Sometimes you have to take the small wins

Child therapist Kate Silverton talks to Psychologies about her second act, seeking out the joy, and the importance of self-regulation when making space for big emotions

- HOLLY TREACY

In the tumultuous wake of the 2020 pandemic, a wave of introspection swept across the globe, prompting countless individuals to reevaluate their paths in life. This transformative period birthed what has been coined 'the great resignation', a phenomenon where droves of people bid farewell to their conventional roles, seeking, instead, a deeper resonance with their true passions. Among them is Kate Silverton, a familiar face from the BBC news, who found herself at a crossroads, and decided to step away from her journalism career, embarking on a journey towards becoming a child therapist. But this wasn't merely a response to the pandemic's disruptions; rather, it was a choice deeply rooted in the profound shift that occurred when she became a mother. 'You don't get a handbook when you become a parent, and you're left wondering, "Should it be this hard? Or are we doing something wrong?" says Silverton.

The former newsreader has been volunteering for a number of years with the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, and Place2Be, a children and young people's mental health charity: 'I had access to all these amazing psychiatrists, neuroscientists and psychotherapists,' she explains, 'so when I was asking them the questions I wanted to know as a parent - discovering that children's brains don't stop developing until their 20s, and that it's the nervous system that actually directs behaviour - it was a lightbulb moment for me. I became really passionate about sharing this generosity of information.' It was this that led to her first book, There's No Such Thing As 'Naughty' (Little, Brown, £16.99). 'If I learn something that's really helpful, why wouldn't I pass that on?'