Supporting our Children’s Mental Health & Well-being
Organised and funded by the PTA, featuring Dr Katrin Scanlan, katrinscanlan.com and dr.kscanlan@gmail.com
Podcast
Coordinated and sponsored by the PTA, James Wellings had the privilege of talking to Dr. Katrin Scanlan, a trilingual clinical psychologist living in the south of France, about children's well-being and mental health.
Please feel free to listen to this podcast which will be of use to all parents!!"Supporting our children’s Mental Health & Well-being" podcast is available via this LINK.
Online and non-local Mental Health resources
Podcasts
Mindfulness for Teens and Middle Schoolers
The Teen Life Coach
The Verywell Mind podcast with therapist Amy Morin
Films
Netflix: The Mind Explained
Netflix: The Social Dilemma
That Sugar Film
IndieFlix: LIKE: A documentary about finding balance in our digital world
Internet Safety
American website with free downloadable posters about popular apps and internet platforms used
by young people, the associated risks, and some tips for parents about encouraging safe use:
https://nationalonlinesafety.com/guides
Meditation Apps
Headspace
Insight Timer
Smiling Mind
Other Apps
Breathing Zone
Calm Harm
Talks
Dan Siegel - "Being" Versus "Doing" With Your Child - YouTube
Dan Siegel - Connecting to Calm - YouTube
Gabor Maté - Every Parent Needs To Know This - YouTube
Ted Talk: Cal Newport: Why you should quit social media
Teen Voices: Oversharing and Your Digital Footprint - YouTube
Managing Stress and Difficult Emotions
Hotlines for Teens / Self-harm and Suicide
https://soshelpline.org (English speaking helpline in France)
Tel: 0146 21 46 46 (3pm-11pm)
https://www.suicide-ecoute.fr (24/7): 01.45.39.40.00,
www.samaritans.org (UK)
+44 (0) 8457 90 90 90 (24hrs)
Youthline
+44 (0) 808 801 0711
Fil Santé Jeunes (French website with info about wellbeing, sexuality, relationships)
https://www.filsantejeunes.com
0800 235 236
Online Therapy
Beateatingdisorders.org.uk (online one-to-one webchats)
Child and Adolescent Therapy in the UK
The Child and Family Practice London: tcfp.org.uk
The ADHD Centre: Adhdcentre.co.uk
Free printable self-help leaflets developed by psychologists in the Scottish NHS:
https://www.nhsinform.scot/symptoms-and-self-help/self-help-guides/
Local Mental Health Resources
Mental Health Support at Mougins School
Mrs. Alison Vibert, the school nurse, is experienced in counselling individuals and families through
difficult times. She can help you find additional support.
Finding a local English-speaking therapist
Ask your GP and other professionals for recommendations
Ask friends for recommendations
https://www.counsellinginfrance.com/index.html
https://www.angloinfo.com/riviera/directory/riviera-counselling-therapy-200
French resources locally
Point Écoute Santé (Valbonne): Any questions relating to your health, addictions, and psychology
https://www.ville-valbonne.fr/votre-ville/sante/point-ecoute-sante/
Centre d’Action Médico-Social Précoce (free multidisciplinary consultations 0-6yrs, Grasse): http://
Multi-professional Child Mental Health Teams in Cannes, Antibes, Grasse:
http://www.ch-cannes.fr/offre-de-soin/pedopsychiatrie/
Lenval Children’s Hospital (Nice): medical & mental health emergencies, specialist centre for autistic
spectrum disorders, 57 avenue de la Californie, Nice, 04.92.03.03.92
Mother & Child Health Centre (Sophia): Espace Santé Lucioles, mother & child health, including
pediatricians, gynecologists, neuropsychologists, orthodontists, speech therapists, art therapist etc.:
https://www.espacesanteleslucioles.com
Del’Arthérapie is based there and organizes very accessible, regular workshops on mental health
topics, for younger kids and teens https://www.facebook.com/delartherapie
Child Protection
Anyone can call 119 for anonymous advice or to express concerns: Protection de l’enfant en danger
Recommended Reading to Support the Mental Health of Students
Books for parents and teachers
Dunckley, V.L. (2015). Reset Your Childs Brain: End Meltdowns, Raise Grades, and Boost
Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen Time. New World Library.
Gurian, M. (1997). The Wonder of Boys: What Parents, Mentors, and Educators Can Do to
Shape Boys into Exceptional Men. Putnam.
Hemmen, L. (2012). Parenting a Teen Girl: A Crash Course on Conflict, Communication and
Connection With Your Teenage Daughter, New Harbinger Publications
Jackson-Nakazawa, D. (2022). Girls on the Brink: Helping Our Daughters Thrive in an Era of
Increased Anxiety, Depression, and Social Media, Harmony Books, NY
Lythcott-Haims, J (2015). How To Raise An Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and
Prepare Your Kids for Success, Bluebird Books
Mate, G (2019). Hold On To Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers,
Vermillion
Siegel, D. & Bryson, T.P. (2015). No-Drama Discipline: The Whole Brain Way to Calm the
Chaos and Nurture Your Childs Developing Mind. Scribe Publications.
