Mental Health, Anxiety and Highly Sensitive Children with Jacquie Ward
Release Date: 10/02/2024
My Year In Reflection And My Intentions For 2025
EMpowered
In this episode, I’m reflecting on a massive 2024, both personally and professionally and sharing my intentions for 2025. 2024 was full of growth, messy moments, and beautiful lessons. I hope my reflections inspire you to take stock of your own year and step into 2025 with intention and purpose. Here’s what you’ll hear: How I balanced personal growth, professional milestones and unexpected challenges Why aligning your work with your passions is key to avoiding burnout How reflecting on what worked and what didn’t helps you set meaningful intentions for the year ahead. How educators,...
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3 Life Changing Habits To Adopt These School Holidays
EMpowered
Welcome back beautiful human! In this episode, I’m sharing three simple habits that can truly improve your wellbeing over the holidays and into 2025. These strategies are designed to help you relax, recharge, and step into the new year with clarity, calm, and purpose. Here’s what you’ll learn How these three habits can help you process the year, find clarity, and connect with the person you want to become. Simple techniques to regulate your nervous system, reduce stress, and avoid burnout. How shifting your mindset can improve your relationships, reduce stress, and boost your overall...
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How to End the Year on a High
EMpowered
In this episode, I want to help you wrap up the school year with intention and positivity. Whether 2024 has been your best year yet or one filled with challenges, this episode will guide you through reflecting, processing, and planning so you can head into the holidays rested and recharged. Here’s what you’ll learn Learn how to celebrate your successes, process what didn’t go as planned, and uncover lessons to carry forward into 2025. Practical tips for closing the classroom from organising, letting go of emotions that no longer serve you because you deserve to start the new year with a...
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Becoming a Trauma-informed Restorative Educator with Marg Thorsborne & Joe Brummer
EMpowered
In this episode, I sit down with Marg Thorsborne and Joe Brummer, two incredible thought leaders in trauma-informed and restorative practices. Together, they’ve written two books, Becoming a Trauma-Informed Restorative Educator and Becoming a Trauma-Informed Restorative School - Practical Skills to Change Culture and Behaviour. It’s all about creating safer, more connected classrooms that focus on collaboration and wellbeing rather than compliance and punishment. We talk about the critical shift from punitive approaches to relational ones, how trauma-informed and restorative practices work...
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3 Ways Teachers Can Reduce Stress NOW
EMpowered
In this episode of The EMpowered Podcast, we’re diving into a topic every teacher can relate to: stress. While a little bit of stress can be healthy, chronic stress can leave us feeling overwhelmed, dysregulated, and depleted. I’ll share three actionable strategies to help you reduce your stress levels, balance your body, and feel more in control of your wellbeing. What You’ll Learn: How to notice when your body budget is out of balance and what to do about it. How to regulate quickly using your breath Simple ways to decompress after school and leave work stress behind. How to...
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Beginning Teachers: Your Questions Answered!
EMpowered
In this episode of The EMpowered Podcast, I’m diving into some of the most common questions I hear from beginning teachers, especially as they prepare for their first year. This one is for all my new and graduate teachers feeling the overwhelm of getting started, don’t worry, I’ve got you! We cover everything from setting up your classroom and planning lessons to prioritising your wellbeing and navigating behaviour support. It’s a jam-packed episode filled with practical tips and encouragement to help you thrive in your first year of teaching. Here’s what you’ll learn: How to...
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Unpacking Consequences in the Classroom: Do Students Need Them?
EMpowered
Consequences in the classroom - where do you even start? In this episode, I'm diving into one of the biggest questions I get from teachers: “How can I support student behaviour without falling back on punishments?” I go through what really works (and what really doesn’t) when it comes to behaviour, boundaries, and creating a connected classroom. I know that as educators who are committed to supporting children’s wellbeing, there can be a lot of confusion around how to handle consequences, boundaries, and behavioural support without leaning into punitive methods. Here’s what...
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How to Find the Right School 'Fit'
EMpowered
Today, I’m diving into how to find a school that truly matches your philosophy on non-punitive, trauma-informed practices. If you want to work somewhere that values real student and teacher wellbeing, but don’t know where to start, this one’s for you. Here’s what you’ll learn How to use CRT (Casual Relief Teaching) as a way to ‘test drive’ a school’s culture before committing long-term. Why the right leadership and wellbeing focus are essential in creating a school environment that truly supports teachers and students. What key questions to ask and what to look for in a...
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Embracing Neurodiversity with Chelsea Luker, Psychologist & Author
EMpowered
In this episode, we welcome Chelsea Luker, an Autistic ADHD psychologist, author, and advocate for neurodiversity-affirming practices. Chelsea dives deep into what it means to adopt a neurodiversity-affirming approach, her journey as a parent to neurodivergent children, and her impactful work at Connect Us Psychology. Chelsea also discusses her book, Square Me Round World, a collection of stories designed to reflect and validate the experiences of neurodivergent children. From addressing the challenges in mainstream education to advocating for more inclusive environments, Chelsea offers...
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You're Not Supposed to Go it Alone
EMpowered
This episode is a personal one about why we’re not meant to do it all, and what happens when we try to keep going without help. Parenting isn’t meant to be a solo act. Especially when life throws in a few curveballs or even just the regular chaos of life. If you’ve ever found yourself losing it with the kids or feeling like you’re juggling too many balls (and dropping a few), this episode is for you. Here’s what you’ll learn: Why knowing all the emotional intelligence tricks is one thing, but actually applying them is a different story. The importance of connection over correction...
info_outlineIn this episode, I’m joined by Jacquie Ward, a psychologist who specialises in child and adolescent mental health.
We talk about the realities of mental health in schools, and this conversation doesn't happen nearly enough.
If you’ve ever wondered how mental health and anxiety show up in your classroom or why children some children feel things so deeply, then this episode is for you.
Jacquie and I talk about:
- The real signs of mental health struggles in children often get missed.
- Why the ‘big behaviours’ might be masking anxiety and how to shift your lens to catch it early
- The difference between highly sensitive children and anxiety and how to support these kids without burning yourself out.
- How to catch the subtle (and not-so-subtle) signals that a child is struggling with anxiety, whether they’re acting out or quietly shutting down.
- What does it mean to be highly sensitive, and how is it different from anxiety
- How teachers can adjust their classroom environment to cater to anxious or highly sensitive children without adding more work or stress to your day.
- How to manage anxiety and help children self regulate so the whole classroom can function better.
The way we’ve been taught to support behaviour isn’t working because we are not addressing what’s going on underneath for these children. I am hosting a masterclass with two AMAZING guests leading the way in this space next week.
We’ll show you how you CAN create classrooms where kids feel safe, connected and ready to learn. Grab your ticket here
Resources Mentioned
- Hey Warrior by Karen Young - A brilliant book that breaks down how anxiety shows up in children and what we can do about it
Connect with Jacquie
- Website: jacquieward.com.au
- Instagram: @jacquie_ward_
- Billy’s Brilliant Butterflies - Jacquie’s new children's book
Connect with Em
- Website: emmagentle.com.au
- Instagram: @em_gentle