TRAINING WORKSHOP

Supporting young people through stress, overwhelm and emotional dysregulation

Practical, science-based training for youth organisations, charities and professionals supporting young people’s mental health.

Helping you understand what’s happening beneath the surface and how to respond in ways that genuinely help.

Request a 20-minute call to find out more

Across youth organisations and mental health services, there is a growing need to support young people experiencing high levels of stress, anxiety and emotional overwhelm.

Many staff and volunteers find themselves supporting in emotionally intense moments, often without a clear framework for understanding what is happening beneath the surface, or how best to respond.

This can leave even experienced teams feeling unsure, stretched or overwhelmed.

“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

A DIFFERENT WAY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT’S HAPPENING

This training introduces nervous system literacy. A simple, science-based way of understanding stress, behaviour and emotional responses.

Grounded in neuroscience and lived experience, this approach reduces fear and uncertainty, and replaces it with clarity, compassion and practical action.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Understand stress, shutdown and behaviours like self-harm through a biological lens

  • Recognise what’s happening beneath the surface

  • Respond in ways that support safety, regulation and connection

  • Use simple, practical tools for both self-regulation and co-regulation

  • Feel more confident in emotionally challenging situations

SESSIONS ARE DESIGNED TO BE ACCESSIBLE AND FLEXIBLE

  • 90–120 minute sessions

  • Half-day workshops available

  • Delivered online or in person

  • Suitable for staff, volunteers or mixed teams

  • Tailored to your organisation and context

Email to request a call

ABOUT THE TRAINER

Beth Derry is the founder of Lovely Messy Humans.

With a background in zoology and over 25 years in science communication, she specialises in translating complex biology and neuroscience into practical tools that support real-life challenges.

Her work is informed by both professional experience and lived experience of self-harm, which she shares carefully to bring clarity and compassion to a subject often surrounded by fear and misunderstanding.

Arrange a 20-minute call with Beth

  • "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

  • "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

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

    GP trainee

  • "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

  • "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

  • "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

  • "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