Hello, I’m Steve

I’m Steve Fox, a mental health advocate, author and the founder of Little Big Minds.

I created Little Big Minds because I know how hard it can be when someone you love is struggling and you are trying to work out what is really going on underneath it all.

A lot of what I share here comes from real life. I have my own experience of anxiety, depression and difficult periods, and I also know what it is like to support a family through anxiety, neurodivergence, emotional overwhelm and school-related distress.

That experience has shaped how I look at mental health. I have learned that behaviour often makes much more sense when we stop asking, “Why are they doing this?” and start asking, “What might they be struggling with?”

A child who looks angry, withdrawn, difficult or unwilling may actually be overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted or simply unable to explain what they are feeling. That is a big part of what Little Big Minds is about.

Why I created Little Big Minds

When you are supporting a child or young person who is struggling, there can be a huge amount of information to take in. Some of it is useful. Some of it is confusing. And sometimes it can feel like nobody quite understands what life is actually like at home.

I wanted to create somewhere that feels different: a place where parents and carers can find calm, practical information without judgement; a place that looks at what may be happening underneath behaviour; and a place that recognises that sometimes families are doing their absolute best in situations that are genuinely difficult.

My experience and qualifications

A lot of what I share through Little Big Minds comes from real life, both from my own experiences and from supporting my family.

Alongside that lived experience, I have also completed recognised training and qualifications to build my understanding of children and young people’s mental health, neurodivergence and some of the challenges families can face.

My qualifications include:

• TQUK Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health (RQF)
• TQUK Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Autism (RQF)
• TQUK Level 2 Certificate in Awareness of Bullying in Children and Young People (RQF)
• ADHD Awareness Diploma

For me, qualifications are only one part of the picture. They give me a stronger foundation of knowledge, but much of what has shaped Little Big Minds has come from living through difficult periods, supporting my family and learning what helps when things do not fit neatly into a textbook.

I am still learning too. Mental health and neurodivergence are complicated, and every child and every family is different. My aim is to bring together lived experience, training, reliable information and practical ideas, and make them easier to understand and use in everyday life.

What you’ll find here

Little Big Minds is a growing hub of information, ideas and resources for parents, carers and families. You will find practical guidance around anxiety, emotional regulation, neurodivergence, school distress and other challenges that children and young people can face.

There are also free resources, downloadable support packs, books and gentle tools such as Milly’s Cosy Quest. Everything is created with the same aim: to help things feel a little clearer, a little calmer and a little less lonely.

What matters to me

• I believe we should try to understand behaviour before judging it.
• I believe children deserve to be listened to when they say they are struggling.
• I believe parents should be supported rather than blamed.
• I believe there is rarely one perfect answer that works for every child or every family.

Sometimes support starts with something very simple: listening, slowing things down, looking underneath the behaviour and helping someone feel understood.