INTRODUCTION
I never imagined that my journey as a counsellor would one day lead me into children’s storytelling. For many years, my work focused on helping adults make sense of their emotions, their fears, and their inner world. But through unexpected changes in my health and work life, I found myself asking a quieter question: How do we help children feel emotionally safe before those worries grow? That question became the starting point for my transition from counselling to storytelling — and for the creation of the Brave & Calm children’s book series, inspired by Murphy the dog.
Children’s emotional wellbeing is not about fixing feelings or making worries disappear.
It’s about helping children:
Feel safe inside
Understand their emotions
Learn that big feelings are manageable
Build confidence at their own pace
As a counsellor, I’ve seen how early emotional experiences can shape the way people relate to themselves later in life. Gentle reassurance in childhood can make a lasting difference.
Stories are one of the most natural and effective ways to support emotional safety in young children.
FROM COUNSELLING TO STORYTELLING
Counselling often begins with listening — really listening — to what someone is feeling beneath the surface.
Children communicate differently.
They express emotions through:
Play
Imagination
Behaviour
Stories
Storytelling allows children to explore fear, kindness, confidence, and worry in a safe and indirect way. They can see themselves in a character without feeling exposed or pressured.
This is where storytelling becomes a quiet extension of counselling — especially for children aged 3–7, who are still learning to put feelings into words
MEET MURPHY: A GENTLE GUIDE FOR LITTLE HEARTS.
Murphy, the calm and curious dog at the heart of the Brave & Calm series, was created to help children feel understood.
Through Murphy’s adventures, children are gently encouraged to:
Take small brave steps
Accept their feelings without shame
Learn that it’s okay to go at their own pace
Discover confidence in everyday moments
These are not loud or fast-paced stories.
They are intentionally calm, reassuring, and emotionally supportive.
HELPING CHILDREN FEEL SAFE INSIDE
Helping children feel safe inside doesn’t require big lessons or complicated explanations.
Often, it begins with:
A familiar character
A gentle story
A shared moment between child and adult
Calm stories create space for connection, conversation, and reassurance. They allow children to process feelings in a way that feels safe and manageable.
That is the heart behind every Murphy story.
A GENTLE RESOURCE FOR PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS & EDUCATIORS.
The Brave & Calm series is written for:
Parents supporting emotional development
Grandparents sharing quiet reading time
Educators encouraging emotional awareness
Children who need reassurance rather than pressure
Each story is designed to support emotional wellbeing for children while remaining comforting and enjoyable to read together.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Moving from counselling to storytelling was not something I planned — but it has become a meaningful continuation of the same heart-led work.
If these stories help even one child feel a little safer, calmer, or braver inside, then this journey has been worthwhile.
You can explore the Brave & Calm children’s book series here on my website.
Thank you for being part of this story.
— Linda
AMAZON
