Emotion Coaching

One in six children struggle with poor mental health and half of all mental health issues begin by age 14. It doesn’t have to be this way. Would your child or young person benefit from Emotion Coaching?

The pressures of modern life—such as social media, academic stress, bullying and family difficulties—can create feelings of overwhelm in children and young people. At Emotionally Healthy Minds (EHM), we are here to help.

It’s normal for children to experience a whole spectrum of emotions. However, if your child struggles with emotional overwhelm regularly, they may benefit from Emotion Coaching.

We provide one-to-one and group well-being and Emotion Coaching sessions, offering emotional health support using preventative strategies and coping tools.

“My daughter has grown a lot in confidence regarding acknowledging, accepting and understanding her emotions that she feels so strongly. She has learnt tools for easing her emotions and learning to let go. She is confident with her emotional intelligence and can verbalise what she feels and why.’

Amanda

“My family contacted Emotionally Healthy Minds around eight months ago when our daughter was having self esteem issues and struggles expressing her emotions. She initially attended weekly sessions at EHM and now has moved to bi-weekly sessions as she is doing so well. She really enjoys her sessions and the difference in her has been incredible. She is calmer and happier and expresses how she is feeling with ease.”

Victoria

“As a family we have so much to thank Emotionally Healthy Minds for. The EHM team could not have been more supportive and from the first point of contact I felt that not only my daughter but myself as her parent were going to be looked after and listened to. Within the first couple of sessions we saw a significant increase in her confidence, happiness and determination.”

Marie

“Sarah worked tirelessly to first build a strong relationship with my very closed off boy. All concerns as a parent have been listened to and I have gained such a better knowledge of my boy through him being supported at Emotionally Healthy Minds. I now truly understand the phrase, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and I believe without EHM, my boy would be in a very different situation.”

Kelly

The Benefits of Emotion Coaching

Learning to identify and manage emotions, a skill called ‘self-regulation,’ is vital to emotional health. Many children, especially those with ADHD, autism or anxiety, find self-regulation particularly challenging. To help children self-regulate effectively, they need to be taught specific skills and given opportunities to practise these when they are calm.

Through Emotion Coaching at EHM, children learn how emotions work and how to manage them in a safe and healthy way. This approach takes time but can greatly strengthen relationships and prepare children for future challenges.

Research shows that children who understand and manage their emotions experience these benefits:

To learn more about the latest research behind Emotion Coaching, visit emotioncoachinguk.com.

We support your child or young person in:

Increasing self-awareness
Developing positive coping strategies
Navigating change
Building self-confidence
Managing anxiety and stress
Self-regulation techniques
Understanding, identifying and managing emotions
Learning how the brain works

What Does Emotion Coaching Look Like at Emotionally Healthy Minds?

We provide personalised coaching that supports the growth and development of your child. Our coaching process is structured to ensure consistent progress and meaningful outcomes over time.

Our Coaching Process:

Goal Setting

Every six weeks, we collaboratively set a specific and achievable goal with you and your child. This goal serves as the focal point of our coaching sessions during the following six-week period.

Weekly Sessions

Throughout the six-week period, we conduct regular sessions tailored to your child's unique needs and preferences. These sessions are designed to provide a supportive and empowering environment, ensuring each session is bespoke and individually planned.

Feedback to Parents

After every session, we provide brief feedback to you, the parents, summarising the session’s discussions, areas for improvement, and suggestions for continued support at home.

Progress Review

At the end of each six-week cycle, we reflect on the goal set, conducting a comprehensive review of progress, assessing achievements, challenges, and lessons learned during the coaching process.

Goal Adaptation

Based on progress and feedback, we either set a new goal for the next cycle or adapt the existing goal to better align with your child's evolving needs and aspirations.

Our approach is designed to foster continuous growth, self-awareness, and resilience in your child. Through close collaboration and open communication, we aim to maximise the benefits of coaching, empowering your child to thrive in all aspects of life.

When a child experiences strong emotions, they can “flip their lid”—disengaging their rational thinking brain and becoming overwhelmed by their emotions

What is Emotion Coaching?

Emotion Coaching is a practical, evidence-based approach that helps children and young people understand their feelings in the moment. Through this process, they learn how emotions work, how to recognise them and how to respond in healthy ways. While it can take time, Emotion Coaching strengthens relationships and prepares children to face life’s challenges.

Emotion Coaching was initially developed by US psychologist Dr. John Gottman in 1997 as a parenting strategy. Dr. Gottman found that children parented through Emotion Coaching had better emotional control, improved attention spans, increased motivation, and stronger social relationships. They also performed better academically.

