I took my 10 year old son to see Tom in the summer of 2018. My son is very competitive, and occasionally that competitiveness spilt over, effecting his relationships with friends at school. He’s also a keen footballer, and his passion to succeed sometimes suffocated him on the pitch, negatively impacting his performance – not to mention his relationships with his teammates. Tom met with him and gave him a number of coping strategies, allowing him to better manage his temper. These techniques included breathing strategies, as well as recordings of Tom speaking, which my son listens to, allowing him to connect his feelings and emotions with different parts of the body, essentially allowing him to better connect his body to his mind. Tom encouraged my son to draw pictures of different situations; on the football pitch, at home and at school. He asked him what good would look like in each scenario, and how it would make him feel if his behaviour was good in those situations. These drawings are still on my son’s wall, and he constantly refers to them still now – six months after his last session with Tom.
I am pleased to report that, since my son worked with Tom, his behaviour has improved drastically. His last school report was stunning, his teacher told me he was so proud of him, saying he was like a different child compared to last year, that he was doing well academically and was building strong relationships with his peers. His football coaches have said something similar. He is so much calmer at home, and while there is the occasional flashpoint, he has learnt to work through these moments, and gets through them in a much more mature way than he did previously.
We can’t thank Tom enough for his help, and would recommend him to anyone. He works really well with children, he won my son’s trust instantly and was able to communicate with him, and get him talking freely. My son was really receptive to Tom’s ideas, which definitely had a positive impact on him.
Thanks again Tom – we really appreciate all your help.