring the heart of my one-to-one work into this group experience. I can’t wait to welcome you into this journey.

What Others Are Saying:

I can't believe how deep Dr. Genevieve's work took us in only a few hours; it is transforming my perspective on myself and my daughter, and I feel so much more able to stay calm and access my love for her! I would whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone who wants to strengthen their ability to parent in a calm and connected way amid challenge and chaos. Kate (Mum of four-year-old)

I want to say a big thank-you to you Dr Genevieve. My son is 10 next week. It feels like it’s taken me a decade to understand him. I’m not saying I will keep myself calm in every moment. But just knowing what is going on for him transforms the way I’m parenting him and will continue to parent him. Amy (Mum of ten-year-old)

What's been so helpful is this framework, because it always felt like chaos but you have been able to make sense of it. So now I can reflect and think: This is why that did work and this is why that didn't work. So that's awesome. Thank you Dr Genevieve! Reva (Mum of eleven-year-old)

It is almost like you put my son into a powerpoint presentation. The course provided so much reassurance, and I really appreciated how simple yet detailed it was. It’s helped me not only recognize traits in my son but also in myself. Harriet (Mum of seven-year-old)

It has been really comforting to speak to people here and hear stories so that you don’t feel like you’re alone. It has really validated with what I’m going through. Whenever you say the word highly sensitive about your child, people look at you in a strange way so I really appreciate the validation. Sonia (Mum of seven-year-old)

I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a conscious parenting coach and looking after my seven-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing or subscribing helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

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My new four-week course “Triggered to Transformed,” starts on 22nd September. Click below to learn more and book your space

Book your space here

Resonant Parenting Project #56

Have you ever noticed how it’s often the everyday moments with your child, when they answer you back, blame you unfairly, ignore you, or resist you that can instantly push your buttons?

That quick automatic reaction, the surge of frustration or anger, a sense of being out of control, often feels like it comes from nowhere.

But what if that moment wasn’t just about your child but an opportunity to meet yourself more deeply.

A deeper lens on triggers

Lately, I’ve been revisiting some teachings from Thomas Hübl as part of the two-year Timeless Wisdom Training I’m currently immersed in. One insight has really stayed with me:

“Our attention often gets caught in loops, circular thinking, ruminating, trying to figure things out with the mind. But real healing begins when we can create space, even in discomfort.”

This really struck me because, so often, when we're triggered as parents, we want to escape the discomfort. We might find ourselves talking too much, trying to fix or correct, raising our voices, or even walking away and disconnecting completely.

Sometimes, we even try to regulate ourselves out of the feeling, taking deep breaths to calm it down or pushing past it quickly. And while calming techniques can be helpful, if we’re using them to manage or bypass what we’re feeling, then the emotion doesn't get fully met. It remains undigested, sitting just beneath the surface, waiting for another moment to be seen, felt, and integrated.

But Hübl invites something different.

He invites us to say yes to what we’re feeling in the moment, even when it feels really hard.

Why saying yes to our feelings creates freedom

So often, something takes over in the moment — a flash of anger, a sharp tone or shutdown. It’s as if we’re no longer in control. Then afterwards, we’re left with guilt, shame, or regret.

You might think to yourself “Why did I say that?” or “I promised myself I would stay calm this time.'“

But this isn’t a sign that you’re failing. It’s your nervous system doing exactly what it was wired to do, to protect you automatically, before your thinking brain has a chance to catch up.

That’s why I like to reframe these triggering moments, not as personal shortcomings, but as invitations to understand ourselves more deeply.

When we say yes to what we’re feeling, whether it’s frustration, sadness, shame, or even the urge to run, instead of pushing it away or judging it, we create a tiny bit of space.

And in that space, something new becomes possible and there’s a flicker of choice.

This doesn’t mean letting go of boundaries or becoming passive. It means making more room inside ourselves so we can respond with greater presence.

Our nervous systems are wired for survival and when we’re triggered, we’re not just reacting to this moment. We’re often reacting to something from the past. A moment when we felt unseen, unsafe or powerless.

But we can learn to notice this, to pause and bring more awareness to what’s happening inside us.

Listening starts with space

If we want to truly listen to our children, we first need to create space within ourselves. We actually don’t need more parenting tips or strategies — we need to cultivate more inner capacity.

Thomas Hübl also said something that landed deeply for me:

“Knowledge can make us arrogant. We stop listening when we think we already know.”

So what if we came to each moment with less certainty and more curiosity? Where we try to meet all the feelings just as they are, without needing to change them.

What if every moment of “difficult” behaviour was a mirror, reflecting something deeper in us, asking to be felt, seen or healed?

Because when we expand our capacity to feel a wider spectrum of our own emotions, we create the safety for our children to feel theirs.

This week’s invitation:

So when you're triggered, I recommend trying this.

• Pause and take one deep breath

• Gently say: “Yes, this is what I’m feeling right now.”

• Notice what shifts, even subtly in your body or awareness.

You might journal on this too “What discomfort am I willing to say yes to today?”

You may be surprised at how much wisdom lives just beneath the surface of your reactivity.

This is what my course Triggered to Transformed starting next Monday is all about.

Triggered to Transformed: A Four-Week Course for Parents

Starts Monday 22nd September at 8PM (UK) / 3PM (Eastern) / 12PM (Pacific)

If you’re parenting a deeply feeling, highly sensitive child and feeling reactive, overwhelmed, or stuck, I’d love to welcome you to this four-week journey which starts next Monday. This course is not about managing your child’s behaviour. It’s about supporting you.

