Welcome to Calon Thrive
We deliver training that empowers anyone who cares for or works with children, from teachers and carers to parents and professionals.
Through Emotional First Aid (EFA), we offer practical tools to support emotional well-being in real, meaningful ways.
Rooted in Wales. Designed with Compassion.
Launching October 2025.
Training Courses available from October 2025
What is Emotional First Aid?
Emotional First Aid (EFA) is about noticing when a child or young person is struggling emotionally and stepping in with care, kindness, and support
before things get worse. It gives everyday people – teachers, teaching
assistants, carers, social workers, parents, and anyone who supports children – the tools to gently explore what’s going on beneath the surface and to offer calm, non-judgmental help.
Too often, emotional struggles go unnoticed or are left until crisis point. In Wales, 1 in 6 children and young people are currently living with a mental health condition, and many others experience emotional distress without a diagnosis. EFA helps adults feel more confident stepping forward, starting conversations, and simply being there when it matters most.
You don’t need to be a therapist to make a difference—you just need to care, listen, and respond.
Why EFA, and why now?
I was originally trained in England by Solent NHS to deliver four EFA courses. Since then, I’ve taken that knowledge and completely updated and
redesigned the content to reflect today’s challenges, especially for our
communities here in Wales.
From October 2025, we will be delivering this fresh and practical version of Emotional First Aid through our new training company, Calon Thrive.
Each course has been created with a Welsh lens and a big heart. They’re packed with easy-to-use tools, relatable examples, and real-life strategies to support children in schools, homes, and community settings.
Comfort, Stress, & Panic
Example
Empowering you to make a difference
Transform Lives with Emotional First Aid Training
Our Emotional First Aid training enables you to recognise and respond to emotional
distress in children and young people with compassion. Create safe spaces for them to thrive!
The Heart of EFA
Empower Yourself
to Empower Others
Emotional First Aid training empowers adults to spot early signs of emotional distress in children and young people and respond with calm, compassionate support.
Grounded in trauma-informed care, EFA equips educators, carers, and professionals with practical tools to de-escalate challenging moments, nurture resilience, and create emotionally safe spaces where children can thrive.
Whether in schools, foster homes, or youth settings, EFA turns empathy into confident, timely action.
Understanding Emotional First Aid
This visual highlights the critical window where Emotional First Aiders provide support — before mental health concerns become more complex or clinical. At Calon Thrive, we believe in recognising the signs early. The triangle shows a journey from everyday
emotions to more entrenched challenges. Emotional First Aid works at the base and lower third: when someone might be feeling
overwhelmed, anxious, or “stuck,” but not yet at the point of needing specialist intervention.
By offering compassionate, human-centered support during these early moments, we can prevent escalation, build resilience, and help individuals reconnect with themselves. When emotional difficulties deepen or persist, that’s when referrals to services like CAMHS may be more appropriate.
Why Choose Calon Thrive?
Explore the unique benefits and features of our Emotional First Aid training programs that set us apart.
Our programs are designed for educators, caregivers, and
professionals dedicated to fostering emotional well-being in the youth they serve.
Comprehensive Training
In-depth training that covers all aspects of Emotional First Aid, ensuring you are well-equipped to support children.
Trauma-Informed Approach
Understanding trauma and its effects is at the heart of our training, allowing for a more empathetic response.
Practical Tools
Learn and practice essential tools that can be implemented immediately in real-life situations.
Community Impact
Join a network of dedicated
professionals committed to making a positive impact in the lives of children.
The Triangle of Needs and Self
Imagine a triangle where each corner represents a vital area of support for a child, such as family, education, and peers. When all three are in place, the centre holds space to find yourself, a grounding sense of identity and belonging.
Now, picture a second triangle where one of those supports is missing. The central space expands — not just for self-discovery, but also for uncertainty and emotional stuckness. It becomes harder to orient yourself. More energy is spent surviving than thriving.
Now imagine someone with none of those supports. The triangle still exists, but the centre becomes vast and difficult to navigate. They must find themselves in a much larger space, without the
anchors most of us rely on.
At Calon Thrive, we understand how vital these supports are — and we walk alongside those rebuilding their triangle, one corner at a time.
4 Emotional First Aid Courses
CPD Accredited
Impactful Workshops
"What children would tell us... If they had the right words."
"Little Eyes, Big Feelings"
Child-Focused Presentations
2 day courses - 7 Sessions (1 for each colour of the rainbow)
"Stormy Days & Rainbow Moments - Understanding a child/young person better"