About Me
A guide to more personal happiness
Hi, I'm Carrie
I'm a Well-Being and Parenting Coach using a mix of modalities that include embodied mindfulness, Yoga, bodywork and the parenting model of Hand in Hand Parenting.
Hand in Hand Parenting provides insight, information and tools to help guide parents through the sometimes difficult and confusing aspects of being a parent.
I thought I was prepared for parenthood when my 2 boys were born in 2010 and 2013. I had a vision of the sort of parent I wanted to be and was relatively comfortable in being able to achieve that vision, however, the demands and challenges of this role soon left me feeling overwhelmed and the vision was far from the reality.
Having to cope with the sleepless nights, tantrums, siblings fighting, aggression, & separation anxiety was exhausting and soul destroying. I'd read all the books but hadn't found the practical tools of what to do in these situations and how to even leave the house with all the stress never mind how to get through each day.
So, seven years ago I decided to enrol on the Hand in Hand Parenting course. It was eye opening and invaluable in guiding me through the stages of child development, the insights enabled me to understand the behaviour of my children and how to respond in a loving caring way. The many tools were essential in helping me to manage those dreaded confrontations and the insights helped me to realise what might be behind their behaviour and how to respond in a compassionate manner. Soon I found I was evolving from the parent I didn’t want to be, to the more grounded, confident and happy parent that I wanted to be.
Becoming a parent is a major change in your life and it’s the one thing we aren't trained for but expect ourselves to be good at. I found Hand in Hand Parenting so valuable and life changing that I wanted to be able to pass that information on to other parents. I undertook that training course 6 years ago and qualified to be a Certified Trainer for Hand in Hand Parenting.
Background
My life has always been influenced by the alternative therapy field. My Mum is a BWY Yoga teacher and I worked in the family health food shop in the 80’s. It was a natural progression to immerse myself in this field and I undertook training in alternative therapies and worked as a Holistic Therapist in London in 2000. Over several years I explored the effect stress has on the body and how to reduce anxiety. As someone who experienced difficulties in school, I wanted to work with children as I now understand that early childhood is when issues start for many people and this led to me working in schools with children.
I worked in schools for 10 years across ages 4-16 in both 1:1 and group settings with hard to reach and at-risk children. Extending my knowledge base with training in early attachment, Yoga courses in trauma, mental health awareness, and classroom-based peer massage. I teach yoga and mindfulness practices alongside emotional intelligence to help children deal with anxiety, behavioural problems and difficult life events.
My experience led me to work as a creative mentor supporting children in the care system.
After having my own children and experiencing the effect of stress in mine and other families I was very glad to find the Hand in Hand Parenting organisation and training. My work now blends together and has become a collaboration to tailor-make 1:1 sessions for the whole family as well as running group Hand in Hand Parenting courses.