Alison Knowles, Emotional Therapist, joins me today to discuss ‘it’s not the what, it’s the why’. Alison tells us that assumptions often arise when we focus solely on behaviour, leading to a lack of understanding. “Actually getting to the root of what's going on rather than focusing on the bit that isn't going to change.” Alison Knowles Alison emphasises that all behaviour serves a purpose, but merely focusing on the behaviour itself won't lead to real change. Instead, it’s essential to understand why individuals engage in certain behaviours. This approach shifts our focus from symptoms to the underlying emotions and motivations that drive those actions. She pointed out that children often resort to negative behaviours to gain attention, especially if they feel overlooked when they are behaving well. It's crucial for parents and caregivers to recognise this pattern and provide attention and validation in positive ways. Listen to this discussion to find out the importance of understanding emotional motivations behind behaviours and the necessity for effective communication and supportive parenting. About Alison Knowles Ali is a practising emotional therapist, author of the Ollie and his Super Powers series of books, public speaker and creator of the Ollie Model. Ali’s strength is the unique way she views the world and her instinctive ability to empower you or your child to find the solutions from within. We recognise the uniqueness and individuality of every client we see. We know they don’t fit in boxes and that labels can be very generic. We don’t take months and months to help you move on, Ollie Coaches encourage you to take charge by empowering you with our skill sets so that you can make the changes that will make all the difference to make the difference at a pace that is right for you. We believe you have everything you need inside you. We show you how to access your immense knowledge and skills so that you can be in control of your emotions rather than being controlled by them. You can contact me if: you, a member of your family, a staff member or a child in your school needs 1-2-1 emotional resilience support to overcome a limiting belief, fear or phobia, a habit you would rather not have or an emotion that is making decisions for you. you are interested in having us run an introductory Ollie workshop for your group, team or staff. you need help with conflict resolution, change management, communication breakdowns. if you would like more information about having an Ollie Coach in your school or having staff trained in the Ollie Model you would like to find out more about becoming an Ollie Coach and joining Ollie’s Army. Ollie is currently active in the corporate world, schools, universities alternative provision, foster and adoption. Contact Alison https://x.com/bemoreollie www.ollieandhisuperpowers.com Ali@subconquest.co.uk info@ollieandhissuperpowers.com https://www.facebook.com/OllieandhisSuperPowers https://www.instagram.com/ollie_and_his_super_powers Useful Links YouTube channel B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast Email Dale – dale@bsquared.co.uk Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe The SENDcast is powered by B Squared We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.