Does your child’s big emotions sometimes feel bigger than you can handle? Dr Brenda Heyworth can help
*Marlene shares how Dr Brenda Heyworth’s trauma-informed strategies show carers that behind every big behaviour lies a big feeling, and that transformation is possible with understanding and the right tools.
A girl I once cared for often became overwhelmed by her feelings.
She was sweet and funny, and I knew she’d faces some very tough times. My heart ached for her – she deserved to be safe and to know that she was cared for.
But two things can be true at once.
When her feelings spilled over, she could become a whirlwind of yelling, tears and frustrations.
At times it was exhausting and confronting. She seemed determined to find every one of my buttons.
Staying calm certainly helped – but, boy, did that kid have stamina!
On one especially hard day, I came home to find she’d smashed a precious heirloom – my Great Grandmother’s mirror – after I said no to something she wanted. I could see how deeply ashamed she felt afterwards.
Does this sound familiar?
You’re not alone – and Dr Brenda Heyworth understands. A psychiatrist and author, she’s made it her mission to help families and carers make sense of the link between children’s big behaviours and the big emotions driving them.
With years of experience as a child psychiatrist, Dr Heyworth has seen how overwhelming it can be when children can’ yet manage their strongest feelings.
Concerned about the lack of support, she wrote It’s a Jungle – A Parent’s Guide to Emotions and Behaviour and What’s Going On? – A Teacher’s Guide to Emotions and Behaviour for teachers.
Today, she is a full-time mental health educator, working to help carers, parents, children and communities understand what’s causing the big reactions we see in so many of our kids, and respond with understanding and practical strategies.
At this year’s National Foster & Kinship Care Conference, Dr Heyworth will share the science behind children’s behaviours.
Those explosive reactions we sometimes see are the psychological fight response kicking in – not defiance, but an instinct that is meant to protect when they’re feeling emotionally overwhelmed.
Understanding is the first step. The second step, in my experience, is knowing how to respond, even when things feel chaotic.
Dr Heyworth will guide us through proven strategies that have been truly effective for the children and carers she has helped over the years.
And just so I don’t leave you wondering – the young girl I cared for is now a thriving young adult. Transformation can and does happen with patience, understanding and the right tools.
Join me to hear Dr Brenda Heyworth at The 2025 National Foster & Kinship Care Conference: Empowering Carers to Transform Lives.
Register here.
*Name and image changed for privacy.
