Empowering Schools Through Evidence-Based Wellbeing Workshops
Supporting Student Growth, Connection, and Resilience
As a wellbeing specialist with an interdisciplinary PhD in Infant Neuroscience, Wellbeing, and Ethics, I am passionate about empowering young people to thrive in today’s complex world. My expertise lies in equipping students with the practical tools and deep understanding they need to build resilience, foster strong and respectful relationships, enhance communication, and cultivate moral and emotional wellbeing—critical ingredients for success both at school and in life.
​
My secondary school workshops, which can be delivered in shorter frequent or whole day more intensive time frames, aim to strengthen communication and peer relationships, enhance students’ emotional awareness, build resilience and healthy coping strategies, and foster ethical decision-making. Each workshop draws on the latest scientific research and ethical frameworks, ensuring sessions are not only engaging but also grounded in evidence-based practice. By working collaboratively with school leadership, I align each workshop with your wellbeing priorities and school culture.
​
The core objectives of these workshops are to:
-
Strengthen communication and peer relationship skills, promoting empathy and mutual respect across the student body
-
Enhance emotional awareness and self-regulation, providing students with strategies to manage stress and navigate challenges confidently
-
Build resilience and healthy coping mechanisms, supporting students’ ability to adapt positively to setbacks and adversity
-
Support confidence, connection, and overall wellbeing, helping students feel valued and empowered within their school community
-
Foster moral development and ethical decision-making, encouraging reflection and responsible choices in everyday life
These interactive sessions are adaptable for various age groups and learning needs, ensuring every student can participate meaningfully. My approach is collaborative—I work closely with school leadership to align workshops with your wellbeing priorities, existing curriculum, and the unique culture of your school. Whether you are seeking to enhance your wellbeing programme, address specific challenges, or simply provide students with proactive skills for life, these workshops can be shaped to deliver maximum impact.
The Inspiration Behind the Wellbeing Workshops
​
The wellbeing workshops for secondary school students emerged from a long and meaningful journey—one that began in early motherhood, deepened through years of academic research, and was continually shaped by more than two decades of social work practice.
Throughout this journey, one question has guided my work: How do we best facilitate a flourishing state in humans?
What I learned is that flourishing is anything but simple. It is not a formula or a checklist. It is a dynamic, deeply human process that requires space for vulnerability, nuance, connection, and growth. Flourishing develops when people feel supported, understood, and able to connect with both themselves and others in authentic ways.
​
My early research focused on how to support infants in developing positive neural pathways, which expanded into a broader exploration of wellbeing across the lifespan. In parallel, my studies in political philosophy illuminated the role of cultural narratives—particularly those centred on autonomy, individualism, and self-sufficiency. These ideals shape the world young people grow up in today, often creating pressure to perform, compete, and “stand alone.”
​
Yet psychology consistently shows something different: wellbeing is rooted in the quality of our relationships and our sense of belonging, not in independence alone.
​
This realisation led me into further research, culminating in a PhD that brought together neuropsychology, positive psychology, and philosophy. Through this work, I also developed a deep passion for moral development—an area that speaks to how we grow in empathy, integrity, compassion, and our understanding of what it means to live well with others. Moral development is not separate from wellbeing; it is an essential part of it. When young people cultivate moral awareness—empathy, responsibility, kindness, fairness—they develop stronger relationships, a clearer sense of identity, and a more grounded path toward flourishing.
​
This insight is central to the Joiner Flourishing Pathway. True flourishing is not only about individual happiness but about becoming the kind of person who contributes positively to the wellbeing of others. Belonging, compassion, and moral growth are deeply intertwined.
My 20 years as a social worker have reinforced this truth: humans thrive when they feel connected, cared for, and able to care in return. Adolescence is a pivotal stage for this growth. It is a time when identity, values, and relationships take shape; when young people begin to ask who they are and what kind of person they want to become.
​
The wellbeing workshops for secondary school students were created to support these essential developments. They provide warm, small-group spaces where young people can explore their emotions, understand the science of wellbeing, reflect on their values, strengthen their moral awareness, and deepen their sense of belonging.
​
Grounded in rigorous research yet deeply human in their approach, these workshops exist to nurture what truly helps young people flourish—connection, compassion, self-understanding, and the moral capacities that allow individuals and communities to thrive.