This isn’t about fixing yourself or parenting perfectly. It’s about growing your inner capacity so you can respond with presence and compassion, both for your child and yourself.

Each of the four 90-minute sessions will include:

• Thoughtful presentations with slides, introducing different ideas and tools

• Reflective journal prompts to deepen your awareness throughout

• Optional reflective practices to support you between sessions

There’s absolutely no pressure to turn on your camera or speak unless you want to. The chat box will be open so we can interact if you feel comfortable, but you’re also welcome to simply listen and take it in quietly. This space is designed to be gentle, flexible, and making the course work for your needs.

If you’ve been feeling a call to shift your experience as a parent, I encourage you to listen to that. This course is about more than parenting techniques. It’s about coming home to yourself and learning how to hold your child’s big emotions, without losing sight of your own.

Book your place here

I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a conscious parenting coach and looking after my seven-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing or subscribing helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

My new four-week course “Triggered to Transformed” starts next Monday 22nd September. Click below to learn more and book your space

Book your space here

Resonant Parenting Project #55

I find this clip of Josh Connolly speaking about his own sensitivity as a boy so moving.

In our conversation on his podcast “Dysfunctional” we spoke about high sensitivity in boys, a topic that feels more urgent than ever.

Josh shared how as a highly sensitive boy, adults used to look at him with confusion or even disgust. When he reached high school, he had learned to perform, to hide his sensitivity, his overwhelm had turned into anger, and he had become a "tough, hard lad." He stopped being curious about the world.

And I shared with him, “I’ve seen so many boys like that in my work as a psychologist.”

There’s such a misconception about what sensitivity looks like. It doesn’t always show up as tears. Sometimes it looks like anger, frustration or defiance. Sensitive boys adapt and when they don’t feel seen or understood, they often shut down or act out.

The messages boys receive

For generations, boys, especially the sensitive boys, have absorbed messages about who they’re supposed to be.

“Your intense feelings are not acceptable.”
“You must change.”
“You must toughen up to survive.”
“You must suppress your sensitivity to fit in, be accepted, or be loved.”

Instead of being taught how to handle their emotions, boys have been shamed, criticised, rejected, and labelled and their masculinity questioned.

The result? Many sensitive men have grown up having suppressed their emotions and disconnected from their true selves. This was an intelligent survival strategy in childhood when showing vulnerability felt unsafe. But in adulthood, it leaves them struggling to express themselves and who they truly are.

The bigger picture: the manosphere and modern masculinity

We’re now living in a time when the dominant narratives around boyhood and masculinity are being shaped by the manosphere, a space fuelled by figures like Andrew Tate, where aggression is idolised, misogyny is normalised, and emotions are ridiculed, shaming boys and young men into suppressing their vulnerability.

Boys who are sensitive, curious, and emotionally deep are often left without anchors, no strong adult attachments, no compass and no orientation to help them navigate this distorted messaging.

Many of our boys are vulnerable, insecure and often lonely. And when they’re not experiencing meaningful, trusting relationships with women or with healthy male role models, they become easy targets for manipulation.

Figures like Andrew Tate provide a voice for the boys who don’t have a voice, a scapegoat for their pain and a model of “success” defined by dominance and wealth. It’s not that these boys are inherently drawn to misogyny, it’s that they’re desperate for connection, identity, and a sense of belonging.

This cultural moment helps explain why the Netflix drama Adolescence struck such a powerful chord with viewers worldwide. Becoming Netflix’s second most-watched show ever and yesterday breaking records by winning six Emmy Awards, Adolescence resonates because it taps into the complex realities of growing up male today. It shines a light on the struggles, confusions, and emotional challenges boys face navigating modern masculinity.

How Do We Help?

We need to protect and honour all our sensitive boys before their gifts become buried under silence, addiction or aggression.

So what can help us to support our sons, grandsons our nephews and all boys in our care? Whether we’re parents, family members, teachers or mentors, it’s vital that we stay connected to these boys, even when they pull away or push back. By looking beneath their behaviour, showing empathy, and helping them stay connected to their feelings, we create a foundation of understanding and it’s this collective support that will help sensitive boys feel seen, valued and safe to be themselves.

It’s not always about having big conversations. Often, it’s the everyday moments of simply being present and attuned that matter most. Boys don’t always need to talk, but they do need to feel seen, understood, and accepted. Parallel conversations including chatting while driving, cooking, watching a film, or playing a video game together, can be especially powerful because they don’t require eye contact. Just sharing space can build trust and connection.

The more opportunities boys have to feel connected and to talk about their feelings, the less they’ll feel the need to suppress them. And the less they suppress, the less likely those feelings will turn into something destructive, toward themselves or others.

Even if your son doesn’t open up right away, your presence and willingness to connect will reach him in time, helping him feel safe enough to be himself.

Sensitivity is a strength

Being a highly sensitive boy, the boy who feels all their emotions, who has the capacity for both feeling deep pain and deep joy, who thinks deeply, and is perceptive and intuitive is not a weakness.

These are exactly the traits we need more than ever. Because within sensitivity lies creativity, wisdom, strength, and a deep sense of justice that can transform our world.

