Emotional Learning for Children

Group of kids school field trips learning outdoors botanic park

Promoting well-being of children and their caregivers through relationship-based approaches and the best available science

Helping Enhance Connection, Resilience & Well-Being

NEW ON THE BLOG

designs that encourage children and adults to grow by exploring the world with a spirit of adventure

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Inspiring children through worldwide adventures – learning about themselves as they experience something new

EXPLORE MORE

Helping children live

by using clinical psychology, story and wonderfully cute characters

emotion-fully

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ENJOY THE SHOP

Welcome!

I’m so glad you’re here!

I’m Kristin, a psychologist, consultant, writer and adventure-seeking wife and mom based in Michigan. I work with children, families, educators and other clinicians using a developmental relational approach. This means we work together to understand countless moment-to-moment (sometimes messy) interactions. We give time to listen, understand behavior, and use what you know and observe. Plus, we apply science in ways that help you enhance resilience to move through difficult moments and stay connected to those you care about. Together, we’ll create a clearer path, one moment and decision at a time.

ABOUT

What do you want to explore?

Paratus (the idea of being ready) is more about what happens on the inside to help us on the outside. It isn’t about “advice,” a specific set of strategies or checklists -- it’s about experiences and relationships. An adventure, if you will, that includes what we know, what we do, and how we are with others.

GET STARTED

What You'll Find

key information and engaging ways to learn about a topic

activities and experiences to help learn and practice skills

opportunities to discover and explore what you bring to interactions (how you ‘show up’)

Hello, Heart!

Monthly adventures delivered by mail

Both children and teens are inspired to learn about emotions, explore within, and connect with the world around them with the support of monthly engaging adventure stories. Discover a new way to share emotional learning with a child or teenager in your life.

Each month’s adventure includes an illustrated letter and story, field notes, a heart map, and postcard for sending to someone special. Each adventure letter invites children and teens along the emotional growth journey of various explorers and is inspired by a new skill and heartfelt tale. Choose your plan and never miss an adventure!

Subscribe: Subscribe for $6 to receive an illustrated adventure story, postcard, heart map, and a collection of field notes to learn about emotions and explore within. Hello, Heart! supports a strong foundation for lifelong emotional wellness.
Check Your Mailbox: Your letter will be mailed between the 12th and 15th of every month in a custom-addressed envelope specifically for you.
Explore Together: Each monthly adventure helps children and teenagers explore and build emotional skills.

Start Your Adventure

Be Ready Explorers

A guide for discovering, exploring and growing emotion-fully.

Be Ready Explorers is for girls and boys ages 5-12 years and features a different adventure each quarter to:

Introduce children to different explorers and their resilience traits,
Share educational content,
Introduce children to the beauty and diversity of the world,
Give opportunity for connection and reflection, and
Help cultivate well-being in children and their caregivers.

In kid-friendly ways, it offers targeted experiences that help children feel ready for life’s adventures and grow emotion-fully. It follows the principle that emotional well-being can be cultivated through practice (connection + intention), which is something I have been studying and researching for over twenty years now.

CHOOSE AN ADVENTURE

Kind Words From Others

Here is an individual who has the unique capacity to provide skilled delivery of knowledge, evidence-based practice, and support in a way that suits everyone. Often, when everyone is pleased, this indicates a lack of movement forward; change is often unpalatable. However, after the first year of a very challenging project, Kristin’s skillfulness, respect, and capacity to encourage others to make progress resulted in great gains in knowledge and practice paradigm shifts within a very large, hard to move system. This is what Kristin brings to the field simply by being who she is.

N.C.

Kristin has opened my eyes to a new way of supporting others. I did not see a purpose in slowing down and reflecting. She helped me see and understand the importance of pausing. I am beyond grateful for my time with her.

R.R.

I find Kristin to be one of the most real people I’ve ever met. She works on a national level yet keeps a local, hometown, want to be your neighbor presence. I’ve worked with a lot of people over the years and she continues to stand out. I have often felt like others wanted to walk just a bit in front of me, impress or come across larger in life. Not Kristin. She just wants to walk alongside you.

K.B.

As an early childhood educator, we are constantly being asked to participate in professional development. Little did I know this one session would change my feelings about trainings. Kristin Tenney-Blackwell was visiting our state and presenting a session about challenging behavior which my principal signed me up for. This was the best day of my entire career! Being with Kristin was like having an individual conversation even though I was one of over a hundred in a room. The way she shared information was simple and relatable. I knew I could leave there and have things to try. She was understanding and I felt like I could listen to her all day long. From that day on, I have attended several other sessions with her and learn something new each time. Kristin travels all over presenting and yet each time I’m in the room with her, it feels like she hears what we’re saying even though she’s probably heard the same things thousands of times. She’s one of the best.

S. A.

Kristin was recommended to our family as someone who could help our 7-year-old with worries. We did not know what to expect and from the moment we met Kristin this was no longer a concern for us. She could relate to us as a family and our daughter never wanted to miss a session. What we originally thought would come from therapy was so much more. Kristin helped us feel understood as parents and less alone. Parenting is hard work and I never felt judged by her. Our time with her has helped us well beyond just thinking about worries.

T. L.