Early Years Parent Counselling
Are you exhausted by broken sleep and early risers? Does your toddler struggle to play with other children? Maybe you wish your children would get along better with each other.
In the early years from babies, toddlers and pre-school, parents often struggle with emotional and behavioural issues that typify development at each stage. These include: establishing sleeping patterns, healthy eating, coping with tantrums, sibling rivalry, setting and holding boundaries and playing and sharing with friends. Parents may want to set up their parenting style and relationships for the future and can feel overwhelmed at the amount of parenting advice available.
Our therapists can offer practical, tailored advice and a contained space to reflect on the kind of parent you want to be.
The early years (from 0-5) are a very special time where children develop at their fastest rate. But it is also a uniquely challenging time when the demands of parenting are particularly physical and hands on. For this reason it is also perhaps the area of parenting that has the most dedicated literature and opinions of how to encourage children to sleep, eat, listen, calm down etc. This can add to the pressure and overwhelming feelings that parents already experience. Learn more, about our parent counselling sessions or Book Today.
Our Experts in Early Years Development
Kati Mencer
Psychotherapeutic Child Counsellor
I have worked with children and parents for 20 years, starting as a school teacher, Montessori educator/trainer, and then as a child and parent counsellor.
Karen Lever
Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist
I manage therapeutic services in two London primary schools, as well as supporting trainee psychotherapists. I also work clinically with children
Helen Curren-Anaman
Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist
I have over 20 years of experience practicing within private, public, and charity settings offering consultations for children, young people, and families.
Adriana Buzetto
Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist
I am a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist also trained in Child-Parent Relationship Therapy, working with children, adolescents, and families for over 15 years in the UK, Spain, and Brazil.
Beatrice Norville
Systematic Family & Child Parent Relationship Therapy Practitioner
I am a Counsellor (adults, children and young people), Systemic Family Practitioner (families and couples), Child Parent Relationship Therapy Practitioner (parents). I am passionately committed to supporting parents and their families with their struggles.
Our early years service will ensure that parents feel heard and receive advice that fits with their unique parent-child relationship and life circumstances. Clinicians take a person centred and collaborative approach. This ensures that parents have an opportunity to offload and freely express their concerns and can think with a specialist about how to prioritise strategies that will bring about smoother routines and a calmer household. Parents will receive a mixture of effective tools and also the relational framework that is essential in understanding their efficacy and providing the confidence to deviate where necessary.
Take the first step and work out what support you and your family might need in the future. Sometimes one therapeutic conversation can be enough to renew your confidence and equip you with fresh ideas to move forward. Get in touch to learn more, or Book Today.
Parenting Blog
- Why do we Read Books to Children?
We are constantly told that reading to young children is a good thing, usually in terms of learning to read, expanding vocabulary and getting ahead educationally. But the truth is that books do so much more. During challenging times there can be nothing more comforting than a book that resonates, enlightens or just seems to understand…. Read more. - Play for Attachment & Emotional Regulation
Engaging in child-led, one-to-one play on a regular basis is a key element of building attachment and supporting children’s development. This type of play is something that parents do naturally with pre verbal and very young children but do so less with older ages, however it continues to be hugely beneficial and a great tool for addressing a wide range of relational and behavioural concerns…. Read more. - Emotional Regulation: Small Children, Big Feelings
Small people have big feelings. It’s normal for children to be overwhelmed by emotions regularly and they rely on us to soothe and bring them back to a state of calm. Think of babies and how often they need holding and comforting, toddlers who can dissolve into tears over the wrong colour pants and adolescents who explode when we say the ‘wrong’ thing. Emotional regulation is something we develop as part of growing up, however for some these feelings can feel excessively big and not always easy to manage…. Read more.
Additional Parent Resources
There are many exceptional resources for parents available online but it can be hard to find them if you don’t know where to look. Our team has compiled a list of recommended organisations, website and helplines for a wide range of parenting concerns. As well as support for more serious mental health issues, you’ll find our latest creations and recommendations of parenting videos, podcasts and books to add to your reading list. Learn more…
Book Recommendations
“What Mothers Do” by Naomi Stadlen. An affirming collection of stories and accounts from new mothers that unpicks the complex and undervalued role of mothering.
“How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7” by Joanne Faber and Julie King. A highly practical guide to perfecting communication with young children in a way that meets their developmental needs.
“Good Inside: A Practical Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be” by Dr Becky Kennedy. An easy to understand guide for tackling a wide range of issues including separation anxiety, sibling rivalry, tantrums and more.
“Parenting Siblings without Rivalry” by Sandra D. Coon. A comprehensive guide to how and why rivalry develops and strategies for supporting more harmonious sibling relationships.
“It’s OK not to Share and Other Renegade Rules for Raising Competent and Compassionate Kids” by Heather Shumaker. An engaging book that explores many of the outdated parenting approaches and strategies from past generations and offering more effective alternatives.
“How to be a Calm Parent” by Sarah Ockwell-Smith. A refreshing approach in that it focuses on parents and the factors behind their parenting choices and struggles, rather than offering solutions focused on child behaviours.
FAQs
Why do young children struggle to manage emotions?
Young children are still developing the parts of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, impulse control and communication. Strong emotions can feel overwhelming and difficult to make sense of, particularly when children are tired, hungry, anxious or experiencing change. Emotional outbursts are often a child’s way of communicating that they need support, connection or reassurance.
What is emotionally typical behaviour in early childhood?
Early childhood is a time of rapid emotional development. Tantrums, frustration, clinginess, worries, testing boundaries and difficulty sharing feelings can all be part of typical development. Every child develops differently, but emotionally responsive relationships and consistent support help children gradually learn to manage emotions more confidently.
How can parents support emotional development at home?
Children learn about emotions through relationships. Naming feelings, listening calmly, validating emotions and modelling healthy ways to cope with stress all help children develop emotional awareness and resilience. Predictable routines, play, connection and feeling emotionally safe also support healthy development.
Why does my child become overwhelmed so quickly?
Children can become overwhelmed when emotions, sensory experiences, expectations or transitions exceed what they can currently manage. Some children are naturally more emotionally sensitive, while factors such as anxiety, neurodiversity, tiredness, stress or change can also increase overwhelm. Behaviour is often a sign that a child is struggling rather than simply “misbehaving”.
How can I help my child with transitions and change?
Transitions can feel unsettling for young children because they involve uncertainty and loss of predictability. Preparing children in advance, using visual routines, keeping goodbyes calm and consistent, and acknowledging feelings can help children feel safer during change. Patience and repetition are often important during periods of adjustment.
What helps children feel emotionally safe?
Children feel emotionally safe when they experience consistent care, warmth, connection and predictable boundaries. Feeling listened to, accepted and comforted during difficult moments helps children develop trust in both themselves and the adults around them. Emotional safety supports confidence, learning and healthy relationships.
How do I respond calmly to tantrums and emotional outbursts?
Remaining calm can help children feel emotionally contained when they are overwhelmed. Although this can be difficult, trying to respond with curiosity rather than punishment often helps more in the long term. Simple language, reassurance, calm boundaries and helping children feel understood can support emotional regulation over time.
When should parents seek additional emotional support for a young child?
Additional support may be helpful if emotional or behavioural difficulties are persistent, affecting family life, relationships or nursery/school experiences, or if parents feel increasingly worried or unsure how to help. Seeking support early can provide reassurance, guidance and a better understanding of what may be contributing to a child’s difficulties.
