🌟 nala’s talent show debut — an emotion coaching story
a story about brave expression, emotion coaching, and finding your spark
it was talent show day, and nala’s whiskers were shaking. with speckles spitting facts, awkward dog being awkward, and dave humming his cosy tune, nala wondered… what if her voice was enough? co-created in therapy with a particular brave spark, this story celebrates bravery, emotion coaching, and sharing your spark with the world.
🎧 listen to the episode
📝 about this episode
nala the kitten was feeling twisty and squeaky inside as she waited backstage at the school talent show. her friends each shared their special talents — speckles with fast facts, awkward dog with his wobbly biscuit trick, lemon cakes who realised her talent was outside at the cake stall, and dave the dragon who hummed a calm, cosy hum for everyone.
when it was nala’s turn, her paws felt small and her chest tight. but with gentle support, she learned that feelings are just energy in motion. taking deep breaths and finding where feelings sit in her body helped nala find her brave — and her meow rap sparkled bright for everyone to hear. this episode was co-created in therapy with a particular brave spark, whose own courage and coaching inspired the story.
💭 reflection questions
– when nala felt nervous, what helped her body feel calm again?
– what feelings do you notice in your body right now? where are they sitting?
– if you could share your brave talent on stage, what would it be?
– who helps you find your brave when you feel shy or worried?
💛 note for grown-ups
big feelings can feel scary for little bodies — but even scarier is thinking adults are scared of their feelings too. emotion coaching helps children feel seen and supported: noticing big feelings, naming them, validating the experience, finding where they sit in the body, and problem-solving together. this process tells kids: your feelings aren’t too big for me.
while creating this story, the brave spark who inspired it coached me through my own wobble. when i felt unsure about sharing my name in the story, they said, “the dorktales podcast says jonathan cormur all the time – everyone knows he makes those stories – so brave sparks listeners should know who you are too.” (thank you to jonathan cormur at dorktales for inspiring the co-creator of brave sparks: https://jonincharacter.com/dorktales-storytime-podcast/)
sometimes i guide brave sparks. more often, they guide me.
💡 therapy tips to try
– try a body scan together: close your eyes and imagine a gentle wand sweeping from head to toes
– place a hand where a feeling sits and send a warm, swirling breath to that spot
– practise sharing a short poem, rap, or song as a family “mini talent show”
– notice and name feelings out loud to model emotion coaching in daily moments
– look around the corners of the room to calm your nervous system before a brave moment
✨ these therapy tips were created with the particular brave spark who helped shape this story in mind. your child’s needs may be different, so it’s always a good idea to check in with their therapy team. the good news? these ideas can do no harm — and they might even spark some fun, connection, or curiosity along the way 🌟
🎧 credits
✍️ written by: trust children and the kids we support (with a sprinkle of ai magic)
🎙️ voice: simone and the brave sparks team
🎛️ sound mixing: brave sparks team
🎶 music: serene acoustic guitar melodies by lolamoore — — attribution 4.0
🎶 music: serene horizons by nancy_sinclair — https://freesound.org/s/754395/ — attribution 4.0
🔊 sound effects include:
🧘♀️ tibetan bowl_left hit.wav by dersinnsspace — — creative commons 0
👏 applause and cheering.wav by xtrgamr — — attribution 4.0
🐉 dragon wings whoosh, 🦆 little duck feet shuffle, 🎤 cool tricks, 😲 audience gasp, 🐾 nervous giggles, 💨 magical swirl, ✨ magic chime, 💓 fluttery heart beat, 😌 audience sighing ahhhhhhhhhh – created using elevenlabs sound effects generator (june 28–29, 2025)
🗣️ character voices created using elevenlabs voice changer
special thanks: jonathan cormur at dorktales storytime podcast
🌟 explore more brave sparks
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→ related episode: awkward dog and the great big splash
