Child Therapy Toolbox

13/04/2026

What children show in play… often tells us more than words ever could.

Children don’t always say:
“I’m anxious”
“I’m overwhelmed”

But they do show us.

Through play, you might notice:
• Repetition
• Hiding or burying
• Building or destroying
• Creating stories

This isn’t random.

👉 It’s communication.

Play is how children:
Process
Express
Make sense of their world

And when we begin to notice these patterns with curiosity rather than judgement…

We begin to understand our children more deeply.

💛

What have you noticed in your child’s play?

12/04/2026

✨ The kind of self-care no one talks about ✨

Self-care isn’t always what we see online.

It’s not always:
• Time alone
• Doing something relaxing
• Having everything feel calm

Sometimes…

Self-care looks like:
• Pausing before you react
• Taking a breath when you feel overwhelmed
• Choosing connection instead of control
• Repairing after a hard moment

Because parenting is not just about raising a child…

It’s about managing everything that comes up in you along the way.

And that’s not easy.

But when you begin to understand yourself -
your triggers, your patterns, your responses -

You don’t just change your experience…

👉 You change your child’s experience too.

💛

What does self-care look like for you right now?

11/04/2026

I’d love to hear from you 🤍

When I run workshops, I always try to base them around what parents, teachers, and caregivers are actually needing support with.

Because every child is different…
And so are the challenges we face with them.

So I’m curious -

👉 What are you finding most challenging right now?

It could be:
• Big emotions
• Behaviour
• Anxiety
• Connection
• Something else entirely

If you feel comfortable, you’re welcome to share below.

It really helps me shape content, tools, and workshops that are meaningful and relevant 🤍

09/04/2026

Connection helps children feel safe…

But they still need a way to show you what’s inside.

When a child can’t find the words, try this:

🖍️ The Worry Page

Ask:
“Can you draw what your worry looks like?”

Let them:
• Choose colours for each feeling
• Draw freely (no right or wrong)

Then stay with them.

Not to fix.
Not to solve.

Just to notice… and listen.

Because when feelings go onto paper…

They feel less overwhelming.

And a little easier to hold.

This is one of the many simple, powerful tools we use in expressive therapy work 🌈

If you’re wanting more ideas like this, I’ll be sharing them in my upcoming workshops 💛

Save this for when worries feel big

08/04/2026

You don’t always have to remove the worry… sometimes you can help a child reshape it 🌪️🌸

07/04/2026

DONT FORGET TO REGISTER!!!!

The previous Overloaded Child workshop had over 150 parents and teachers attend, all looking to better understand why so many children today seem overwhelmed, dysregulated, or struggling to cope 🥺

Due to the strong interest, I will be running the workshop again for those who missed it.

We explore:
• What overload in children actually looks like
• How stress affects the brain and behaviour
• More constructive ways to respond and support children

The Overloaded Child – Online Workshop

📅 15 April 2026
⏰ 7:00–8:30pm
💰 R200 per person

Presented by Lauren Snailham, Clinical Psychologist

To register:
📧 laurensnailham@yahoo.com

07/04/2026

Connection doesn’t take extra time…

It lives in the small moments.

A name.
A glance.
A quiet check-in.

These are the moments that help children feel safe enough to learn.

Save this for your week ahead 🤍

And send it to a teacher who needs this reminder 😊

06/04/2026

✨ 5 Minutes That Change Everything ✨

Connection comes before cooperation.

Before the lessons.
Before the expectations.
Before the routines…

Take 5 minutes.

Look at each child.
Make eye contact.
Let them feel that you see them.

It doesn’t have to be perfect.

It can be small moments:
• In the corridor
• Before break
• As the class settles

Because when children feel seen and safe…

They settle.
They engage.
They learn.

Send this to a teacher who needs this 💛

03/04/2026

Activity idea 2 💡 & upcoming workshop 🌈

✨ TRY THIS IN YOUR NEXT SESSION ✨

Big feelings can feel scary… until we give them a face.

👾 Draw a “Feeling Monster”

Suddenly:
– anger becomes something we can talk to
– anxiety becomes something we can understand
– emotions feel less overwhelming

We’re not getting rid of the monster…
We’re getting curious about it.

💛 That’s where the magic happens.

If you’d like to join the next ‘Understanding Children’s Drawings’ online workshop where practical tools and activities form a big part of the learning - email laurensnailham@yahoo.com or put your email in the comments 😊

02/04/2026

UPCOMING ONLINE WORKSHOPS for therapists ☀️

Children don’t all speak the same “language” in therapy.

Some show us through drawing 🖍️
Some through play 🧸🚗
Some through sand, LEGO, or nature 🌳🏜️

The more ways we can meet them, the deeper the work can go.

These experiential workshops are designed to expand your therapeutic toolkit - giving you practical, creative approaches you can use immediately in the therapy room.

Because when we widen our approach, we strengthen the bridge between a child’s inner world and our understanding.

📧 Email laurensnailham@yahoo.com for more info or to register 😊

Feel free to share with colleagues who may be interested.

02/04/2026

Amazing idea 🪨🛞🚗☀️🌳

Turn old tires into a fun backyard play area! 🚧 Stack them up, create plank roads over gravel and mulch, and add toy construction truck for open ended play 🚜💛

02/04/2026

✨ Teacher Self-Care Isn’t a Luxury - It’s Leadership ✨

As this short holiday begins, here’s something important to remember:

When you take care of yourself, you’re not stepping away from your role…you’re strengthening it.

🧠 A regulated teacher creates a regulated classroom.
❤️ A connected teacher builds connected learners.
🌱 A calm nervous system invites calm into the space.

Self-care doesn’t have to be big or perfect. It can look like:
• Slowing down your mornings
• Taking a walk in nature
• Sitting in silence with a cup of tea
• Saying “no” without guilt
• Doing something just because you enjoy it

Because when you reconnect with yourself, you show up more present, more patient, and more grounded.

And children feel that.

They respond to it.
They settle into it.
They grow within it.

🌿 This holiday, give yourself permission to rest, reset, and reconnect.

Your wellbeing is not separate from your teaching -
it’s the foundation of it.