A psychotherapist, counsellor, trauma specialist and speaker, Heidi Rogers, specialises in children's issues and their solutions. She found her passion in helping others to get through mental health struggles and to come out the other side as she experienced it for herself that it's possible.After working with children for many years, she quickly realises that the impact is so much more magical when she works directly with the parents. She is now helping parents all over the world to manage meltdowns, improve behaviour, and yell less.In this episode, Heidi explains the best way for parents to re-establish and maintain healthy relationships with their children. Especially during this unprecedented time where stress, frustration and a sense of disconnection are being heightened in our society. She wants parents to understand their roles through different phases of children and teenagers' life and the importance of connection that is built upon love, compassion and empathy. That way families can come out of this together, bonded more than ever.For full episode details, go to www.felicitycohen.com

Show Notes:1:26 – Felicity: Why psychotherapy and why did you choose to work in the specific area of working with children and families?Heidi explains how her mental health struggle in her early 20s had pushed her towards sharing the gift of life through her work in therapy. She transitioned from working with children and adolescents to working more with parents instead as she realises how much more powerful the impact is.4:14 – Felicity: What do you think are some of the greatest challenges that children are facing here and now that is different for you andnew in terms of how you treat?Heidi points out the obvious how the pandemic has affected our mental health globally. Backed by statistics and research, she informs us that teenagers within the age bracket of 12 and 25, are the most severely impacted and are going through maladaptive mental health issues more than ever.5:59 – Felicity: How are you coping with dealing with this and managing and navigating your way through treatment at the moment with children or adolescents and young adults?  Heidi tries to still see them in person as it’s not worth it to do it any other way. It’s too hard for her young clients who are already struggling with mental health to get consulted online, displaying more disinterests. People in a helping profession needs to be mindful of their own health. Especially having to pivot to online, which is exhausting even more to work with.13:46 – Felicity: What are some of the positive things that we can take away from this? In terms of they’re facing adversity now, it’s going to build resilience and strength and possibly some other characteristics that will be more positive in the future. Do you think we can look at this as well from a positive framework?Heidi firmly believes that resilience can only be built, if taught well during the early years. To help enable them to build resilience, it needs to be through connection, not through adversity. Heidi suggests parents facing difficulties in their children’s day-to-day with a curious approach. To get into it with curiosity, empathy and compassion and validation that then makes them able to share.

She hears a lot that parents want to be able to control their kids, which she believes is wrong. She reminds us that you can have influence over them and influence is way more powerful than control. And to be the positive influence children wants to listen to, you would need to establish a relationship and connection with them first.

The work includes being able to recognise our own patterns first and reparenting ourselves and how we deal with negative emotions like anger. Shifting perspective and start showing compassion for yourself within that moment because “Antidote to anger is compassion”, Heidi says. 34:33 – Felicity: The addiction to devices, the addiction to everything that is social media etc we’re se