Triggered to Transformed: A four-week course for parents starts next Monday 22nd September

Starts Monday, 22nd September | 8PM UK / 3PM Eastern / 12PM Pacific

Parenting a deeply feeling, sensitive, or strong-willed child? Feeling reactive, overwhelmed, or stuck? This course is for you.

In weekly 90-minute live sessions, you’ll learn to understand and regulate your own emotions—building the calm, presence, and connection your child needs.

Only three places remain. Tickets available until midnight UK time, Sunday 21st September. Payment plans and bursaries offered.

Start your journey from reactivity to presence and transform your parenting from the inside out.

Book your place

Further Reading

For more insights on supporting sensitive boys, you might find my previous articles helpful:

• Sensitive Men Rising: Inside the New Documentary

• Men Can Be HSPs Too

I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a conscious parenting coach and looking after my seven-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing or subscribing helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

My new four-week course “Triggered to Transformed,” starts on 22nd September. Click below to learn more and book your space

Book your space here

Resonant Parenting Project #54

I was speaking to my good friend Louis Weinstock yesterday for my new podcast, where we explored neurodiversity through a critical lens looking at how culture, trauma, and environment shape neurodivergent experiences. One of the key ideas we discussed was this concept of collective threat, how we’re living in chaotic and uncertain times, and how, as a result, our nervous systems are collectively in a heightened state of alert.

This has felt especially true since Covid, something I often find myself reflecting on. It feels like a collective trauma that remains largely unprocessed. We moved on so quickly, without the structures or support to help us fully acknowledge and integrate the enormity of what we went through.

Now, we’re living with the constant background noise of war, climate change, and horrific acts of violence. In times like these, it takes so much more effort to stay grounded and present.

When we're in a threat response, we're reactive. We can’t access our reflective capacity or higher levels of self-awareness. Critical thinking becomes extremely difficult. We can’t zoom out and see nuance and we shift into black-and-white, rigid and concrete ways of thinking.

This is something I observe on social media, so many feeding each other’s stress responses, creating a cycle that’s hard to break.

And that’s why, from time to time, for our own wellbeing, we need to take a deep breath, pause, and step back.

Because when we ask ourselves why our children are so stressed, why they’re being resistant to us, why they’re struggling at school, or even just to get into school, we also need to look around us.

Let’s look at ourselves, and gently ask — with compassion, and without judgement — as teachers, parents, and adults in the wider community around these children:

How are we doing? Are we calm, grounded, centred, and present?

And while some of us are okay, many of us are not okay.

We’re stressed, either running on adrenaline, with racing minds and anxious bodies, or feeling flat, numb, and disconnected.

This is why I always begin by working with parents first, helping them to find a sense of stability within themselves so that they’re able to co-regulate their children. Because our children long for us, as adults, to be stable and rooted in a world that often feels uncertain.

It’s also why I see parenthood as a profound opportunity, not for guilt, but for healing. Our children’s nervous systems are mirrors and so many of them are reflecting back the collective stress they’re absorbing every single day.

Some children are incredibly sensitive to this. These are the highly sensitive children, the “orchids,” and approximately 30% of children are biologically wired this way (with another 40% considered"“tulips,” those with moderate sensitivity). They don’t just feel deeply, they take in more data and process deeply. They’re like sponges, absorbing lighting, tone of noise, facial expressions, and subtle emotional shifts.

I was definitely one of those kids and at the time, the only way I knew how to cope was to dissociate, numb, and check out. As I’ve worked on my own inner state, I’ve come to recognise how much I absorb from the environment and how easily I can tip into a state of stress or overwhelm. So now, I work very intentionally each day to slow down, to ground myself, and to stay regulated.

That’s why it feels so troubling when I hear about a child being given a yellow or red card for behaviour that, to me, clearly wasn’t a choice, it was a nervous system state.

A child having a meltdown… blurting things out in class… screaming because their work didn’t turn out the way they hoped isn’t a discipline problem or deliberate defiance. This is a child showing us that they’re overwhelmed, dysregulated and that they don’t know how to feel safe.

All behaviour is communication.

And teachers and parents are doing the best they can, often with limited support and under immense pressure. This isn’t about blame, it’s about acknowledging the unique times we’ve living in and recognising we need shifts.

Shifting Toward Safety and Regulation, Together

How do we as parents, teachers and communities shift our focus away from behaviour, punishment, and consequences, and move towards seeing through the lens of nervous system regulation — for our children and for the adults who care for them? Because until every single child feels safe in their body and in their environment, they can’t be truly well. And without that sense of internal safety, they won’t be able to access their reflective capacity, their critical thinking skills, or the nuance of thought needed to learn, grow, and connect with others.

For our children to feel safe, it starts with us. Parents and teachers need support too, to feel safe in their own bodies, to find grounding practices, and to stay present and attuned amid the challenges of daily life.

This is why I believe so deeply in community healing. We’re social beings and we regulate in relationship. We find grounding, perspective, and resilience in safe, supportive spaces, where we’re reminded that we don’t have to do this alone.

That’s what my course Triggered to Transformed is all about.

Triggered to Transformed: A Four-Week Course for Parents

Starts Monday 22nd September at 8PM (UK) / 3PM (Eastern) / 12PM (Pacific)

Are you parenting a child who is deeply feeling, sensitive, intense, or strong-willed?

Do you find yourself reactive, overwhelmed, and flooded with guilt even though you know what to do?

If you’ve read the books, tried the deep breathing but still feel lost in the moment…

This course is for you.

