Caroline Goldsmith | ATC Ireland Psychologist: Helping Shy and Sensitive Kids Shine
Caroline Goldsmith | ATC Ireland Psychologist: Helping Shy and Sensitive Kids Shine
Blog Article
Children experience powerful emotions every day—from joy and excitement to fear, frustration, and sadness. But many children struggle to understand, label, or express those feelings in healthy ways. When emotions stay bottled up or come out through anger, shutdowns, or tears, it can affect a child’s relationships, learning, and self-esteem.
Caroline Goldsmith, Clinical Psychologist at ATC Ireland, believes that helping children understand their emotions is the foundation of mental wellbeing. She works closely with children and their families to strengthen emotional literacy—the ability to name and understand feelings so children can respond rather than react. In her eyes, emotions aren’t something to “fix”—they’re something to listen to.
Why Emotional Awareness Matters So Much in Childhood
When a child can recognize and name how they feel, it opens the door to:
-
Better self-regulation and impulse control
-
Deeper empathy and stronger friendships
-
Reduced anxiety and emotional outbursts
-
Clearer communication with parents and teachers
-
A lasting sense of self-understanding and confidence
Caroline Goldsmith understands that emotional awareness is just as important as reading or math. It’s a life skill—and one that many children aren’t explicitly taught.
Giving Children a Vocabulary for Their Feelings
Caroline Goldsmith uses engaging, child-centered methods to help children put words to what they feel. She draws on tools like:
-
Feelings charts and wheels
-
Emotion flashcards and games
-
Storybooks and puppets
-
Creative arts, drawing, and play
-
Body-based cues (e.g., “Where do you feel that in your body?”)
She creates a non-judgmental space where children can explore a full spectrum of emotions—from anger and jealousy to pride, calm, and excitement—without fear of being “too much.”
Normalizing All Emotions — Even the Hard Ones
One of Caroline’s most powerful messages to children is this:
“There’s no such thing as a bad feeling.”
She helps children understand that all emotions—even uncomfortable ones—have a purpose. Anger might signal a boundary has been crossed. Sadness may be a sign of missing someone or something important. Worry might show up when we care deeply about a situation.
Instead of pushing feelings away, Caroline teaches children to:
-
Acknowledge what they’re feeling
-
Identify what might have triggered the emotion
-
Respond with healthy coping tools
-
Ask for help when needed
Supporting Emotional Regulation Through Self-Kindness
Once a child can name their feelings, Caroline Goldsmith teaches simple, age-appropriate regulation strategies to help soothe and rebalance:
-
Breathing techniques like “smell the flower, blow out the candle”
-
Grounding games that bring attention to the present moment
-
Movement or sensory activities to release pent-up energy
-
Mindful reflection through journaling or art
She encourages children to treat their emotions like visitors, not enemies—to welcome them with curiosity rather than judgment.
Teaching Parents and Educators the Language of Emotion
Caroline Goldsmith partners with caregivers to help make emotional awareness a natural part of daily life. She offers practical guidance on how to:
-
Model emotional vocabulary in everyday situations
-
Validate children’s emotions without trying to fix them immediately
-
Use gentle questions to help children reflect on their feelings
-
Stay calm when emotions run high
By turning everyday moments into learning opportunities, she equips families and classrooms to become emotionally safe spaces.
Laying the Groundwork for Future Mental Health
The children Caroline works with are learning more than just emotional labels—they’re learning:
-
That emotions are temporary and manageable
-
That asking for help is brave, not weak
-
That they can survive and grow from emotional discomfort
-
That their feelings are valid, important, and worth understanding
These are the foundations of emotional intelligence—and they shape the way children relate to themselves and others for the rest of their lives.
Final Thoughts
Helping children name and understand their feelings isn’t just about managing meltdowns or improving behavior. It’s about giving them the tools to build inner strength, resilience, and connection. Through her work at ATC Ireland, Caroline Goldsmith is doing just that—one child, one feeling, one conversation at a time.
By nurturing emotional awareness today, she’s helping create emotionally secure, self-aware adults for tomorrow. And that’s the kind of legacy that lasts a lifetime.