My name is Carol and I set up Chatterminds to support children and their families with the ups and downs of life.
Creating a fun and nurturing space
As a parent and an ex-teacher, my personal experiences are at the centre of everything that I do.
I feel passionate about prioritising and valuing children’s well-being and mental health so that they can get the most out of life.
It is really important to me that Chatterminds is a fun, creative, nurturing space for families to learn all about their feelings. To develop a tool kit of strategies to get the most out of the good bits of life but also to become more resilient and confident in challenging times.
How anxiety has affected me
Having experienced anxiety since childhood, I understand the huge effect it can have on life.
When I was a child, I used to spend a lot of time worrying. I was bullied at school and this had a massive impact on my life. I didn’t want to go to school, I found it scary and over time it made me very anxious and unable to sleep. I also had phobia where I was scared about being sick (or others being sick).
Services like Chatterminds didn’t exist when I was a child. Actually, all I needed was someone to tell me I was OK and to teach me about my feelings (and how to manage them.) I needed to hear that it is ‘OK not to be OK’, and that lots of people feel anxious about things, even adults. I needed support to become resilient in school and life.
How mindfulness has helped me
Mindfulness has completely changed my life. It was through discovering mindfulness that I realised just how much I had been struggling and how much happier I could be.
I now relate differently to my thoughts. I observe them rather than get carried away by them. Thoughts could take over my days and weeks but by practising mindfulness, I am now more present with day to day family life. This has massively impacted my parenting and how I deal with stress. Mindfulness does not eliminate stress but it helps me to respond more skilfully to life’s challenging moments.
My experience
I have over 20 years of teaching experience; in inner city Bristol schools, special educational needs schools and work placements in America, The Cayman Islands and Namibia. During this time, I have worked with, and taught children and young people ranging from 3 -18 years of age, often with a variety of complex needs.
My experience in the classroom has enabled me to introduce mindfulness practices to my students, with rewarding results. I have developed my knowledge and have gained qualifications from Bangor University and MiSP.
I cannot emphasise enough how much I relate to the challenges of being a parent (I have a two children). Even though I teach mindfulness and have lots of experience with children, I don’t always get it right. I value self-care and compassion, recognising that we are all human and doing the best we can. I suffered with PND after having both of my children, so I know how important it is to take care of your mind and body.
Since I have been on this mindfulness journey, as a family we have learnt to appreciate each other more and the time we spend together. We also manage stressful moments far more effectively.
Can Chatterminds help you?
Qualifications
Ba(Hons) QTS
Understanding Autistic Spectrum Disorders Certification
Outstanding Teacher Programme certification
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher Training Retreat Level 2
Speech, Language & Communication Needs certification
Trained to teach .b mindfulness curriculum – Mindfulness in Schools Project
Certified teacher in mindfulness-based approaches with a specialism in MBSR from Bangor University
Trained to teach Paws .b mindfulness curriculum – Mindfulness in Schools Project
Safeguarding and Child Protection certification
“My daughter is now much better at talking about her feelings and recognising when she needs a moment to work out how she feels. She had this to say: “I like the crafts and making things, it’s really fun. The crafts are things that can help you when you feel angry or stressed. I really like Carol because she is always kind and happy and helpful. I would give her five out of five stars!”