Triggered to Transformed is a four-week journey for parents who understand that true change begins from within. It’s for those ready to explore their own emotional patterns, meet their triggers with compassion, and show up for their children with more presence and attunement.

Together, we’ll explore:

• How your child’s intensity may be pointing to your own healing

• How to stay regulated in the moments that matter most

• How early emotional patterns and inherited family dynamics show up in parenting

• And how to meet it all with compassion, not shame

You’ll join a small, supportive group of like-minded parents for:

• Weekly 90-minute live sessions

• Guided reflection and embodiment practices

• A safe, non-judgemental space to be seen and supported

This isn’t about fixing yourself, it’s about coming home to yourself, and allowing your own healing to ripple outward through your family.

Starts Monday, 22nd September. at 8PM (UK time) / 3PM (Eastern) / 12PM (Pacific)
Payment plans and bursaries available.

Book your place here

I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a conscious parenting coach and looking after my seven-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing or subscribing helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

My new four-week course “Triggered to Transformed,” starts on 22nd September. Click below to learn more and book your space

Book your space here

Resonant Parenting Project #53

This past weekend, I have been immersed in an online retreat with Thomas Hübl and 450 others from across Europe and America, as part of the two-year Timeless Wisdom Training course.

We were diving deep into something our hyper-rational world so often neglects:
Connecting to our intuition (that part of us that just knows).

The retreat focused on developing our ability to read more than just words — to sense subtle energy, feel beneath the surface, and connect with the often hidden emotional and ancestral layers within ourselves and others.

This is the kind of inner work that truly lights me up.

We live in a world, with education systems and workplaces, that train us to live in our heads. We’re taught to be highly analytical and logical and these are undoubtedly valuable and important skills.

But the problem with placing so much emphasis on developing the rational, analytical parts of the brain is that as a species, we’ve lost touch with a deeper intelligence within us. The part that is embodied, intuitive and carries deeper wisdom beyond the thinking mind.

It’s why so many of us doubt ourselves and go round and round in our heads, feeling indecisive or stuck. We’ve become disconnected from a natural ability and we don’t need to blame or judge ourselves for this.

But we can start to bring more awareness to when we get triggered, and create more space inside ourselves to pause and respond.

Because this capacity, the ability to be with ourselves in the moment, is what allows us to attune to those we love. Especially our children.

Why I Checked out in School and Spent Years Learning to Come Back Home to My Body

As our children start the new school term, I was reflecting today on my own experience of secondary school and how difficult I found it. Not because I wasn’t capable, but because the traditional way of teaching just didn’t work for me.

I used to sit in class and completely check out.

The way information was delivered, a teacher standing at the front, reading from a textbook or lecturing overwhelmed my brain. I’d zone out and daydream. Looking back, I can see it was my nervous system’s way of coping.

I was fortunate that I could cram and memorise things quickly before an exam, which helped me pass my GCSEs and A-levels and get a place at university. But I would forget everything I had learned soon after and nothing really landed.

Since then, it feels like I’ve spent years trying to reprogramme my brain trying to get out of my head and back into my body.

And I often wonder: What if I had never been trained out of my body in the first place Would I have needed to spend so many years in workshops, healing communities and training just to return to something that was once a natural, innate ability?

The Problem Wasn’t me. It was Disconnection

Looking back, I think one of the biggest issues was that many of my teachers weren’t attuning to us. They were delivering content, but they weren’t connecting.

Of course, that’s not true of every teacher. The reason certain teachers stand out is often due to their ability to relate.

I had one such teacher: my Latin teacher Mrs Ingham. She was lively, fun, and playful and because of her, I absolutely loved Latin. It was the one lesson I truly enjoyed and was able to focus in. And it wasn’t really because of the subject itself, but because of how it was taught, through attuned connection.

Teaching methods have definitely improved since the 1990s, and I’m aware that teachers themselves are under enormous pressure to produce high-achieving pupils. That pressure means they often have to prioritise content delivery, pushing through huge amounts of information that students are still expected to memorise and regurgitate for exams.

What if we Taught Children to Truly Attune?

What if our children weren’t just taught facts and memorisation?

What if they were also taught:

• How to track how they’re feeling

• How to stay present with discomfort without needing to label or fix it

• How to listen with presence

• How to sense the emotional world of another human being and simply be with it

What if we could introduce attunement classes into schools, alongside phonics, maths, and science?

Imagine how differently children would relate to one another.

So often in my work, I hear how “mean” children can be to each other.

But what if they had the skills to attune, to slow down, and to really see one another?

Imagine how that would ripple out into relationships, workplaces, and the wider world.

And What if Parents and Teachers Could Learn This too?

What if we, the adults, were given the chance to reconnect with these lost capacities?

What if we could meet our children with fresh eyes, from beginner’s mind
without the layers of interpretation, judgment, labels, diagnoses, or “shoulds”?

This isn’t about abandoning the intellect but about reuniting it with our presence, body, and heart.

Because when we’re attuned to ourselves, we’re far better able to attune to our children.

That’s what my course Triggered to Transformed is all about.

Triggered to Transformed: A Four-Week Course for Parents

Starts Monday 22nd September at 8PM (UK) / 3PM (Eastern) / 12PM (Pacific)

Are you parenting a child who is deeply feeling, sensitive, intense, or strong-willed?

Do you find yourself reactive, overwhelmed, and flooded with guilt even though you know what to do?

