Mental Health, Anxiety and Highly Sensitive Children with Jacquie Ward

In this episode, I’m joined by Jacquie Ward, a psychologist who specialises in child and adolescent mental health.

We talk about the realities of mental health in schools, and this conversation doesn't happen nearly enough.

If you’ve ever wondered how mental health and anxiety show up in your classroom or why children some children feel things so deeply, then this episode is for you.

Jacquie and I talk about:

• The real signs of mental health struggles in children often get missed.
• Why the ‘big behaviours’ might be masking anxiety and how to shift your lens to catch it early
• The difference between highly sensitive children and anxiety and how to support these kids without burning yourself out.
• How to catch the subtle (and not-so-subtle) signals that a child is struggling with anxiety, whether they’re acting out or quietly shutting down.
• What does it mean to be highly sensitive, and how is it different from anxiety
• How teachers can adjust their classroom environment to cater to anxious or highly sensitive children without adding more work or stress to your day.
• How to manage anxiety and help children self regulate so the whole classroom can function better.

The way we’ve been taught to support behaviour isn’t working because we are not addressing what’s going on underneath for these children. I am hosting a masterclass with two AMAZING guests leading the way in this space next week.

We’ll show you how you CAN create classrooms where kids feel safe, connected and ready to learn. Grab your ticket here

Resources Mentioned

• Hey Warrior by Karen Young - A brilliant book that breaks down how anxiety shows up in children and what we can do about it

Connect with Jacquie

• Website: jacquieward.com.au
• Instagram: @jacquie_ward_
• Billy’s Brilliant Butterflies - Jacquie’s new children's book

Connect with Em

• Website: emmagentle.com.au
• Instagram: @em_gentle
• LinkedIn