Ep 70 When Worry Doesn't Go Away: Helping Kids Understand Their Emotions with Dr. Louise Mansell

In this episode of Conversations with Kristi, Kristi sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Louise Mansell to explore a powerful question:

Why are we waiting so long to teach children how to understand and manage their emotions?

Dr. Louise shares how her early experiences supporting her own mother through anxiety shaped her career, and how years of working with children-particularly those experiencing trauma-revealed a major gap in how we support emotional development.

Rather than accepting that gap, she created a solution.

Introducing Tedology - an innovative, therapeutic teddy bear designed to help children understand, regulate, and process their emotions in a safe and accessible way.

Together, Kristi and Dr. Louise unpack why children aren’t meant to “get rid” of emotions like worry, how emotional suppression impacts long-term wellbeing, and why early emotional education has the potential to change entire generations.

This conversation is warm, honest, and deeply practical. It challenges common parenting approaches and offers a new way of thinking about how children can be supported-long before issues become overwhelming.

• Why emotional education needs to start earlier
• The difference between regulating emotions vs. avoiding them
• Why children can’t (and shouldn’t) “get rid” of worry
• How unprocessed emotions impact mental and physical health
• The role of play in helping children understand feelings
• Why many children struggle to talk about their experiences
• The impact of trauma, silence, and emotional suppression
• How sensory tools support emotional regulation
• Why children need safe spaces before they can use their voice
• How Tedology supports children between therapy sessions

Many children today are struggling with anxiety, overwhelm, and emotional dysregulation.

But as Dr. Louise explains, the issue isn’t that children are “too sensitive” or “not coping”-it’s that they haven’t been given the tools to understand what they’re feeling or what to do with it.

When emotions are ignored, dismissed, or misunderstood, they don’t disappear.

They grow.

This episode encourages parents and carers to shift from:

“How do I stop this feeling?”

to:

“How can I help my child understand and work through this feeling?”

Because when children learn how to process emotions early, they don’t just cope-they thrive.

Dr. Louise Mansell is a clinical psychologist who trained and worked in the UK before moving to Australia.

Her work has focused on childhood trauma, emotional development, and early intervention-particularly supporting children who struggle to express or process their experiences.

Through her clinical work, Dr. Louise identified a major gap in accessible emotional support for children and created Tedology to bridge that gap.

Tedology combines psychology, sensory regulation, and play-based learning to help children build emotional awareness and resilience from a young age.

Tedology is more than a teddy bear.

It’s a therapeutic support tool designed to help children:

• Understand and name their emotions
• Regulate overwhelming feelings
• Practice expressing thoughts safely
• Build emotional confidence over time

Each Ted includes:

• Guided emotional support features
• Sensory elements for calming and regulation
• Emotion cards and play-based learning tools
• A companion guide for parents and carers

Tedology is not a replacement for therapy-but it can be a powerful bridge, helping children feel safe, supported, and understood in their everyday environment.

🌐 Website
https://tedology.com.au 

📱 Social Media
Instagram / Facebook: @tedology

💡 Access Support
Tedology may be accessible through NDIS or available grants depending on eligibility.

If this episode resonated with you, Kristi offers trauma-informed education and practical tools to support children and families.

🔗 Explore resources:
👉 www.kristimcvee.com 

Resources include:

• Conversation tools for parents and carers
• Guidance on emotional safety and regulation
• Support for children navigating anxiety and overwhelm
• Trauma-informed parenting strategies

If you or someone you love needs support:

Lifeline – 13 11 14 | lifeline.org.au
MensLine Australia – 1300 78 99 78 | mensline.org.au
1800RESPECT – 1800 737 732 | 1800respect.org.au
Kids Helpline (ages 5–25) – 1800 55 1800 | kidshelpline.com.au

If you are in immediate danger, contact emergency services.