If you’ve read the books, tried the deep breathing but still feel lost in the moment…

This course is for you.

Triggered to Transformed is for parents who recognise that the real transformation begins when they start working on themselves.

They begin to see that by understanding themselves more deeply, by feeling their difficult emotions and becoming more present, grounded, and centred — their own inner shifts are what most powerfully support their child.

They start to realise that the moments of being triggered in parenting are actually invitations for growth and evolution. And that when they’re less reactive and more resourced, even in the midst of their child’s struggles, they have greater capacity to respond with awareness, which has a profound ripple effect on the whole family.

Together, we’ll explore:

• How your child’s intensity may be pointing to your own healing

• How to stay regulated in the moments that matter most

• How early emotional patterns and inherited family dynamics show up in parenting

• And how to meet it all with compassion, not shame

You’ll join a small, supportive group of like-minded parents for:

• Weekly 90-minute live sessions

• Guided reflection and embodiment practices

• A safe, non-judgemental space to be seen and supported

This isn’t about fixing yourself, it’s about coming home to yourself, and allowing your own healing to ripple outward through your family.

Starts Monday, 22nd September. at 8PM (UK time) / 3PM (Eastern) / 12PM (Pacific)
Payment plans and bursaries available.

Then join me for Triggered to Transformed, a four-week journey that begins with you.

You’re not failing as a parent. You’re being called to grow.
Parenting is an invitation into deeper self-awareness.
A new term for them. A new path for you.

Book your place here

I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a conscious parenting coach and looking after my seven-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing or subscribing helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

Triggered to Transformed: A Four-Week Course for Parents Starts This September

If you're parenting a child who is deeply feeling, sensitive, intense, or strong-willed…
If you find yourself reactive, overwhelmed, and stuck in guilt afterward…
If you’ve read the books, tried the deep breathing but still feel lost in the moment…

This course is for you. (Early bird tickets on sale until midnight UK time on Monday).

Triggered to Transformed is for parents who recognise that the real transformation begins when they start working on themselves.

They begin to see that by understanding themselves more deeply, by feeling their difficult emotions and becoming more present, grounded, and centred — their own inner shifts are what most powerfully support their child.

They start to realise that the moments of being triggered in parenting are actually invitations for growth and evolution. And that when they’re less reactive and more resourced, even in the midst of their child’s struggles, they have greater capacity to respond with awareness, which has a profound ripple effect on the whole family.

You’ll join a small, supportive group of parents for weekly 90-minute live sessions, guided reflection, and gentle practices that will change the way you relate not only to your child, but to yourself.

Starts Monday, 22nd September. at 8PM (UK time) / 3PM (Eastern) / 12PM (Pacific)
Early Bird Offer: Save 20% when you book before Monday, August 18th at midnight (UK time). Payment plans and bursaries also available.

This course isn’t about fixing everything in four weeks. It’s about starting in the right place, beginning with you and and letting that ripple out — into your parenting, your family, your lineage.

Ready to Parent from a Place of Presence, Not Reactivity?

Then join me for Triggered to Transformed, a four-week journey that begins with you.

You’re not failing as a parent. You’re being called to grow.
Parenting is an invitation into deeper self-awareness.
A new term for them. A new path for you.

Book Your Early Bird Ticket

Resonant Parenting Project #52

As a clinical psychologist and conscious parenting coach, I’ve worked with hundreds of parents and children over the past two decades. And there’s a question I keep coming back to:

Why are so many children today being diagnosed with autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorders, and more — and why does it so often feel like the full story is missing?

I’ve never been content to stop at a label.

Yes, I’ve seen how a diagnosis can bring needed validation, relief and access to support. But I’ve also seen the other side: when a label becomes a limit or a fixed identity. I’ve met young people who begin to believe:

“I’m broken. This is just how I am. I can never change.”

We’re Pathologising the Human Experience

I’m also seeing more and more posts on social media (some helpful, many confusing) and an increasing tendency to pathologise the struggles and pain of the human experience in both children and adults.

I’ve even seen traits like a strong sense of fairness or social justice described as clinical symptoms. But after working closely with sensitive, perceptive kids for over twenty years, I don’t see them as disordered.

I see them as truth-tellers, seers, and often the most emotionally attuned souls in the room, carrying exactly the insight, and empathy our world needs right now.

These are the children who question the status quo and who feel injustice deeply. They often struggle in rigid systems that don’t honour their voice, their energy or their sensitivity.

When they’re not understood, or when they don’t feel safe, they may respond with anger, anxiety, overwhelm, or by shutting down completely.

But that doesn’t mean they’re disordered. It means they’re having valid human responses to the dysfunction around them.

My deep concern is that we’re labelling these children instead of asking what their behaviour is telling us about the world they’re growing up in.

What if the problem isn’t in our children, but around them?

And it’s not just about our children. Many of us adults were those sensitive kids once, too. We’re still carrying the wounds of a culture that told us we were too much, too intense and too emotional. Many of us had to suppress our emotions to fit in and belong. And now, we risk colluding with the very systems that once silenced us by medicalising our own children’s sensitivity.

Introducing my New Podcast: Beyond The Label

This is why I’m launching Beyond the Label, a podcast space for parents, educators, and professionals who feel, deep down, that something deeper is going on with this generation of children.

Together, we’ll explore what lies beneath the rising wave of childhood diagnoses and offer a more holistic, compassionate, and curious lens — one that sees the whole child.

