About Me

I am Angela Spencer a passionate advocate for Early Childhood Mental Health. For 19 years, I’ve worked hands-on in early years education, walking alongside families, educators, and children.

My work is deeply personal. As a mother to a neurodiverse daughter, I’ve witnessed firsthand how overwhelming systems can be for children and their families. Through my own personal journey of growth, reflection, and healing, I began researching therapeutic approaches to help children reconnect with themselves emotionally, physically, and relationally.

My journey began in West Sussex, where I served as the Mindfulness Wellbeing Lead at a maintained nursery school. In that role, I worked to embed emotional wellbeing into the daily curriculum for both staff and children, weaving together neuroscience, mindfulness, and sensory regulation into everyday practice.

Over time, my work has grown to include:

• Presenting at an Early Years conference

• Training staff to become Mindfulness Champions

• Leading a workshop with Early Years educators from Iceland

• Presenting online sessions to parents 

• Providing one-to-one support for families navigating behaviour and toileting challenges

I also had the privilege of contributing to a research project with Chichester University, exploring how mindfulness supports emotional development in the early years. 

A turning point in my journey came when I connected with Kathy Hegberg, M.A., founder of FocusedKids in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley. Through mentorship and collaboration with Kathy and Amanda, I spent three years learning their evidence-based “brain empowerment” model and with their permission I was able to a adapt the program for Early Years in the UK.

This marked the beginning of Thinking Children, a program based on Inside-Out Emotional Learning that aims to support both adults and children in regulating emotions, building connections, and helping children to thrive.