I realised that many children weren’t struggling because they couldn’t learn—they were struggling because they couldn’t access learning.
People often ask me how Emotionally Healthy Minds began, and the honest answer is that it wasn’t something I ever planned.
If you’d asked me twenty years ago, when I was training to be a teacher, what my career would look like, I would never have imagined I’d be doing what I do today. Even then, I had a feeling that teaching might be a stepping stone to something else, I just had absolutely no idea what that “something else” would be.
So I became a teacher, and I loved it.
I loved working with children, building relationships and finding creative ways to bring learning to life. Give me a Christmas performance to write or a class assembly to organise and I was in my element. Those are still some of the things I miss most.
The Reception Class That Changed Everything
Around ten years ago, I taught a Reception class that changed the direction of my career.
I’d never experienced behaviour like it before. Some children became distressed if they lost a game or had to wait their turn. Others struggled with change or became overwhelmed when things didn’t go as they expected. Some children hurt each other and, occasionally, they hurt us too.
As a staff team, we cared deeply about every child but, if I’m honest, we didn’t always know how best to help them.
I remember going home one day with a single thought that refused to leave me: There has to be a better way.
That question stayed with me. I started reading everything I could about attachment, child development, trauma and the neuroscience behind behaviour. The more I learned, the more questions I had.
Eventually, I began training as a counsellor and suddenly, everything started to make sense.
I realised that many children weren’t struggling because they couldn’t learn, they were struggling because they couldn’t access learning.
Some were anxious. Some were overwhelmed. Some were carrying difficult experiences that nobody else could see. Others had completely lost confidence in themselves. No matter how carefully I planned my lessons, learning would always be difficult if a child’s brain was focused on surviving rather than feeling safe.
Learning to Ask Better Questions
Looking back now, I realise that Reception class didn’t just change my career, it changed the questions I was asking.
Instead of asking, “How do we manage this behaviour?” I found myself asking, “What is this behaviour trying to communicate?”
Instead of asking, “Why won’t this child learn?” I began asking, “What is stopping them from feeling safe enough to learn?”
Those questions continue to shape everything we do at Emotionally Healthy Minds today but another question began to emerge:
What would happen if we put emotional wellbeing first?
What if we created environments where emotional wellbeing and education worked together instead of being treated as separate things?
I didn’t know it at the time, but that question would eventually become the foundation of Emotionally Healthy Minds.
Following the Need
Leaving teaching wasn’t easy. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made because schools had been my world for so many years. I also knew that schools were working under enormous pressure. Teachers care deeply about the children they support, but they can’t always provide the level of individual emotional support that some children need to truly thrive.
I wanted to create something that gave children more time, more understanding and more personalised support than was often possible within the constraints of the education system.
There wasn’t a grand business plan or a carefully mapped-out five-year strategy. We’ve simply tried to follow the need. Whenever we’ve asked ourselves, “Where can we make the biggest difference?”, the answer has usually shaped what we’ve done next.
Emotionally Healthy Minds began with just one child. He’s still with us today and I still love seeing him walk through our doors each week.
Building Something Special
When we first opened our centre in South Woodham Ferrers, it was just me in a building that suddenly felt much bigger than I’d imagined.
Then I received a message from Nina asking if we could meet for coffee. She told me she felt there was something special about Emotionally Healthy Minds and wanted to find out more. The following year she joined the team.
After that, something unexpected started happening. More teachers, tutors, emotion coaches and counsellors started getting in touch because they wanted to be part of what was being built.
If you’d told me then that just a few years later we’d have a thriving team supporting children and families across Essex, I honestly don’t think I would have believed you.
Today, when I walk into the centre, it’s full of children, families and an incredible team of professionals. Every now and then I stop, look around and remember those early days.
What Children Have Taught Me
One of the greatest privileges of this journey has been watching children rediscover belief in themselves.
Some of the children who come to us have experienced anxiety, emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), SEND, exclusion or significant barriers to learning. Many arrive believing they’re “bad”, “stupid” or that they’ll never succeed.
What continues to amaze me is how often those same children begin to thrive once they feel emotionally safe.
It isn’t because we have a magic solution. It’s because we slow things down and build relationships first; we take time to understand what lies beneath the behaviour.
Seeing children begin to believe in themselves again is one of the greatest privileges of this whole journey. As a result, I’m regularly reminded that behaviour is communication and every child has a story worth listening to.
Given the right relationships, the right environment and adults who genuinely seek to understand them, children can achieve far more than they often believe is possible.
How Emotionally Healthy Minds Has Grown
Today, Emotionally Healthy Minds supports children, families, schools and Local Authorities across Essex through four connected areas of work:
- Supporting Children Emotionally
Through emotion coaching and counselling, we support children with SEND, anxiety, low confidence, emotional regulation difficulties and EBSA (Emotionally Based School Avoidance). - Supporting Children Academically
Our qualified teachers provide personalised, emotionally informed support including regular tutoring, help with gaps in learning and support for children who are struggling to engage with education. - Empowering Parents and Carers
Our parent and carer consultations help families understand their child’s needs, build confidence and explore practical strategies for home. - Equipping Schools and Professionals
We deliver training, workshops for students and parents, and can offer consultancy to help schools and organisations support children more effectively.
Although our services have grown, our purpose hasn’t changed. Everything we do is built around one belief: Children thrive when emotional wellbeing comes first.
Looking Ahead
People often ask whether I’m proud of how much Emotionally Healthy Minds has grown. Of course I am. But I’m far prouder of the children.
The child who walked through our doors believing they were “stupid” but left believing in themselves again.
The young person who hadn’t attended school for months but gradually found the confidence to re-engage with learning.
The family who told us, “We’ve got our child back.”
Those moments are what this has always been about.
We have exciting plans for the future, including expanding our support for schools, developing new services for children and families, and making Emotionally Healthy Minds available to more communities through franchising. We try to hold our plans lightly though and will continue to follow the need, just as we always have.
Looking back, I never planned to start Emotionally Healthy Minds. Now, I can’t imagine doing anything else.
Whether you’re a parent looking for support, a school seeking to strengthen emotional wellbeing, or a professional wanting to work together, we’d be delighted to have a conversation and explore how Emotionally Healthy Minds may be able to help—please get in touch.