My mission is to dig deep into root causes, not just to name what’s happening, but to ask why it’s happening, and how we heal.

What We’ll Explore:

Each episode will feature conversations with thought leaders, educators, holistic practitioners, parents, and young people on topics such as:

• Movement and body-based therapies (including developmental movement, sports, dance, martial arts)

• Nature and supporting the nervous system

• Nutrition and gut healing

• Trauma-informed approaches to healing

• Breathwork, posture, and the often-overlooked importance of how we breathe

• Hypermobility, sensory sensitivities, and the physical roots of emotional responses

• Secure attachment and connection

• Progressive, child-led educational approaches that honour the whole child

• Ancestral and inter-generational healing

• Conscious parenting in an uncertain, fast-paced world
  

  And so much more…

Parenting as a Path of Healing

I believe parenting these sensitive, strong-willed children is not just a challenge, it’s also one of the most profound invitations we have to heal ourselves and shift our culture.

Because what I’ve come to see with every part of my being is that these children are not broken. They’re our teachers and healers.

They’re highly sensitive, deeply perceptive and wise beyond their years.

And their symptoms are calling us to wake up.

But to truly receive their gifts, we must be willing to do the work to heal our own trauma — individually and collectively. That’s what this podcast is about. Honest, soulful inquiry not just about children, but about all of us.

First Conversations Coming Soon..

Last week, I recorded an interview with the incredible neurodevelopmental therapist Lucy Simmonds whose work with primitive reflexes is changing lives. Her personal story as to how she came to this work is so moving and inspiring.

Just this morning, I had a beautiful conversation with Molly Roberson, who generously shared her knowledge about the role of nutrition in emotional regulation, mood swings, and focus in children. Her insights are practical, hopeful, and grounded.

I have other incredible guests, friends and colleagues lined up, and I can’t wait to share these conversations with you.

Here’s a short clip and quote from a recent late-night Zoom chat with Matthew and our dear friend J’aime (joining us from Costa Rica and supporting the podcast production).

“The beings these children are is magnificent. I see them as so precious… and right now, I feel we are dimming their light. My heart’s desire is to spread the light. For us to see their light, so their light can flourish. To be able to really bear witness to these children, to see their gifts, and their offerings. That’s what they’re here for”

I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a conscious parenting coach and looking after my seven-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing or subscribing helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

Book Now

Resonant Parenting Project #52

Have you ever had one of those parenting moments where your child is whingeing about dinner, ignoring you when you ask them to get ready, squabbling with their sibling, or talking back. Before you know it, your tone turns harsh, you’re shouting, you’re making threats you don’t mean, or shutting down completely, feeling helpless and unsure what to say or do next?

You know this isn’t how you want to respond. You might even notice, in the moment, that your reaction feels bigger than the situation but it’s like something takes over. Afterwards, you’re left with the familiar feelings of guilt and shame, wondering:

“Why did I react like that again?”

You’re not alone.

When I work with parents and we acknowledge how much their children push their buttons, I often see faces relax and exhales of relief. Just naming these moments which can be so intense, confusing and draining is a huge relief.

These reactions don’t come out of nowhere. They come from a deeper place within us, a younger part that has never had space to be fully seen, heard or felt.

So what if those triggers aren’t signs that you’re failing, but invitations for your growth and evolution?

Welcome to Triggered to Transformed

A four-week journey starting this September

This course won’t be focused on changing your child. It’s about understanding your own reactivity and meeting those parts of yourself with curiosity.

We won’t just talk about what to do when your child lashes out, melts down or resists you. We’ll explore why those moments feel so intense, and what they might be revealing within you.

Many parents say to me, “I used to be so calm and patients… until I had kids.”

Our children, especially our highly sensitive, strong-willed ones, have a way of touching the most tender places in us.

Their intense emotions, defiance, or even their playfulness can stir patterns and emotions we didn’t know were still there.

That’s not a sign of failure, it’s a sign something within you is ready to be seen.

I see parenting as a powerful portal not just for supporting your child with more presence, but into more growth and reconnection with yourself.

Earlybird registration is open now and extended until 18th August

If you’re ready to transform your parenting from reaction to presence, I’d love to support you on this journey.

Take advantage of 20% off the full price and secure your place in this small, powerful group.
👉 [Click here to book now]

Book Now

What You’ll Learn:

• Understand how your highly sensitive, deeply feeling, intense, strong-willed child pushes your buttons

• Gently explore your own early experiences and how they shape your emotional responses as a parent

• Learn to attune to your nervous system and cultivate grounded presence in moments of overwhelm

• Reconnect with your inner child and develop a kinder, more compassionate relationship with yourself

• Shift from reactive patterns to presence, creating a more consistent, safe space for you and your family

If you’re ready to move beyond simply managing behaviours and step into a deeper understanding of yourself and your child, this journey is for you. Because healing begins within and when you heal, your whole family feels it.

Spaces are limited to keep the group intimate and supportive. Reserve your spot today and start your journey from Triggered to Transformed.

Course Details:

🗓 Start Date: Monday 22nd September 2025
🕗 Time: 8:00–9:30pm UK / 3:00pm-4:30pm NY / 12:00pm-1:30pm LA
💻 Where: Live on Zoom (recordings available)
💰 Cost: £185
🌱 Earlybird: £148 until 10th August
💳 Payment Plans: Available
🎁 Bursaries: A few supported spots available
👥 Group Size: Small & intimate for depth and safety

Earlybird pricing ends Monday 18th August so don’t miss your chance to join this intimate, powerful group.

