What is Fawn? Fawn is a stress response that allows us to imitate a “safe and social” ventral vagal state, even when we are feeling threatened. It happens when it is either not possible, or it would increase danger to ourselves, to Fight or Flee (high sympathetic responses) from the perceived threat. It is also … Continue reading An exploration of the Fawn stress response
Healthy Aggression: What is it, and how can we embody more of it?
Healthy aggression happens when we have "Fight" activation from our sympathetic nervous system, and simultaneously have the grounded presence of a safe ventral vagal state, which helps to keep our response under our control. Sympathetic activation is a powerful messenger, bringing our attention to things we perceive to be threats to our own or others' … Continue reading Healthy Aggression: What is it, and how can we embody more of it?
The “safe” ventral vagal dominant state
Some call it “Safe and Social” … Others call it “Calm and Connected” … Whatever we call it, it refers to the "regulated" state we are in when our autonomic nervous system senses safety, and our ventral vagal nerve complex, which helps us to engage socially with other people, is “switched on”. As you can … Continue reading The “safe” ventral vagal dominant state
Boredom is NOT the key to creativity
You’ll often hear experts saying that boredom is the key to creativity, but I disagree! Our children’s sense of boredom can often stem from a nervous system state of mild Freeze (the underlying tension of sympathetic activation, with an overlay of immobilization from the dorsal vagal complex). The lethargy, collapsed posture, blank stares, and monotonous … Continue reading Boredom is NOT the key to creativity
It’s never too late!
A lot of parents go through periods where they feel like they’ve lost their way with their child. When a sense of stress, discomfort and disconnection has taken centre stage in the relationship with them. We might have guilt or fear from something that has happened earlier in our relationship with them, or we might … Continue reading It’s never too late!
Would you like to rewire for more joy and connection in your parenting?
Are you committed to a style of parenting that emphasises kindness, empathy, compassion, and connection, but find yourself getting snappy with your kids or flying off the handle, or sometimes just wanting to run away? And then feeling wracked with sadness and guilt because that’s not the way you want to parent? Or maybe find … Continue reading Would you like to rewire for more joy and connection in your parenting?
Registrations now open!
The details of the next round of our 8-week online program, "Rewire Through Regulation and Repair", have now been finalised, and we're now accepting registrations! It’s a supportive group program based on connection parenting, somatic integration, and polyvagal theory, that can help you transform your habitual stress responses with mind-body based and nervous system aware … Continue reading Registrations now open!
Exciting news!
EXCITING NEWS! Angela Hill (of Kinnect) and I are currently finalising the details of the next round of our 8-week Zoom program for mums and dads, Rewire Through Regulation and Repair, to be run in October-November! It is an attachment informed and nervous system aware program, that supports you with a body-mind approach to help transform … Continue reading Exciting news!
Finding the “just right” position when listening to our child’s feelings
Have you ever had your child tell you to “Go away!” when they're upset, and you’re trying to listen to and support them as they move through their big feelings? It can sometimes be hard not to take this personally, but it is more helpful to take it as our child’s best way of communicating … Continue reading Finding the “just right” position when listening to our child’s feelings
Helping kids adjust to being a sibling
The birth of a sibling can be such a big transition for little ones. It's also a time where we as parents can be stretched to our limits, meeting the round the clock needs of our newborn, and experiencing the resultant sleep deprivation. As a result, it is really common to see some behaviour arising … Continue reading Helping kids adjust to being a sibling
Here With You Parenting 