In January and February 2011 my son (12 years) and myself (old enough to know better) had a month long adventure in Cambodia. We backpacked from Rabbit Island off the south coast all the way to Anka Watt in the north using public transport.

We were based at an orphanage in a town called Takeo which is 2 1/2 hours from the capital city of Pnom Phen. I taught the staff and children at the orphanage how to use hand reflexology and Indian head massage as a lovely way to relax. I showed the other backpackers how to use NLP to lose any anxiety and they in turn showed me how to play poker! (A very fair exchange)

This year when my son and I return to Cambodia we will teach the children and staff how to use NLP to help with learning English using the dyslexia programme that Olive Hickmott taught me and TFT as a way of alleviating the trauma that some young people arrive with. This is not too grand a claim as TFT and Havening are used with soldiers who have post traumatic stress disorder.

I hope again to spend time with the Buddhist monks although they do not need any help with anxiety as they are very calm and serene but also are young men at University and have a huge thirst for knowledge. I know they will really enjoy learning this new skill and I can’t wait to hear their take on NLP!

I have been a reflexologist for over 20 years, it was whilst doing this that I trained to be an advocate for young people. My work with young people currently involves helping those who are in the care system or are young carers, and those who are a victim of bullying or are themselves a bully.

Training with NLP4Kids has enabled me to be able to extend my work to a younger audience, which is fantastic as it means I am able to give children the tools to deal with problems that they may be experiencing such as exam stress, anxiety or low self esteem and prevent them from becoming a problem for them in the future.