'When You Feel The Fire' - A Therapeutic Parenting Story
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Caring for children who’ve experienced trauma often means facing anger that seems to flare from nowhere. But what looks like rage on the outside is often anxiety burning within — a fire that feels frightening both for the child and for the adults supporting them.
This course is built around the therapeutic storybook When You Feel the Fire, which helps children recognise that their “anger” may really be worry or fear. Through rhyming verse, calming imagery, and practical tools like the “five things” grounding method and balloon breathing, the story opens the door to honest conversations about big feelings.
As a parent, foster carer, or professional, you’ll learn how to:
- Use the story as a gentle way to explore anger and anxiety with children aged 8–18.
- Support children in recognising their “fire” before it grows out of control.
- Practise simple co-regulation tools that make scary moments feel safer.
- Ask therapeutic reflection questions that build trust and emotional literacy.
- Repair connection after outbursts and build resilience over time.
If you’ve ever thought “I don’t know what to do when their anger takes over”, this course offers reassurance, practical tools, and hope. By the end, you’ll feel more confident in helping children cool the fire — without shame, without fear, and with compassion at the centre.
If you haven't visited the free course '
Understanding and living with anger in traumatised children', then we recommend taking a look. It compliments this course.
This course is available for free.
This was a beautiful story, that could be applied to so many different situations that children and their families face when they get to know someone and then they have to leave their lives.
maria
If you're a foster carer or other professional working with children, this certificate is a record of your Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
CPD Minutes: 15
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By focusing on the child’s inner experience — “the fire” of anxiety — the course helps carers see beyond behaviour and respond with empathy. This respects each child’s individuality and validates their feelings, ensuring responses are fair and inclusive.
This course provides carers with trauma-informed strategies to recognise that anger is often rooted in anxiety.
By using grounding and breathing techniques, carers are better able to de-escalate conflict, promote calm, and repair relationships after outbursts.
The story and supporting guidance give carers clear, practical tools for managing aggressive behaviour safely and therapeutically.
This reduces the risk of harm to children and others, while strengthening carers’ ability to respond without resorting to punitive or unsafe methods.
The course directly enhances carers’ knowledge and skills in understanding trauma, anxiety, and anger.
It introduces evidence-based techniques (e.g. PACE, grounding, balloon breathing) and reflective questions, equipping carers to handle challenging situations with greater confidence.
