Bernie Canavan MSc, SMAACPH
Psychotherapist
About Me
As a former teacher, I saw firsthand the growing levels of anxiety among children in the classroom. Determined to make a difference, I retrained as a Psychotherapist specializing in helping children and young people manage anxiety-related challenges, including phobias, panic attacks, and early childhood trauma.
In my practice, I combine Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Clinical Hypnotherapy with highly effective sensory-based techniques such as Havening and EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques). These approaches empower children to regulate their emotions, build resilience, and develop lifelong coping skills.
Beyond my private practice, I am passionate about bringing wellbeing into schools. I design and deliver practical, science-backed workshops for pupils, teachers, and parents, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to manage stress and anxiety effectively. My goal is to create calmer, more resilient school communities, where every child feels supported and ready to learn.
Wellbeing Workshops
Understanding and managing emotions is a crucial life skill, but many children struggle to regulate intense feelings. My wellbeing workshops use engaging, age-appropriate activities, including puppets, stories, rhymes, and videos, to help children discover how their amazing brains work and why big emotions can sometimes feel overwhelming.
A key part of my workshops is teaching children a simple, sensory-based technique that helps them release strong emotions and regain a sense of calm.
To ensure lasting impact, I provide teachers with a guided recording of the technique, encouraging daily classroom practice. This daily regulation routine helps create an optimal state for learning, reducing anxiety levels and improving focus.
Why This Matters
Research shows that consistent use of calming techniques lowers anxiety thresholds and expands children’s window of tolerance, helping them navigate challenges with greater ease.
Schools receive pre-workshop assessments to gauge children’s mental health and wellbeing, offering valuable insights for School Self-Evaluation (SSE) and whole-school wellbeing planning.
These workshops are practical, science-backed, and easy to implement, making a real difference without adding extra burden to teachers.
By equipping pupils and teachers with the tools to understand and manage anxiety, these workshops help foster a calmer, more resilient school environment, where children feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.
Empowering Teachers & Parents
For a calming technique to be truly effective, teachers and parents need to understand why it works and how it directly benefits children.
My workshop breaks down the science in clear, jargon-free language, giving adults the confidence to support children’s emotional wellbeing.
This workshop covers:
✅ The Three Key Areas of the Learning Brain – How emotions, cognition, and stress responses interact in children.
✅ How to Soothe and Support the Learning Brain – Practical strategies to help children regulate emotions and stay in an optimal state for learning.
✅ How Trauma is Encoded in the Brain – Understanding why some children react strongly to stress and triggers.
✅ How Trauma is Decoded from the Brain – Simple, science-backed techniques to help children release stored stress and build emotional resilience.
By equipping parents and teachers with knowledge and practical tools, this workshop ensures that calming techniques become an integrated, consistent part of a child’s daily routine, leading to calmer classrooms, more engaged learners, and a more resilient home environment.
I am fully insured and an Accredited Senior Member of ACCPH
Accredited Counsellors, Coaches, Psychotherapists and Hypnotherapists.