We’re the generation breaking cycles. The self-aware ones willing to turn inward, to feel what was never felt, and to respond with understanding. When we do this work, we’re not just healing ourselves, we’re healing and creating a more authentic future for our children and generations to come.

P.S. I know how tough it can be to navigate the ups and downs of parenting. If you’re feeling unsure whether this course is right for you, please respond to this message and I can answer questions you may have.

Course Booking Here

I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a conscious parenting coach and looking after my seven-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing or subscribing helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

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Resonant Parenting Project #51

Are you parenting a highly sensitive, deeply feeling, intense, strong-willed child who seems to know exactly how to press your buttons?

You’ve read the books. You’ve tried the breathing techniques. Maybe you've even done therapy.

You know what to do but in the heat of the moment, it’s like something else takes over.

You find yourself stuck in the same loops: triggered, reactive, overwhelmed….then flooded with guilt.

You’re not alone.

What if we considered that being a parent isn’t just about your child — but an invitation to go inward?

If so, I’m delighted to announce that I’ve just opened up bookings for my new four-week online course starting Monday, 22nd September 2025 at 20:00 UK time (GMT) / 15:00 New York (EST) / 12:00 Los Angeles (PST):

Triggered to Transformed: A Four-Week Journey for Parents of Highly Sensitive, Strong-Willed Children

Places are limited, and EarlyBird pricing is available for the next two weeks only until August 10th.

That’s 20% off the full course price so if you’re thinking of joining, I encourage you to book early to avoid disappointment.

Book Now

Why This Course?

When parents first come to me, they usually ask for tips and tools to better support their highly sensitive child. And while having a toolbox can be helpful, what they often realise early on is that the real transformation begins when they start working on themselves.

They begin to see that by understanding themselves more deeply, by feeling their difficult emotions and becoming more present, grounded, and centred — their own inner shifts are what most powerfully support their child.

They start to realise that the moments of being triggered in parenting are actually invitations for growth and evolution. And that when they’re less reactive and more resourced, even in the midst of their child’s struggles, they have greater capacity to respond with awareness which has a profound ripple effect on the whole family.

I know the idea of joining a group can feel intimidating. So I want to reassure you that this is completely normal and okay. Many parents feel the same way and know you’ll be warmly welcomed, just as you are. There’s never any pressure to speak or share, and you’re completely free to keep your camera off if that’s what feels best.

Each session will begin with a five-minute guided check-in with a gentle invitation to pause, breathe, and notice what’s present in your thoughts, body, and emotions.

From there, I’ll offer a short talk, guide you through some journaling prompts, and then open the space for optional questions or sharing. You’re just as welcome to simply listen and absorb — which can be equally powerful.

As a parent, I know how busy the days can get, leaving little time to pause and process.

That’s why I’m offering this nourishing, supportive space. A 90-minute weekly invitation to come home to yourself. A chance to step out of the daily hecticness, reflect, and begin to explore what’s really happening beneath the surface when you feel triggered or overwhelmed.

This Course Is For You If:

• You have done the reading, the therapy, the podcasts but still feel hijacked by reactivity

• You know your child is pressing old wounds but don't know the next step to healing.

• You feel shame, guilt, or confusion after outbursts and want to learn to be gentler and kinder with yourself.

• You wish to move from insight to showing up differently and being more consistent.

• You’re struggling to stay grounded in the face of your child’s big emotions and you’re open to exploring how your own inner world plays a role

• You have moments of feeling alone, misunderstood, or judged and crave a village of parents on the same conscious path

What We’ll Explore Together:

Week 1: What Is Conscious Parenting, Really?
– Your child as your teacher
– Triggers as invitations to grow
– Nervous system co-regulation

Week 2: Understanding Your Childhood Self
– Exploring how early experiences shaped your emotional responses
– Recognising the protective strategies you developed
– Reconnecting with the parts of you that long for care, safety, and understanding

Week 3: Exploring Your Earliest Relationships
– Gently reflecting on how your early bonds shaped the way you relate today
– Noticing patterns and emotional habits passed down through generations
– Beginning to release what no longer serves you with compassion

Week 4: Integration & Celebration
– Reflecting on what you’ve learned and how it’s showing up in daily life
– Honouring your growth and the journey you’ve taken
– A space for creativity and expression — bring a poem, story, song, or anything meaningful to share (optional!)
– Marking your journey with a gentle closing and celebration

What Makes This Course Different?

This is not another parenting course offering tips and tools you’ve already tried.
Triggered to Transformed is a guided, experiential journey into the heart of parenting a sensitive, strong-willed child.

These four weeks aren’t just about your child.

They’re about you because you are worthy of time, space, and care. You deserve the chance to pause, reflect, and reconnect with yourself not just as a parent, but as a whole human being.

Parenting is intense, beautiful, and often overwhelming.

And we were never meant to carry this all alone.

I often say that our highly sensitive children are like tuning forks, picking up on what we carry beneath the surface. Often they don’t need more managing but they do need our presence, our steadiness and our self-connection.

These four weeks are not about fixing yourself. It’s about reconnecting and remembering who you are — gently coming home to the parts of you that may not have been fully seen, attuned to, or expressed.

