Beyond Child Therapy: Empowering Parents on the Mental Health Journey with Anna Guildford

Today, Wendy is joined by Anna Guildford, who for 25+ years has worked as a mental health nurse, systematic practitioner, DBT therapist, supervisor and coach. Anna now also runs her own private coaching practice.

She specialises in helping parents with children who have emotional or MH related difficulties. Instead of only focusing on the child, Anna sees the power of creating space and time for parents to really think; about themselves, their families, their emotions and their own identity. As a trained systemic practitioner (family therapy approach) she draws on her clinical background to offer a bespoke approach.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Modern pressures, e.g. Social media, academic demands, and reduced family time are contributing to the rise in youth mental health issues.

When parents are helped to adapt their parenting style they become better equipped, so are more effective at helping their children with mental health issues.

Open, non-blaming communication between parents and adolescents fosters trust.

Approach conversations with a spirit of curiosity instead of being judgmental or being confrontational.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills—such as mindfulness, emotion regulation, and validation—are valuable tools for both parents and young people navigating emotional difficulties. Anna teaches these skills and more.

BEST MOMENTS

“If you can support changes within a family, sometimes that can make all the difference for a child.”

“It's normal to feel kind of guilt and a bit of shame as a parent when things aren't going the way that you might want them to in your family.”

“Don't panic … most parents won't get through the adolescent phase completely unscathed.”

“ Joy isn't something to have once everything else is done, you've got to kind of force it in. That's how you're going to have a healthier emotional life.”

“What happens if we’re not on the ends (of the seesaw), but we both come into the middle?”

ABOUT THE GUEST

Anna welcomes enquiries from parents directly, as well as professionals working with children who would like to refer parents for coaching as part of a bigger package.

Email - [email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/annaguildfordcoach/

VALUABLE RESOURCES

www.wendycastelino.com

https://www.instagram.com/wendycastelino/

https://www.youtube.com/@wendycastelino798

https://twitter.com/WendyCastelino

ABOUT THE HOST

Wendy Castelino has been working as a psychotherapist for over thirty-five years. As an accredited CBT and EMDR practitioner, she is committed to upholding the rigorous standards required for these accreditations and helping thousands of people reach their full potential.

Wendy currently runs a private practice where her focus is on CBT. Therapy is constantly evolving into developing new techniques, so she studies hard to integrate them into her therapy, to provide a rich and effective experience.

Wendy is aware that working in one-to-one therapy limits the number of people she can see. She has, therefore, created a range of online resources. These resources are designed to be easy to follow and provide clear, step-by-step instructions. This can help the individual to master skills and gain confidence, therefore optimising the therapy sessions. They are also suitable to be used on their own.

Further details are available at: WendyCastelino.com.

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/