Holding Space with Julia

Episode 29 – The Hand Model of the Brain: Understanding Big Feelings Without Shame In this episode of Holding Space with Julia , we explore Dr. Dan Siegel's Hand Model of the Brain—a simple, powerful tool that helps children and adults understand what happens when big feelings take over. Using real-life examples from homes, classrooms, relationships, and the playroom, this episode unpacks what it...

In this episode of Holding Space: Going Deeper with Julia , I share the story of how I came to understand safety—not as a technique or a strategy, but as a lived, relational experience built moment by moment. Drawing from over 25 years of work with children, families, and therapists—beginning in long-term residential care and evolving through play therapy, group work, and training—I reflect on wha...

Episode 27: From Behaviour to Connection: A Nervous System Lens In this integrative and deeply grounding episode, Julia weaves together the themes from Episodes 19–26—behaviour as communication, adult regulation as anchor, compassion over perfection, and repair as the heart of relationship. She revisits the nervous system lens that runs beneath every parenting moment, helping us understand that wh...

Episode 26: Recovering After a Rupture In this heartfelt and restorative episode, Julia explores what happens after the moments we wish we could take back—the ruptures. Whether it's with a child, partner, or student, she reminds us that disconnection is inevitable, but repair is where trust and growth truly begin. Through the lens of nervous system awareness and attachment, Julia breaks down how r...

Episode 25: "I'm Not My Parent… But Sometimes I Still Lose It" In this tender and deeply validating episode, Julia speaks to the parents who vowed to do things differently—and still find themselves slipping into old patterns. She explores how those moments of yelling, shutting down, or reacting aren't failures, but reflections of long-held nervous system wiring shaped by our own childhood experien...

Episode 24: "Good Parents Never Yell"… and Other Myths In this honest and freeing conversation, Julia dismantles one of parenting's most persistent myths: that good parents never yell. With warmth and compassion, she explains how yelling isn't a moral failure—it's a nervous system in overwhelm. Through the lens of Polyvagal Theory, she explores how stress, sensory load, and old emotional patterns...

Episode 23: Practices to Calm a Dysregulated Home or Classroom In this grounding and practical episode, Julia offers compassionate, real-world tools to bring calm to the chaos—whether it's the after-school whirlwind, a buzzing classroom, or a home that feels emotionally charged. She reminds us that true regulation doesn't come from control—it begins with connection. Through simple, body-based prac...

  Episode 22: What to Do When You Feel Like You're Failing as a Parent In this compassionate episode, Julia speaks directly to the tender moments every parent knows—the ones where guilt, exhaustion, or overwhelm whisper, "I'm failing." She reframes these moments through the lens of the nervous system, showing how what feels like failure is often a sign of flooding, fatigue, and deep care—not defic...

Episode 21: When Our Kids' Feelings Trigger Our Own In this deeply resonant episode, Julia explores what happens when our children's big emotions awaken the unhealed parts of us. Whether it's a toddler's meltdown, a teen's eye roll, or a partner's sharp tone, our bodies often react not just to the moment—but to echoes of our own childhood experiences. Through gentle reflection and real-life exampl...

Episode 20: Kids' Behaviour is Communication, Not Manipulation In this heartfelt episode, Julia invites us to shift the way we see children's behaviour—from something to manage or control, to something to understand . What looks like defiance, disrespect, or manipulation is often a nervous system asking for safety, connection, and co-regulation. Through gentle reflection and real-life examples, Ju...

Episode 19: The "I Am" Sessions In this deeply personal episode, Julia invites listeners into the heart of her "I Am" sessions—transformative two-hour experiences designed to explore the roots of our emotional triggers, patterns, and reactions. Through gentle reflection and nervous-system awareness, these sessions uncover how our past shows up in the present—especially in moments with our children...

Episode 18 – Why Play Is the Language of Healing In this episode of Holding Space , Julia brings the second series arc to a close—gently weaving together everything we've learned about play as the natural language of healing. From non-directive play and symbolic storytelling to repetition, sand tray work, and the intentional design of the playroom, she reflects on how play allows children (and adu...