This is how we break the cycle — the emotional burdens, survival patterns, and generational pain that were never ours to begin with.

And as you begin to reconnect with your own inner world, your child often begins to feel it and they will respond.

You become more resourced and grounded. And that changes everything, creating a family environment rooted in safety and connection, where you and your child can truly thrive.

Meet Your Guide:

I’m Dr. Genevieve, a clinical psychologist, conscious parenting coach, author, community builder and specialist in high sensitivity. For the past twenty years, I have supported children and their families both in the NHS and in private practice.

Over time, I’ve come to see that while strategies and tools can be helpful, the real transformation begins when we, as parents, turn inward.

That’s why this course isn’t just about helping your child regulate — it’s about helping you reconnect with yourself, release old patterns, and step into a more grounded, authentic way of parenting.

My approach blends clinical insight with deep inner work including my current training in Thomas Hübl’s Timeless Wisdom course.

This course is part of a bigger vision I hold: to create safe, resonant healing communities where parents can come together, be witnessed, and feel less alone in the deep, crucial work of raising children.

I’m honoured to bring the heart of my one-to-one work into this group experience. I can’t wait to welcome you into this journey.

Course Details:

🗓 Start Date: Monday 22nd September 2025
🕗 Time: 8:00–9:30pm UK / 3:00pm-4:30pm NY / 12:00pm-1:30pm LA
💻 Where: Live on Zoom (recordings available)
💰 Cost: £185
🌱 Earlybird: £148 until 10th August
💳 Payment Plans: Available
🎁 Bursaries: A few supported spots available
👥 Group Size: Small & intimate for depth and safety

Triggered to Transformed isn’t about fixing everything in four weeks. It’s about starting in the right place, beginning with you and and letting that ripple out — into your parenting, your family, your lineage.

Ready to Parent from a Place of Presence, Not Reactivity?

Then join me for Triggered to Transformed — a four-week journey that begins with you.

You’re not failing as a parent. You’re being called to grow.”
Parenting is the trigger to invite you to deeper awareness and growth.
A new term for them. A new path for you.

👉 [Click here to reserve your place]

Book Here

What Others Are Saying:

I can't believe how deep Dr. Genevieve's work took us in only a few hours; it is transforming my perspective on myself and my daughter, and I feel so much more able to stay calm and access my love for her! I would whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone who wants to strengthen their ability to parent in a calm and connected way amid challenge and chaos. Kate (Mum of four-year-old)

I want to say a big thank-you to you Dr Genevieve. My son is 10 next week. It feels like it’s taken me a decade to understand him. I’m not saying I will keep myself calm in every moment. But just knowing what is going on for him transforms the way I’m parenting him and will continue to parent him. Amy (Mum of ten-year-old)

What's been so helpful is this framework, because it always felt like chaos but you have been able to make sense of it. So now I can reflect and think: This is why that did work and this is why that didn't work. So that's awesome. Thank you Dr Genevieve! Reva (Mum of eleven-year-old)

It is almost like you put my son into a powerpoint presentation. The course provided so much reassurance, and I really appreciated how simple yet detailed it was. It’s helped me not only recognize traits in my son but also in myself. Harriet (Mum of seven-year-old)

It has been really comforting to speak to people here and hear stories so that you don’t feel like you’re alone. It has really validated with what I’m going through. Whenever you say the word highly sensitive about your child, people look at you in a strange way so I really appreciate the validation. Sonia (Mum of seven-year-old)

P.S. I know how tough it can be to navigate the ups and downs of parenting. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure whether this course is right for you, please respond to this message and I can answer questions you may have.

I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a conscious parenting coach and looking after my seven-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing or subscribing helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

Subscribe now

Community has been on my mind a lot recently.

Just last week, we held our four-day annual retreat for highly sensitive people at the beautiful Selgars Mill in Devon. The retreat is always a highlight of the year. I also joined a podcast conversation with Josh Connolly where we went deep into topics including highly sensitive children, and the importance of supportive community. I’ve recently wrapped up my latest five-week course, Trust Your Instincts: Confident Parenting for Highly Sensitive, Strong-Willed Children.

In response to the energy and enthusiasm from this group, I’m excited to announce the launch of a WhatsApp broadcast channel designed especially for parents raising the next generation of highly sensitive children.

This space is for you if you’re seeking:

✅ Weekly parenting inspiration & emotional pick-me-ups (around twice a week)
✅ Early access to my courses, events & retreats (online and in person)
✅ Invitations to The Resonant Parenting Room — a monthly drop-in Zoom group (second Monday of each month at 8 PM GMT) where parents gather to share support, insight, and conscious parenting practices

This is a broadcast-only channel, which means no chatter or replies from members. Just me popping into your WhatsApp with supportive messages, tips and encouragement.

Join the WhatsApp Group

And for those of you who’ve worked with me, attended one of my courses or retreats, or join the monthly drop in Zoom sessions, there’s also a more interactive group. It's a space for those wanting a bit more connection, community, and reflection.

As a Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years’ experience, I know how challenging parenting this next generation of highly sensitive children can be and how powerful consistent reminders and support for reflection can be.

I look forward to welcoming you to the community!

Join the WhatsApp Group

Subscribe now

I write the Resonant Parenting Project in between my work as a clinical psychologist, conscious parenting coach and looking after my seven-year-old daughter Matilda. Any support from readers through liking, sharing, or subscribing helps make this work sustainable. Thank you!

Leave a comment