Book Nook - Riley the Brave's Big Feelings Activity Book: A Trauma-Informed Guide for Counselors, Educators, and Parents

Jessica Sinarski, LPCHM, Author, Speaker, Clinical Supervisor, Founder of BraveBrains recenltly wrote Riley the Brave's Big Feelings Activity Book: A Trauma-Informed Guide for Counselors, Educators, and Parents


Weaving user-friendly brain science into everything she does, Jessica ignites both passion and know-how in audiences. Extensive post-graduate training and 15+ years as a clinician and educator led her to create the resource and training platform BraveBrains. She partners with school districts and child welfare agencies around the world to unlock resilience in children and adults alike.


I had a chance to interview her to learn more.

What inspired you to write the book?
Over the past few years, my waiting list as a therapist was getting longer and longer. More children are beginning to deal with mental health issues for various reasons, and it can be inaccessible for many families to get the care and support their child needs. I wrote this book as a way to come alongside hurting kids and families, providing simple explanations for complex concepts and a treasure chest of tools for navigating big feelings.

Why is it important for parents and caregivers to be able to incorporate brain science in helping kids deal with emotions?
As a mom, I know how easy it is to get stuck just focusing on behavior, especially the behavior we don’t like! My whole world changed when I started to really understand that all behavior comes from the brain. Digging into what is really going on in the brain helped me understand my kids (and myself) a lot better! But it didn’t stop there. This new brain-based lens transformed my work as a mental health counselor. I realized why a lot of the well-intentioned strategies I had been taught in graduate school left people still feeling misunderstood, hurt, and alone. We weren’t reaching the part of the brain that needed compassionate support!

Suddenly I felt like I had magic brain goggles that gave me x-ray vision into what was underneath challenging behavior. I want everyone to have that, and I want to start young! That’s why I created the Riley the Brave series to help make this complicated inner world visible for readers as young as 3 or 4. I’ve also heard from older adults that having these simple visuals and analogies helped them understand themselves better.


At the end of the day, everyone just wants to feel safe, seen, and valued. User-friendly brain science, surprisingly, can help make that possible.

What does it mean to have a book that is trauma-informed?
According to trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry, trauma-informed practice can be defined as “approaching people with the awareness that ‘what happened to you’ is important, that it influences your behavior and your health. And then using that awareness to act accordingly.” This book helps with both sides of that…understanding what’s really going on and empowering kids and adults as they ask, “What do we do now?”

Unfortunately, there is a shortage of truly trauma-informed resources for home, school, and community use. Many mental health professionals are stuck with outdated material that does not reach the parts of the brain that are impacted by trauma. Similarly, social emotional learning curriculum often neglects the kids who need it most. I hope that having this more comprehensive illustrated guide will help bridge the gap, translating complicated brain science into a deceptively simple book full of engaging activities, beautiful visuals, and even some helpful scripts for parents, teachers, and other caring adults.