Welcome to Dealing in Feelings
Helping kids understand emotionsMy Story
Understanding emotions
Hi, my name is Julie and I am the creator and founder of Dealing in Feelings. I am an Educational and Developmental Psychologist from South Australia and have worked with children and their families for over 27 years. I have always had an interest in helping children with developmental disorders. My son had a developmental language disorder and I saw the immense benefit of early intervention for him.
Throughout my career, I have had the privilege to work with numerous children and families, including those with developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, and autism. My experience has been gained from working in schools, foster care programs, disability services, and private practice.
I have a strong interest in the impact of trauma on children with disabilities. In 2007, I was honoured to have been awarded a Churchill Fellowship, which enabled me to travel abroad to research therapeutic foster care programs for children with disabilities. You can learn more about my findings during my Churchill Fellowship at
In 2019, I had the idea of creating emotion cards to assist children in recognizing and understanding their emotions. This was the initial spark that led to the development of my brand, Dealing in Feelings.
Because of my experience with my son, I am also interested in helping children with developmental language disorders and am passionate about the importance of early intervention for children. I try to use my experience as a psychologist to contribute to the well-being of children and their families, and I love creating resources that help to do that.
Why I created the Dealing in Feelings Cards
I’ve always used games in therapy because I know how much children love to play.
I have also worked with many children who find it hard to talk about feelings.
Some children have difficulties recognising emotions in their bodies, while others find it hard to read facial expressions and body language. Some have language delays or are anxious about talking to others.
I was looking for some emotion cards that could help the kids I saw in my therapy practice express how they were feeling inside. So many kids have difficulty understanding emotions and I couldn’t find anything that realistically showed children’s feelings.
So in July 2019, I decided I would create my own cards and the Dealing in Feelings emotion cards were born!
Since then they have gone on to sell all around the world.
In 2020 I wrote Feelings and Me, a fun picture book for young children which features some very expressive animals all with different feelings.
I wrote this book specifically for very young children to introduce them to emotions in a fun and engaging way.
I love hearing from families about how much my products have helped them and their child, and this motivates me to develop new ideas.
My vision is to continue to create engaging and fun educational games, cards and books that help children learn and talk about emotions.
In The News
Feelings and Me featured at Melton Library Story Walk
It was very exciting for me to learn that Feelings and Me, had been selected by Melton City Libraries for their Summer Story Walk this year.
This event transforms reading into an interactive experience by featuring a children’s picture book in installations around Caroline Springs Lake and the Melton Botanical Gardens. The purpose of the Summer Story Walk is to encourage children and families to explore books in an outdoor setting, facilitating engagement with the story in a natural environment.
The 2023 Summer Story Walk marked a special occasion as “Feelings and Me” was integrated into the picturesque landscapes of Caroline Springs Lake and the Melton Botanical Gardens offering families a unique opportunity to connect with the story amidst the beauty of nature.
In addition to the book’s feature in the Story Walk, I also conducted a talk at the Caroline Springs Library in January to provide families with insights on preparing preschoolers emotionally for the transition to school. This session offered practical advice and supported the themes presented in “Feelings and Me,” emphasising the importance of emotional readiness for school.
ASTRA Toy Showcase
Dealing in Feelings at Toy Showcase at ASTRA
We were thrilled to have our products showcased at the Toy Showcase at ASTRA’s first-ever international trade show, which took place in June 2023 in Colombus Ohio. The event was a great opportunity for us to get our cards seen by US retailers, and we were lucky enough to have the support of the amazing Azhelle Wade from The Toy Coach.
The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) is a big deal in the toy industry, and we were proud to be a part of it. Our MESH toys were featured, which stands for mental, emotional, and social health. These toys and games help children learn how to deal with strong emotions and tough experiences.
As parents and educators become more aware of the importance of these skills, there’s a growing demand for MESH toys and games. At Dealing in Feelings, we’re happy to be a part of this exciting development in the toy and game space.
If you want to learn more about our mission, be sure to listen to the podcast No 180 Trailblazing Toy Creators Share their Mission behind their brand on the Making It In The Toy Industry.
Episode 180 Making it in The Toy Industry Podcast
Making it in the Toy Industry Podcast with Azhelle Wade
Hear how I created the Dealing in Feelings emotions cards on Making it in the Toy Industry Podcast Episode 123 with Azhelle Wade the Toy Coach.
Eric Hoffer Book Awards
Feelings and Me is a Grand Prize Shortlist Winner in the Eric Hoffer Book of the Year Awards 2022 and receives an Honourable Mention for Children’s Books.
Amazon Launchpad Feature
Dealing in Feelings is featured as part of Start Up Daily’s Amazon Launchpad feature.
Feelings and Me is Shortlisted
It was a complete surprise and an honour when Feelings and Me was shortlisted for the prestigious Speech Pathology Australia’s Book of the Year awards in 2021 in the 0-3 years category.
The Dealing in Feelings
Approach®
Understanding emotions is a skill that is an integral part of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is related to many positive outcomes for children such as increased attention, improved behaviour, positive relationships and empathy towards others.
To help parents, teachers and therapists who are helping children with their emotional development, I developed the Dealing in Feelings approach which is based on helping children learn four key skills.
These four key skills are the building blocks for strong emotional intelligence and they develop sequentially in children.
All of the Dealing and Feelings products have been specifically designed to develop and enhance these four key skills
Feel- Talk- Think -Practice
Feel
Recognise and notice emotions in the body
Talk
Name and talk about feelings.
Think
Reflect and connect feelings to experiences.
Practice
Learn positive ways to cope with feelings.
The Dealing in Feelings Approach to Understanding Emotions
Underpinning all the products I create, is the Dealing in Feelings Approach to understanding emotions which is based on four key skills;
Feel involves recognising and noticing emotions in the body.
Talk is naming and expressing feelings.
Think is reflecting and connecting feelings to experiences.
Practice is learning positive ways to cope with feelings.
These skills are key to developing strong emotional intelligence. When kids are helped learn these skills, they are off to a great start.
We Support Trees For Life
Our products are paper-based and are produced using ethically sourced materials. We believe in the importance of giving back to our environment. A proportion of every product sold is donated to Trees For Life.