TRAINING WORKSHOP

Nervous System Literacy for schools and colleges

You invest a huge amount of time and care in supporting student and staff wellbeing, yet stress, anxiety and behaviours like self-harm continue to rise.

Nervous system literacy is the missing link in student wellbeing. This science-based workshop brings new understanding and practical tools to help your team respond to rising anxiety and challenging behaviours.

  • Rethink issues like self-harm and anxiety through the lens of applied biology

  • Discover and be able to explain the science of the nervous system

  • Understand different stress responses and their impact on behaviour

  • Experience practical tools for emotional regulation and co-regulation

  • Develop greater clarity, confidence and compassion for dealing with challenges and building resilience

  • Follow-on sessions available for students and parents

Request a 20-minute call to find out more

"The guidance you provided was tangible, helpful and reassuring. It was pitched well, so both experienced and less experienced staff were able to learn. They felt that your lived experience gave it an authenticity which was humbling."

Roedean School, East Sussex

WHAT’S INCLUDED

A training for pastoral teams, wellbeing professionals and teachers 

Nervous system literacy provides insight and tools to work with the body’s biology rather than against it.

It explains what’s really happening beneath the surface of anxiety, shutdown and harmful behaviour so you can respond with clearer strategies.

  • Delivered online or in person across the UK

  • 90-120 mins flexible session to allow Q&A

  • Suitable for staff involved in wellbeing, pastoral care and teaching

  • Includes handouts and a companion guide for students

  • Optional follow-on sessions for parents and students

Email to request a call

ABOUT THE TRAINER

What makes this training different?

Beth Derry is a Zoologist, a science communicator, a Resilience Coach and a Certified Havening Techniques® practitioner based in Brighton.

She is a mum of two teenagers and has spent over two decades helping the world's best-known companies communicate complex information on topics ranging from climate change to human rights.

Beth's lived experience is that she self-harmed as a university student and was prescribed antidepressants. She talks sensitively and professionally about this experience, with the training she delivers reflecting the understanding she wishes she could had been given.

Arrange a 20-minute call with Beth

  • "Thank you! Today was truly fascinating. Reviewing how the nervous system works, alongside discussing situations of self-harm, made the realities of these challenges feel much more tangible. I feel better equipped to respond to disclosures in a professional, supportive, and sensitive manner, and more aware that such situations can affect groups of students, not just individuals."

    Roedean School Pastoral Staff

  • "I’m so pleased I signed up for this - well worth taking two hours out of my day to learn, reflect and discuss."

    Head Teacher, Brighton Girls High School

  • "This has been inspiring and has broken down the stigma of self-harm. It will have a huge impact on the way I work with clients."

    NHS Mental Health Team member

  • "When we talk to the young people about the science, they stop and listen. They are interested."

    Youth Charity Mental Health Professional

  • "I learnt a lot through counselling about why I self-harmed, but the science explains so much more."

    Student

  • "I’ve done a lot around this kind of training, but yours excites my brain. It makes me want to listen and want to know more."

    St George's Lupset Youth Team

  • "The fact you’re not a therapist brings a freshness. It’s taking a new angle and taking it from a very practical angle that makes a lot of sense."

    Youth Support Worker

  • “Keep doing what you're doing. This has been really inspiring and has broken down the stigma of self-harm. It will undoubtedly have a huge impact on the way I work with clients.”

    NHS Mental Health Professional

  • "I recently attended your webinar as a parent of a child who self-harms, and I wanted to share my gratitude for the invaluable information provided. It shed light on the underlying reasons for my child's behavior and offered a new perspective on how to support them effectively."

    Parent

  • "This session will help you better understand, empower and equip yourself in handling sensitive matters such as self-harm."

    GP trainee

  • "I think that the advice given particularly regarding guiding young people through grounding techniques, and different ways to communicate (and choose your words) when discussing these sensitive, and sometimes very personal, topics with young people, will stay with me. "

    Rodean School Pastoral Staff