It’s crucial to recognise the significance of emotions and understand that every emotion is valid. Problems arise when we cannot identify or manage these emotions effectively, which can negatively impact mental and physical health.

Emotion Coaching is based on the latest insights from neuroscience, helping us understand how children’s brains respond to stress, emotions, and connections. Our brains learn by creating connections between neurons, and new experiences strengthen these connections over time. When a child experiences strong emotions, they can “flip their lid”—disengaging their rational thinking brain and becoming overwhelmed by emotions. Emotion Coaching helps to re-establish the connection between the thinking brain and emotions, allowing children to regulate themselves, calm down, and approach the situation with a rational mindset.

Coaching or Counselling?

It’s important to note Emotion Coaching is different to Counselling. If we feel that it would be more beneficial for your child to see a Counsellor or Therapist then we will discuss this with you. Please see our ‘What is the Difference Between Coaching and Counselling?’ article for more information.

Choosing the right Emotion Coach

Every child is different—and so is the support they need. Some may feel more at ease with a male coach, while others may thrive in creative, art-based sessions. At Emotionally Healthy Minds, we understand that for coaching to be effective, children must feel safe, understood and comfortable. That’s why we prioritise getting the match just right.

Our experienced team offers emotion coaching that is carefully tailored to each child’s unique emotional needs and learning style. Each of our coaches brings their own strengths, approaches and personalities, and we take great care in pairing your child with someone who complements their individual way of learning and relating.

Through our sessions, we support children and young people in understanding and managing their emotions, reducing anxiety, building confidence and developing healthy, lasting coping strategies.

Emotion coaching at Emotionally Healthy Minds is about helping children not only succeed in their learning but also develop the essential emotional skills to lead fulfilled, independent lives. After all, emotionally healthy children grow into emotionally healthy adults.

Safeguarding and Checks

rAt EHM, safeguarding is a top priority. Our coaches are amazing, with specialised training in areas such as counselling and coaching. They are fully insured, undergo daily checks through the DBS update service and undergo regular safeguarding training, ensuring our safeguarding practices are as comprehensive and reliable as possible.

Read our Safeguarding Policy Statement here.

Parenting Support: Working Hand in Hand with Emotion Coaching

We understand that supporting a child’s emotional wellbeing isn’t something we can do in isolation. Whilst our Emotion Coaching helps children develop the skills to understand and manage their feelings, lasting change happens when the whole family is involved.

Both Sarah and Ange offer different kinds of support through our Parent Consultations services, tailored to meet your family’s unique needs. To find out more about how we can help you, please visit our Consultancy page here.

Sarah

Parenting Support & Emotional Wellbeing Consultant

Ange

SEN & EHCP Consultant

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are your coaches?

Our coaches are professionals with backgrounds in education, counselling and/or coaching. They are trained to work with children and young people, helping them develop skills in areas such as emotional regulation, resilience and social interactions.

When is the best time to start coaching?

Coaching can be beneficial at any stage, but it’s especially effective when a child faces challenges that impact their confidence, social skills or emotional well-being. Starting coaching early helps prevent these issues from affecting other areas of their life, such as academic performance or relationships. Our coaching approach is preventative rather than reactive—we equip children with tools to handle ‘smaller’ issues before they escalate. However, it is worth noting that even if an issue seems minor, like losing a toy, it can feel overwhelming to a child. Addressing these concerns early helps them to develop skills that will be invaluable when larger challenges arise.

What age groups do you offer coaching to?

We offer coaching to children and young people aged 4 to 18.

What can you help with?

Our coaching services address a wide range of issues, including anxiety, low self-esteem, social skills, stress management and developing a positive mindset. We also help students set and achieve personal goals, whether academic or related to personal development.

How long are the sessions?

Coaching sessions typically last 60 minutes, allowing enough time to explore issues in depth while keeping the session engaging, creative, and focused.

What does a typical coaching session look like?

A typical coaching session at EHM is interactive and student-centred. It may include discussions, activities, games and creative exercises like painting, Play-Doh, clay work, colouring or drawing. These activities enrich our conversations and help explore emotions in a comfortable setting. Our sessions aim to put children and young people at ease, allowing them to safely explore their feelings, set goals and develop strategies to overcome challenges. Our coaches create a supportive environment where young people feel listened to, heard, empowered and motivated to make positive changes.

What is the difference between counselling and coaching?

Counselling and emotion coaching are both valuable approaches for personal development but they serve different purposes and are used in different contexts.

Please see our ‘What is the Difference Between Coaching and Counselling?’ article for more information.