Laura Howard
Laura is an HCPC registered Educational Psychologist who has been working with schools and young people for over 15 years. Laura has been invited to work with young people, schools and familes for a range of reasons, but more recently has dedicated her time to supporting young people with stress, anxiety and depression.
Laura has had an established mindfulness practice for over 10 years and is currently studying for a Masters Degree at the University of Exeter in Mindfulness Based Psychological Interventions. She came to Paws b and .b having discovered the benifits of mindfulness herself and also having introduced her three children to it.
Health and education professionals, have noticed a worrying increase in the number of young people presenting with mental health problems, this is what initially inspired Laura to look into ways of supporting young people in the modern world. Mindfulness offers young people a unique set of skills that allows them get to know themselves, to accept themselves and ultimately to flourish as young human beings. The modern pressures facing young people (social media, exams, family life) are contributing to an epidemic of depression and anxiety amongst our young people. Developing a mindfulness practice at a young age teaches young people how to skilfully navigate the world of digital distractions, intense emotions, family dynamics and exam pressure. Having a mindfulness practice also helps to pull back the curtain and reveal all the wonderful aspects of life, the little things that can often go unnoticed.
"You don't want to start weaving the parachute when you are about to jump out of the plane, you want to have been weaving the parachute day in day out, so that when you need it, it will actually hold you" Jon Kabat Zinn