Over the years my school coaching work has given me the opportunity to work with many young people from very varied backgrounds. I have had some of the most humbling experiences when working with ‘Looked After Children’.

A looked after child is a young person who can be:

• Subject to an interim care order
• Accommodated by the local authority
• On a full care order or emergency protection order
• Remanded by a court into local authority accommodation or youth detention accommodation

These young people have often had a very challenging start to life. Most of them have had little guidance, support, consistency or stability in their lives. Many have been exposed to physical/mental abuse, neglect, abandonment or things they should never have to see at such a young age.

Stability and consistency is something that most of my looked after students would choose given the chance. It is very common to find out that they have had multiple foster placements and social workers.

What I have noticed as I work with young people who are looked after is that they are outstanding at being resilient, flexible and open-minded. Their ability to bounce back when life is tough just astounds me.

Many of them go on to be volunteers or ambassadors working with youth charities and organisations. By sharing their experience they help to refine and improve processes and assist other looked after children as they go through a similar experience to themselves.

My work with these young people is both heart-breaking and mind blowing when you learn what they have had to deal with at a very early age. I find the maturity, strength and resilience with these students is simply amazing and I feel very honoured to have the opportunity to work with them and make a difference to their lives.

If you know of a young person that is struggling in life and would benefit from life coaching then please contact me.

Young people are so amazing to work with and their ideas and approach to life can be so inspirational and innovative.

Whenever I do an anxiety workshop in school, I always come away learning something new from my students.

Their enthusiasm and willingness to share their experiences means that everyone always leaves with something to think about or do at a later date.

Their facial expression, body language and tonality is so infectious. The way that they want to capture their experiences is also very interesting and we use a variety of different methods from:

• Lists
• Mind-Maps
• Drawings
• Verbal Communication

Working collaboratively with other students of a similar age means that they feel less inhibited and more able to share their personal experiences.

On this workshop I had assistance from an older student who had also suffered from anxiety. My year 11 students appreciated hearing about their anxiety journey and what had worked for them to keep stress levels down. They also enjoyed my older student taking part in their group exercises and supporting them through the workshop.

The student feedback from my workshops is positive and by building their self-awareness, creating a toolbox of coping strategies and identifying their support network most of them reduce their anxiety significantly.

If you know of a young person that is struggling with anxiety around school/exams or on a personal basis, or a group of students that would benefit from my anxiety workshop then please contact me.