How come photos can help me with my emotionally intense kids?

Let me explain...

Photos can be used in a few different ways that can help you

  • Feel more confident
  • Get to know you child's better
  • Get to know yourself better
  • Deep family Connection
  • Help you be more present in the moment (ie: practice mindfulness in a concrete way)

And basically the same for your kids

How can photos do all that?

Let's start with the basic: Can photos be therapeutic?

Well, yes. There’s an entire field of studies on the topic, although pretty small I must say 😅 there’s a training  in only one university in the world (in the UK) from what I know. 

But there’s many ways photos can be therapeutic, they can be in a very formal photo therapy session (like art therapy in some ways) but are also used for activisme as group programs in marginalized community (PhotoVoice being the main source of info in that field) and they can be used for therapeutical purposes by ourselves or in different, less formal ways like courses or programs.

It’s also a way to practice mindfulness (more on that in a second).

I integrate it in one or both of those last ways in some of my work (therapeutic photography and mindfulness photography) as I'm not a licensed therapist so I don't do Photo Therapy. 

Taking and looking at photos can help with self-esteem, sense of self, sense of belonging. I also add enhancing connection with others and that's where it becomes very important for our family where conflict is everywhere and connection can be challenging. 

I saw that in my own house, photography clients have share it with me and there’s even some studies that show that kids who see images of themselves in their house have a higher sense of belonging.

Here’s a real life quote from my youngest (pointing at a frame of monthly photos of us together during her first year of life):  "Mommy, it's you taking care of me when I was a baby" 

Isn’t that powerful and sums up my point perfectly? She doesn’t remember that stage in her life. But she can see me with her. 

I have a few photos on my walls and a digital frame with hundreds of photos and my kids, myself, my husband and the visit even, often stop to look at a few (they are changing every 30 seconds) and comment about what’s on them, reminisce of a different time, the kids might ask to do some activities or outings again based on what they see. I also integrate friends and extended family members in the photos to keep that connection even if we don’t see them often. 

So, if you want to deepen connection in your family in a very low time, low effort and low confrontation way: display photos. 

And like you can tell from this exemple, you being in the photos is also important to help you kids realize that you are there for them (even more than they think). 

Ok...and what about mindfulness?

That's my favorite one! 

Mindfulness is a great way to regulate ourselves (more on that topic over here)

But is "being present in the moment" hard for you when there's so much intensity and so many things to take care of? It is for me too (and I’m a certified mindfulness teacher 🫣) unless I have a camera in my hands. Does that idea sound weird to you? I know it did to me when I realized I was using photography as a mindfulness tool

But I didn’t invent anything (I thought I did for a moment 😅), it’s a recognized used of photography, because when we take photos, we slow down and focus on what we want to photograph, without thinking of anything else most of the time. 

What I do differently from what most people using photography as mindfulness is what I photograph. You see, most mindful photography is done in nature walks, taking photos of, well, nature. Or by landscape and wildlife photographers who will stay hours in the same spot waiting for the right light and/or right action of an animal. Or doing macro photography (closeup of very small things like flowers for exemple, but it can be anything). I have no patience for those 😅and no time. So I apply mindfulness photography to my everyday intense life and do it by taking photos of my kids. Now I can hear you think: "How can that be mindful in any way? It’s a shit show around here, like all the time!"

Well, I take photos of the shit show 😅. And the magic is that it becomes way less of a shit show just by doing it. 

  • Mess? It can look pretty when you use the right angle and light…or you just position yourself to not see it 😅
  • Conflict? I personally never photograph the negative parts but might document the repair and connection that comes from solving conflicts, or pain.

Now, you likely think: "you have no idea, my kids will never pose for photo!" Well, mine either 😅 ok, they do it like once a year to humour me on Mother’s Day or my birthday. But other than that, I never ask them to pose or look at me for photos. That’s what mindfulness family photos are: I document what is. I document what’s in front of me, what they are doing, what interest them at any given moment. And by doing that my focus to what they are doing. It allows me to be present in the moment, give them undivided attention (think connection here) for a few moments and learn to understand them better. 3 for 1 (and more, as there’s also the impact of the photos once they are taken, like shared above). And all thing that are helping us to make things better with our intense kids. 

I dare you to try and use photos in a mindful way this week 😜. Oh, and if you want to dive deeper on the topic, check out my Enjoy the  Present  Moment - Through Photography guide, it’s all about.  


But I have so many other prioritizes...

I know...but you know what I like THE MOST about using photos in one of those ways in our frantic life?

Is that it take us out of the focus on the negative interaction and behavior and back into play, fun and collaboration

It's a way to connect and interact that doesn't look like you're trying to "solve" something about your child, your family or yourself. But that can help solve it. Won't work alone (I wish!) but it can be very helpful. Convinced? 

If you're curious and would like to use photos in a therapeutic way, I have a few programs that use it,:

Oh, and I talked all about that on 2 podcasts if you want to learn more 

"Absolutely loved the course, I loved that it redirected me from looking for perfect light and colours to looking for perfect moments. I am more mindful of connections and stories that matter now and I am thankful to Anouk for that. She is a wonderful and patient teacher."


S. S. 

"I have been questioning how present I am to my children when photographing them, and this course affirms that it is in fact a parenting tool that can help me to be present at the same time as being immersed in my photography."

More resources

Struggling to stay calm when you're child is not?

Check the info here

Want to help your child calm down?

Check the info here

Shop all the resources to parent emotionally intense kids

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Hi, if we don't know each other,
I'm Anouk!🖐️

I'm a parent advocate and mom of 3 wonderful and emotionally intense kids. I have a master's in social work and I’ve been supporting parents for more than 17 years (and that's how long I've been a mom!).

My focus is on helping you build confidence in your parenting to reduce conflicts and deepen family connections.

Everything I do center's on supporting you to meet your emotionally intense kid’s specific needs and yours as a parent. I believe real change happens when both are supported together, in a judgment-free space. 

I'm also a mindful family photographer and strive to integrate that approches with the many other I use to support my client and community.

A few places you can also hear, see or read me...

Listen to all the podcasts I've been invited on over here

Anouk was so involved and responsive with all the students on board.


She gave so freely of herself. But she also does it in the course material and shares her knowledge and tips without holding back so that everyone wins.


K. L.

"Anouk (...) is very intuitive and knowledgeable and had great practical tips for me to tackle the challenges I am experiencing with my 2 children.

She had insight which I had not ever even contemplated myself.

Thanks so much Anouk!"



C. M.
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