The Emotionally Healthy School | Iron Mill College
Family Events
As the world becomes more complex for young people and as anxiety levels increase, what role might schools play in creating emotionally healthy spaces where mental health issues can be tackled confidently and sensitively by practitioners in the field?
In this conference, we explore ways for this to happen.
A friendly, low cost, networking conference which offers an opportunity to learn new strategies and information, share experiences and develop emotional health in your school and practice. The conference offers a range of workshops and presentations supported by the counselling profession and staff and students from Iron Mill College.
Of interest to all practitioners interested in the development of emotionally healthy schools, including school counsellors and psychotherapists, teachers, pastoral care, emotional literacy and parent support practitioners.
Topics Include:
School Counselling – Policy and Practice
Eating Disorders
Ecotherapy
Transactional Analysis for Kids
Neurodiversity
Supervision in Education
Family Systems
Young People as Digital Natives
Tickets are limited and include lunch and refreshments by Lynn’s Bistro.
Speaker One - Jo Holmes
Counselling Young People and Families Policy Update in the World of School-Based Counselling
Jo Holmes is the Children, Young People and Families Lead based within the Policy Team at BACP. Jo’s background was initially youth work, leading youth participation health-based programmes, she later retrained as a person-centred counsellor, developing a counselling service in a secondary school. Jo has worked with children and young people spanning over 30 years in a range of local authority, school, third sector and health settings. Jo now campaigns for free at the point-of-access counselling for children, young people and young adults (up to the age of 25) as well as paid work for the counselling profession. Jo is also the safeguarding lead for BACP.
Speaker Two - Hannah McKie and Georgeana Gibbins
Disordered Eating and Body Image
SWEDA (South West Eating Disorders Association) offers a range of therapeutic support for children and young people with disordered eating or who may be struggling with body image concerns. Hannah McKie and Georgeana Gibbins will consider aspects of this work, including the impact of disordered eating and how to support a young person with this within the school environment.
Speaker Three - Dr Marilyn McGowan
Let’s Get Digital
Generation Alpha learn digital skills from almost the moment they are born. Dr Marilyn McGowan, a school counsellor and supervisor, considers how the therapeutic landscape is being changed by the digital revolution
Emma Pritchard
Introduction to Integrating Nature into Your Counselling Practice
The power of nature in a world of environmental change is healing and available for all. Emma Pritchard, counsellor and tutor, offers an experiential outside workshop to show how woodland spaces and school gardens can enhance therapeutic interventions in school including self-care for practitioners.
Emily Carey Smith
Superpower or Kryptonite? It’s not always what you think, Understanding Neurodivergence
This engaging and interactive workshop offers a personal and practical exploration of neurodiversity, with a focus on ADHD across life stages. Through experiential activities, myth-busting exercises, and therapeutic reflection, we’ll unpack masking, emotional responses, and the shifting presentation of neurodivergence. You’ll explore tailored strategies and holistic approaches to support neurodivergent clients, while considering the challenges and opportunities that arise in practice.
Sally Dyer
Three voices inside my head
In this workshop, Three Voices In My Head, Sally considers how children and young people might react to trauma. Faced with adverse early life experiences, young people might carry painful messages from events that become entrenched and cause inescapable triggered responses. She shows how to use understanding and strategies from transactional analysis to change unhelpful communication patterns in children, helping them move towards healthier relationships and behaviour.
Delena Ritter
Familiarise yourself with Family Therapy
There is an increasing focus on support for parents who are seeking extra help to support their young people in navigating peer relationships, family troubles, school anxieties and cyber problems. Delena Ritter, counsellor and tutor, will offer invaluable insight into family systems that practitioners can use to help parents in schools.
Veronica Rosello
Supervision and the Emotionally Healthy School - Bridging the Gap
Details coming soon
SWEDA
SWEDA (South West Eating Disorders Association) offers a range of support services for children and young people with an eating disorder or for those who are concerned about someone with an eating disorder, including support and guidance sessions, counselling and support. Hannah McKie will consider aspects of this work, including how eating disorders affect the body image of young people.
Information Source: Iron Mill College CPD | eventbrite