Episode 17 – Sand Tray Therapy: The Stories Beneath the Surface In this episode of Holding Space , Julia explores the quiet depth of sand tray therapy—a practice that helps children, teens, and adults give shape to emotions that words can't yet hold. Through real-life examples and gentle neuroscience, she shares how sand and symbol become a bridge between the body and story—offering safety, distan...

Episode 16 – A Tour of the Playroom Zones In this episode of Holding Space , Julia takes listeners on a guided tour of the playroom—exploring how each zone within a play therapy space is intentionally designed to support regulation, expression, and healing. From the nurturing zone where attachment themes emerge, to the power zone where children safely release big emotions, to the quiet zone where...

Episode 15 – When Kids Repeat the Same Game: What Does It Mean? In this episode of Holding Space , Julia explores why children repeat the same play themes—building the same tower, hiding the same toy, rescuing the same figure—over and over again. Through real-life examples and gentle reflections, she explains how repetition in play helps children process emotions, integrate experiences, and build...

Episode 14 – The Power of Symbolic Play (and Why It Matters) In this episode of Holding Space , Julia explores the heart of how children communicate in therapy—symbolic play. Through stories, neuroscience, and gentle reflection, she reveals how metaphor and imagination allow children to process emotions, trauma, and power safely through play. You'll learn why a dragon, a doll, or a simple block ca...

Episode 13 – What a Play Therapist Is Really Watching For In this episode of Holding Space , Julia invites listeners behind the scenes of the playroom to discover what a play therapist is truly paying attention to. Through stories and examples, she explores how themes, patterns, symbols, and energy shifts reveal the unspoken stories children tell through play. You'll learn why a therapist watches...

Episode 11 – The Difference Between Play and Therapeutic Play Play is the natural language of childhood—but not all play is therapeutic. In this episode of Holding Space , Julia explores the subtle yet profound difference between everyday play and therapeutic play. Through real examples and reflections, she reveals how attunement, safety, and curiosity turn ordinary moments of play into opportunit...

Episode 12 – Why Children Don't Need to Talk to Heal What if healing didn't begin with words? In this episode of Holding Space , Julia explores why children don't need to talk to heal—and how their bodies and play often speak the truths their words cannot. Through real examples and gentle reflections, she explains the neuroscience of regulation, the power of nonverbal expression, and the role of s...

Episode 10 – What Is Non-Directive Play Therapy? What if play isn't just something children do—but a language they use to speak the truths they can't yet say? In this episode of Holding Space , Julia explores the world of non-directive play therapy—a gentle, respectful approach that trusts a child's inner wisdom to guide their own healing. Drawing on Virginia Axline's Eight Principles, she shares...

Episode 9 – The Power of "I Feel" Statements Two small words—"I feel"—can transform the way we connect with ourselves and with others. Instead of blaming or accusing ("You never listen!" "You always do this!"), "I feel" statements anchor us in our own experience and invite connection rather than conflict. In this episode of Holding Space , Julia explores the history and wisdom behind "I feel" stat...

Episode 8 – A Vulnerable Check In & What's Ahead In this episode of Holding Space , Julia pauses to share more of her own story—the decades she has spent creating safe spaces in residential homes, shelters, schools, and therapy rooms, and the personal journey that brought her here. Along the way, she opens up about the vulnerable side of this work: how hard it can be to hold space for herself, and...

Episode 7 – The Feelings Wheel What's really underneath when we say, "I feel bad" or "I'm upset"? Too often, we stop at vague words that don't fully capture what's alive inside us. The Feelings Wheel is a simple but powerful tool that helps us get more specific—moving from "mad" to "frustrated," "disrespected," or "powerless," or from "happy" to "calm," "safe," or "inspired." In this episode of Ho...

Episode 6 – Why We Shut Down When Emotions Aren't Welcomed What happens when our nervous system decides it isn't safe to feel? For many of us, the response is to shut down—going quiet, disconnecting, or numbing out. This isn't weakness; it's a survival strategy our bodies learned, often long before we had words for it. In this episode of Holding Space , Julia explores how shutdown shows up in chil...

Episode 5 – What Does Emotional Safety Really Feel Like? What does emotional safety really feel like? It's the deep exhale of knowing you can show up with your whole self—messy, tender, unsure—and still be met with presence instead of judgment. In this episode of Holding Space , Julia explores why emotional safety sits at the heart of every strong relationship. Through stories and real-life exampl...