Why I Started Working with Children and Anxiety

If you had asked me when I first started training whether I would work with children, I probably would have said no, because it wasn’t something I had planned or even considered as part of my path at the time.

It actually happened quite unexpectedly.

I was studying additional units focused on IBS and gut-related anxiety, which I had naturally been drawn to because of how closely the mind and body are connected, and during one of the sessions the trainer made a passing comment that she didn’t personally work with children, but there was a real need for it, and something about that stayed with me in a quiet but persistent way.

It wasn’t a big moment or a sudden decision, just a thought that kept coming back.

At the same time, like many parents, I had already seen first-hand how anxiety can show up in a child, and how it doesn’t always come out in obvious ways or clear words, but instead appears in behaviour, in confidence, or even physically in the body, and I remember thinking why is it that so many people seem to shy away from working with children in this area when the need is clearly there.

That question stayed with me, and over time it started to shift how I saw my work.

I found myself thinking, what if we helped children earlier, before patterns become deeply ingrained and much harder to change, and what if children could grow up without carrying the same anxiety patterns that so many adults are now trying to work through later in life, often after years of feeling stuck or overwhelmed.

I still work with adults and see the impact these patterns can have over time, which is exactly why this shift felt so important to me, because there is something very powerful about being able to step in earlier. There is also a real sense of satisfaction in seeing a child leave a session calmer, lighter, and more themselves than when they walked in, often after struggling in ways they didn’t fully understand.

That was really the point where things began to change for me.

We now know that many mental health patterns begin early in life, with around half of all mental health difficulties established by the age of 14, and in the UK around one in five children and young people are currently experiencing a mental health difficulty, while at the same time hundreds of children are being referred to mental health services for anxiety every single day, which highlights not only how common this is but how much support is needed at the right time.

For me, this is not about focusing on statistics, but about understanding what they represent, which is a growing number of children who are struggling in ways that are often not fully seen or understood, and who could benefit from support that helps them make sense of what is happening in their mind and body.

What really shaped my decision was the understanding that if you can help a child early, you are not just helping them feel better in the moment, but you are helping to shape how they respond to stress, uncertainty, and challenges as they grow, which can have a lasting impact on their confidence, their resilience, and their overall wellbeing.

In the work I do now, what I see again and again is that children often respond quickly when they are supported in the right way, because they have not yet built years of reinforced patterns and are naturally more open and adaptable when things are explained clearly and in a way that makes sense to them, and very often once they understand what is happening, the intensity of what they are feeling begins to ease.

Looking back, working with children was not something I set out to do, but it has become one of the most meaningful parts of my work, because if we can support children earlier, we are not just helping them cope with anxiety in the moment, we are helping them move forward without carrying unnecessary patterns into their future.

If you are noticing signs of anxiety in your child and are unsure what to do next, I offer structured support for children and teens that helps them understand and shift these patterns in a way that feels manageable and practical, and you can learn more here:
👉 Children 8-12 Years

👉 Teens 13+

Or you can book an initial consultation to talk through what is happening and how best to support your child.