Earlier today, Kate Middleton adorably taught a five-year-old girl how to “listen to the sea” through a seashell during a royal outing at Family Action’s Children’s Trauma Therapy. The charity helps children recover from complex trauma.
The Charity Works with Children Who Have Experienced Abuse, Neglect, Or Traumatic Bereavement
According to the Daily Mail,
“Their children’s trauma therapy service in Bradford works with children who have experienced abuse, neglect, or traumatic bereavement.”
Kate’s visit to Family Action was actually the first of three engagements she attended in North England today. Kate is a patron of Family Action. During her visit, the Princess was introduced to a youngster whose therapist asked her to “make a box of wishes.”
Kate showed the girl how to “hear the sea in a shell.” She joined the kids’ creative therapy sessions. She spoke to them about decorating collage trees and wish boxes.
The future Queen has long believed in using creativity to heal from mental health conditions, such as trauma.
Kate told the little girl, while handing her the seashell, “Sometimes, if you put them in your ear, you can hear the sea. Do you want to see if you can hear the sea?”
She continued telling the curious youngster,
“Sometimes, you can hear the waves if you listen very quietly. That’s what I like doing with shells. If you close your eyes, you can sometimes imagine you’re by the beach.”
The girl also showed Kate a special “potion” she had made to “keep the bad dreams away.” The Princess told the girl’s mother, “Lots of people need more of these.”
Kate also met a twelve-year-old boy who described his love of music and explained that he plays the drums in a school band because he enjoys playing musical instruments.
Princess Catherine Walked for a Charity Called Mind Over Mountains
The Princess of Wales is also a patron of the Rugby Football Team. She also visited them today while they were on break from their skills session for Wakefield’s Champion School’s competition.
The kids asked her about her daughter, Princess Charlotte, and her school activities. Kate responded,
“She does loads of sports, but not rugby.”
She joked to the girls’ team about rugby,
“There’s not any other sport where you can say contact is a good thing.”
Following her visit to the team, she braved the freezing temperatures to walk with Mind Over Mountains, a charity that offers mental health support through therapeutic outdoor activities.
She stopped briefly to enjoy the spectacular view over the Derwent and Hope Valleys. The Princess walked through mud puddles and up the granite edge.
The group also engaged in a mindfulness session in which they were instructed to
“feel their feet on the ground and notice their bodies.”
Kate’s visit to Family Action Trauma Therapy Service highlighted the critical role of community -based, therapeutic support for children who need help to learn how to mitigate their trauma.
The Princess of Wales’s visit to the charity is significant and meaningful because it brought national attention to the healing power of specialized, creative therapies, such as music and art, and to how they can help children recover.
Interestingly, Kate’s visit also aligns with her ongoing work on nurturing environments, consistent relationships, and the impact of early experiences on adult life.
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