Children's mental health

I almost spilled my tea when I listened to the news yesterday morning.

Radio 4 reported that in England roughly 1 in 10 children – that's about 1 million young people – had an active referral to mental health services last year (2024/25 period).

This is twice as many children than in 2018/2019 and 10% up from last year (23/24 period).

And apart from active referrals, NHS Digital published these numbers in 2022:

18% of children aged 7 to 16 years and

22% of young people aged 17 to 24 years

experienced a probable mental disorder

Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner for England was quoted as saying:

“Demand is rising faster than systems can respond … and it is showing the sheer scale of distress young people are facing.”

The most common referral reason was for anxiety.

My heart goes out to these kids and their families and what I always find slightly frustrating is that we see and hear the headlines, maybe some case studies, but hardly ever any practical suggestions on how to support these kids.

"I thought I had a shoulder problem.

It turns out I had a tension problem.

As my shoulders softened, so did my anxiety."

Trish

I don't believe there is one magic answer and I believe there are so many ways that families can help their children with - and it can make at least a start if not a real difference.

Limiting social media would certainly be one of the suggestions at the top of my list. Closely followed by more time spent in nature. And, of course, movement.

I really believe that movement heals (almost) all wounds. Whether that's running, cycling, climbing trees, swimming, walking the dog, playing football (have we already seen an uptake in football now that the World Cup is on?) or whatever the individual is interested in.

Movement changes how we feel.

And I also believe it doesn't have to be expensive.

Of course, if a child – or an adult – experiences severe depression, we need more, although, all the above could potentially complement any treatments or help during the time the individual is sitting on a long waiting list.

Therapies could also be an option, whether that's talking, play or music therapy. Sadly not every parent is able to pay for these on an ongoing basis, although some trainee counsellors are offering low-cost sessions, which might be an option.

And, of course, another possibility is for the child – as well as the parent, parents or carer – to learn TRE.

I've quoted psychotherapist Bessel van der Kolk, the author of the bestseller The Body Keeps the Score on numerous occasions and want to share again what he said in a lecture I attended.

“Nobody talked you into anxiety, why do you expect you can talk yourself out of it?”

“Wow”, I thought when I heard his statement and it makes so much sense.

Because anxiety doesn't only live in our thoughts, it lives in the body, too. It can show up in tight muscles, shallow breathing, restless sleep, tummy aches, clenched jaws and nervous systems that never switch off.

Usually we think – or try to think – our way out of it because we see the issue as simply mental and logical.

Well, it's not, because we shouldn't separate the mind from the body.

The body, the muscles – the psoas muscle in particular, that's why it's also called the muscle of the soul – the tissues, the fascia … store emotions such as sadness, fear, anger etc.

TRE works with the body and invites its natural tremoring mechanism – a reflex all mammals have and it is the core of TRE – to help release built-up tension and encourage nervous system regulation.

Many of my clients appreciate that they don't have to explain everything they've been through and find this hugely liberating.

"As somebody who finds it difficult to talk about personal issues,

TRE felt much more accessible.

I could simply show up, follow the process and

notice the changes for myself."

Theo

The body simply gets permission to do what it already knows how to do - naturally getting rid of 'stuff' we don't need anymore by 'simply' and literally shaking it off.

Like a dog does after a stressful incident – and then life is good again.

"I was thinking of my dog, he shakes it off …

and then feels alright -

and now I do the same.”

Anne

Whether it’s physical discomfort like headaches, back pain, teeth grinding, digestive issues or emotional challenges like anxiety, worries, sadness or anger, TRE can potentially help with any of these symptoms.

And let me share the preliminary findings of a study exploring TRE with teenagers experiencing anxiety, worries or low mood.

The researchers didn't only look at the adolescents. They also looked at their parents or carers, their stress levels and the relationship between parent and child.

• Depression, anxiety and ruminant thinking scales in teenagers went down considerably:

  
  

• Depression scores dropped from 17 to 9

• Anxiety levels decreased from 14 to 6

• Ruminative thinking reduced from 50 to 36

The benefits extended to mothers as well, with stress perception and ruminative thinking scores improving:

• Stress perception fell from 36 to 31

• Ruminative thinking decreased from 40 to 36

TRE can be a natural, safe and effective solution – with no nasty side effects – for anxiety and low mood and can calm worries, because a well-regulated nervous system is the foundation for emotional resilience and overall well-being.

"I still experience stress like everybody else,

but it no longer feels as though my nervous system

is permanently stuck on high alert."

Pam

What's more, practising TRE with your child/children or teenager/s can strengthen the bond and create a ripple effect within families, because when one nervous system becomes calmer, it often influences the people around it.

TRE isn't a replacement for medical or psychological care and it certainly isn't a cure-all, but it can complement other forms of therapy nicely and can be practised in the first instance.

It may offer families another tool, one that's innate, natural, body-based and empowering, one that children and parents can practise together. I believe every family – well, everybody and every body – deserves as many safe and effective options as possible.

If you're a parent or carer wondering whether TRE might be a good fit for your family, I'd be happy to have a fact-finding chat and answer any questions.

And throughout July I'm also offering discounted sessions for parents or carers who would like to learn alongside their child or teenager, I invite you to get in touch to discuss.