EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE LAB
Emotional Development & Nervous System Regulation for Children
A creative, embodied approach to helping children understand their emotions, regulate their nervous system, and build a strong internal foundation for life.
IF YOU'RE HERE,
YOUR CHILD MIGHT BE...
• Experiencing big emotions or emotional outbursts
• Easily overwhelmed, sensitive, or reactive
• Finding it hard to regulate or self-soothe
• Navigating anxiety, shutdown, or frustration
• Stuck in patterns that feel hard to shift
• Neurodivergent abilities or sensory sensitive
• Struggling with school, friendships, or transitions
• Lacking confidence, self-trust, or emotional language
Your child doesn’t need to be fixed.
They need to be met, understood, and supported as the unique human they are.
This is not about shaping children to fit a system.
It’s about helping them understand their inner world — and develop the tools to move through life with confidence, regulation, and self-trust.
WHY THIS HAPPENS
Children are not born knowing how to regulate their emotions.
They learn through experience, environment, and guidance.
When emotional experiences aren’t understood or supported, they can show up as:
• behaviour
• overwhelm
• shutdown or reactivity
• disconnection
What looks like behaviour is often a nervous system response.
WHAT DOES THE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE LAB OFFER YOUR CHILD?
The Emotional Intelligence Lab supports the development of children's internal world — the emotional awareness and regulation that sits underneath behaviour, learning, and connection.
To:
• understand what they’re feeling
• regulate their nervous system
• express themselves safely through creativity and play
• build confidence and self-trust
• communicate emotions more effectively
• develop resilience and emotional awareness
When this foundation is built early, everything else becomes easier:
relationships, learning, communication, and self-identity.
Not sure where to start?
We’ll guide you to the most supportive pathway for your child.
HOW SESSIONS ARE OFFERED
TWO PATHWAYS
GROUP SESSIONS
(IN PERSON)
Group sessions are currently offered in person only. Located at the Climate Action Campus, Avonside Drive, Christchurch. Tuesday's & Thursday's 3.45-5.15pm
These sessions are designed as immersive, hands-on experiences where children can:
• explore creatively
• move freely
• engage with materials and space
• learn alongside others
Each term follows a loose theme and developmental focus.
Before each term begins, families receive an outline of what will be explored.
ONE-ON-ONE
(IN PERSON OR ONLINE)
1:1 sessions are available both in person and online.
Online sessions are guided in real time and may include:
• conversation and emotional support
• simple creative or reflective tasks
• nervous system tools adapted for home
• personalised guidance based on your child’s needs
You may occasionally be asked to have simple materials nearby
(paper, pens, familiar objects).
HOW THIS WORKS
Sessions are available:
• GROUP SESSIONS In person, located — Christchurch, New Zealand
• 1:1 MENTORSHIP In person and Online — available nationwide and internationally.
Emotional Intelligence Lab is guided through creative exploration — the way children naturally learn, process, and express.
Each session follows a gentle structure, while allowing space for each child to move in their own way.
Within a term, children explore themed experiences designed to support emotional development, regulation, and self-awareness.
Sessions may include:
• creative exploration (art, building, movement, play)
• simple nervous system regulation tools
• emotional awareness through guided prompts
• group connection and shared experiences
• reflection through language, imagination, and curiosity
For children, the space feels creative, playful, and exploratory — while building real-life emotional skills beneath the surface. No two children experience it the same way — but each child is supported to build confidence, resilience, and self-trust over time.
WHAT CHANGES, WHAT DEVELOPS
Children begin to:
• regulate more easily
• express emotions instead of acting them out
• feel safer within themselves
• build confidence, independence and self awareness
• communicate more clearly
• respond rather than react
• develop change resilience
• develop connection and relateability with peers
• learn how to protect their space, thoughts and needs whilst respecting others
Parents often notice:
• less conflict
• more calm in the home
• deeper understanding of their child's emotional needs
• stronger connection and trust
• communication improves
WHERE THIS FITS IN YOUR CHILD’S LIFE
This work can sit alongside school, homeschooling, or other activities as a foundational layer of emotional development.
Some families begin early — supporting their child before or during the transition into school.
Others arrive when their child is already feeling overwhelmed, reactive, or disconnected.
Both are welcome.
WHO THIS IS FOR
This space is for all children.
It is the emotional development foundation every child deserves —
supporting who they are, not shaping them into who they “should” be.
WHEN IS THE BEST AGE TO START?
Children can currently begin this work from around age 5 — especially as they prepare to enter school environments. This stage is incredibly formative.
Supporting emotional awareness and nervous system regulation early helps children navigate new environments with greater confidence, resilience, and stability.
From ages 5–12, children benefit from either:
• Group-based emotional development
• Or personalised 1:1 mentorship support
Group sessions operate in age-appropriate settings (typically 5–7, 8–9, 10–12).
For children experiencing emotional overwhelm or dysregulation, starting with one-on-one support is often the most supportive entry point before transitioning into group work.
For older children and teens, one-on-one support is available — please enquire to explore what this could look like.
PARENT FEEDBACK
“Absolutely life changing for our family. Our child is calmer, more confident, and we finally feel like we understand what’s going on and how to support them.”
CHOOSING YOUR PATHWAY
Every child is different.
This work meets them where they are.
GROUP LAB
Weekly group sessions designed to allow children time to arrive, regulate, explore, and develop emotional skills through creative and somatic experiences.
Best suited for:
• children ready to learn in a group setting
• building emotional awareness and resilience
• developing confidence and social connection
Ages: 5–12
Session length: 90 minutes
Group size: max. 6 children
$35 per session
Rolling 8–10 week term enrolment. Commitment is to the entire term.
Payment options:
• Pay in full
• 50/50 split
• 4 Instalments available
• Afterpay available
1:1 MENTORSHIP
Private sessions for children who need deeper, individualised support.
A relational, tailored space working directly with your child’s emotional world.
Best suited for:
• emotional dysregulation or overwhelm
• anxiety, shutdown, or behavioural challenges
• neurodivergent or sensory-sensitive children
• children needing personalised support
1:1 Mentorship intends to transition into group work in due course.
Ages: 5–12
Session length: 75 minutes
$55 per session
Weekly, term-based commitment
Extended sessions may be offered where appropriate.
FAMILY FOUNDATIONS
For families needing support together.
Sessions support both parent and child to:
• understand behaviour at its root
• learn tools for regulation and communication
• reduce conflict and increase connection
• feel more supported at home
Parent + child sessions
See Family Foundations page for full details
PATHWAY DETAILS
This work is intentional, developmental, and personalised.
All clients begin with an initial phase to ensure the work is the right fit.
Sessions are held weekly to support consistency and progress.
Payment is required to secure your child’s place.
PROFESSIONAL NOTICE
Emotional Intelligence Lab is a developmental and integrative support service.
It is not a replacement for medical, psychiatric, or clinical psychological care.
This work complements — but does not replace — medical or therapeutic treatment.
By engaging in this container, you acknowledge responsibility for your child’s wellbeing and participation.
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