Weinstock, L. (2022). How the World Is Making Our Children Mad. Vermillion.
Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder
Mate, G. (2019). Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder. Vermilion.
Nylund, D. (2000). Treating Huckleberry Finn: A Narrative Approach to Working with Kids Diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. Jossey-Bass.
Anxiety
Chansky, T.E. (2004). Freeing Your Child From Anxiety: Powerful, Practical Solutions to Overcome Your Child’s Fears, Worries, and Phobias. Three Rivers Press.
Eating Disorders
Muhlheim, L. (2018). When Your Teen Has An Eating Disorder: Practical Strategies to Help Your Teen Recover from Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge Eating, New Harbinger Publications
Self Harm
Levenkron, S. (1998). Cutting: Understanding and Overcoming Self-Mutilation, Norton Books
Suicidal Ideation
Williams, M. (2014). Cry of Pain: Understanding Suicide and the Suicidal Mind. Little Brown Book Group
Understanding the (Teenage) Brain
Davidson, R. (2013). The Emotional Life of Your Brain: How to Change the Way You Think Feel and Live, Hodder
Siegel, DJ (2014) Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, Scribe
Insights on Social Media Use
Boyd, D (2014). It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens, Yale University Press
Teaching Mindfulness to Students
Rechtschaffen, D. (2016). The Mindful Education Workbook: Lessons For Teaching Mindfulness to Students. Norton.
Self-help books for children
Huebner, D. (2005). What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety. Magination Press.
Huebner, D. (2007). What to Do When Your Temper Flares: A Kids Guide to Overcoming Problems With Anger. Magination Press.
Huebner, D. (2019). Something Bad Happened: A Kid’s Guide to Coping With Events in the News (English Edition). Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Self-help books for teens
Self-Esteem
Schab, L. (2013): The Self-Esteem Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Build Confidence and Achieve Your Goals, New Harbinger Publications
Coping with Strong Emotions
Van Dijk, S. (2011). Don’t Let Emotions Run Your Life for Teens: DBT skills for helping you manage mood swings, control angry outbursts, and get along with others, New Harbinger Publications
Overcoming Social Anxiety/Shyness
Flynn-Walker, B (2021). Social Anxiety Relief for Teens: A Step by Step CBT guide to Feel Confident and Comfortable In Any Situation, Raincoast Books
Calming the Mind
Biegel, G (2009). The Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens
Sunim, H. (2012). The Things You Can Only See When You Slow Down: How To Be Calm in a Busy World, Penguin Random House
The Reading Well website: https://reading-well.org.uk has book collections on different topics and for different age ranges.
Primary Children Guidance
How to spot problems and help primary-age children
by Dr. Katrin Scanlan – katrinscanlan.com – dr.kscanlan@gmail.com – 06.68.52.99.79
Signs of distress
- Any significant and prolonged change of behaviour: an active child becoming withdrawn, a quiet child becoming agitated, a talkative child not talking
- Significant changes in daily habits: sleeping or eating a lot more or a lot less
- Nightmares
- Poor concentration, changes in their relationship to school, to peers
- Acting younger or older than their age
- Tearfulness
- More clingy, anxious, or worried
- More aggressive, irritable, or angry
- Physical symptoms: tummy aches, headaches...
What to do in the moment
- Children may not want to, or be able to, tell you what’s wrong.
- Just notice changes in a non-judgemental and tentative way ‘You seem a little quiet lately...’ They may expand of their own accord, or not. This can be especially helpful for what you may otherwise see as ‘negative’ behaviour ‘You keep hitting your brother. You seem quite angry. I wonder what could have made you so upset’.
- You can add possible reasons why ‘I wonder what has made you quieter than usual. I sometimes go quiet when I am tired, when I’m daydreaming, but also when I am worried about something’.
- Offer opportunities to talk rather than expecting answers. It may take several goes.
- Use toys, books, cartoons to notice and wonder about the feelings of the characters, and how they might address difficult situations.
- If the child is able to identify a specific problem, try problem-solving with them rather than providing them with solutions. Ask them what they think they could do about the situation, what effect that might have. Then offer alternatives.
What to do in general
- Spend time with your children, playing, talking, having fun: it is the relationship with you, their feeling of connection with you, that will give them the best protection.
- Teach emotional literacy: comment on your own and others’ feelings (e.g., cartoon characters), link feelings to behaviour or non-verbal body language (‘he’s shouting and stamping his feet, it looks like he’s angry’), and then discuss ways to manage those feelings (‘looks like he could do with some breathing to calm down’).
- Encourage your children to have physical, creative, or musical activities that can serve as an outlet for pent-up energy, boost their confidence, and foster alternative friendships.
Specific tools
- Hand breath (remember to breathe out, before being able to breathe in deeply). See image below.
- Safe Place Visualisation (associated with a name, an object...)
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation
- Encourage diary writing or drawing feelings (it doesn’t need to be artistic, well-drawn, or even look like anything!)
Primary Children Behaviour & Breathing technique
