Aberdeen City Council Educational Psychology Service

Emotion Coaching is an approach for talking to children about the emotions they are experiencing in a way that supports their self-regulation. It involves listening to the child and talking with them about the emotions they are feeling rather than simply trying to distract or dismiss them. Children are still learning how to label and manage the big emotions that they are experiencing, and this can be confusing and scary. Emotion Coaching is an approach to help children name and understand their emotions, as well as teach them ways to handle these emotions in a positive way. Emotion Coaching conversations help children learn how emotions work and how to react to feelings in healthy ways. These discussions will strengthen your relationship with your child and help them be more prepared for life’s challenges.

The Educational Psychology Service are all trained in Emotion Coaching and can deliver this training to school staff and parents/carers. The Educational Psychology Service have collated some information sheets and resources to support parents and carers using Emotion Coaching at home.

Here is an overview of the steps of emotion coaching and an example of an emotion coaching conversation with a child:

Dr Dan Siegel is an American Child Psychiatrist and author with expertise in brain development and supporting children’s emotional literacy development. Here are some videos outlining how to talk to children about their brains and their emotions:

Talking to children about their emotions is key to Emotion Coaching. Here are some guides to talking with children about different emotions: