Hey there! I'm Katerina - the book’s author, and if there's one thing I'm super passionate about, it's helping young people navigate the amazing, sometimes wild, world of emotions. For years, I had the incredible privilege of being a childminder, basically spending my days hanging out with kids and watching them grow. That hands-on experience taught me so much about how little humans (and bigger ones too!) feel and express themselves.

It sparked a real fire in me to explore how we can all become more emotionally intelligent and learn to manage our feelings, especially when things get a bit wobbly.

I've also done a bunch of learning along the way to back up all that real-world experience – from understanding how young minds develop to diving deep into children's mental health and even picking up some great skills on how to raise emotionally intelligent kids. I've explored child psychology, learned about neurodiversity and autism, and even figured out some cool tricks for managing emotions when life throws curveballs. But honestly, the biggest teachers have been the kids themselves. I hope that my books can be like a friendly chat with a good friend, helping you understand your feelings, build your emotional superpowers, and feel really good about who you are.

Below is the list of my qualifications:

• Early Years Child Development Training (UK Department for Education)

• Certificate in Understanding Children and Young People's Mental Health (UK Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education)

• Skills to Raise Emotionally Intelligent Children (Private Course Certificate)

• Introduction to Child Psychology (Open University Course Certificate, UK)

• Understanding Ableism and Neurodiversity in Play Therapy Certificate (Private Course)

• Understanding Autism (Open University Course Certificate, UK)

• Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty & Stress (Yale University Certificate)