The Map of My Heart: Poems of Soft Therapy for Children

Every child carries a world inside them — a swirl of feelings they don't yet have words for. The pride of earning a sticker. The shame of a forgotten homework. The hot, confusing rush of anger. The quiet sadness of feeling different. The strange guilt of an accident that wasn't even your fault.The Map of My Heart is a collection of twenty soft therapy poems that gently name those feelings, sit beside them, and help children understand that everything they feel is valid — and that they are, without question, good.Written by Nertila Kika — British-Albanian author, psychologist, and expert coach with extensive experience in child wellbeing — these poems are not lectures. They don't talk down to children or wrap difficult emotions in false cheerfulness. Instead, they speak from the inside out, in the voice of a child living through each moment: falling on the playground, feeling left out, losing their temper, overeating sweets, winning a trophy, watching a glass shatter on the floor.Each poem carries a quiet therapeutic message — about resilience, empathy, honesty, body safety, emotional regulation, and self-worth — delivered not as a lesson, but as a story a child can recognise themselves in. This is the "Soft Therapy" approach: small poems, enormous emotional impact.Designed for children aged 4 upwards, The Map of My Heart is equally powerful when read aloud by a parent, shared in a classroom, or revisited quietly by a child who needs to feel understood. The watercolour illustrations throughout give the book a warm, handmade tenderness that mirrors the gentleness of the writing itself.The twenty poems cover themes including:Kindness and friendshipManaging anger and big emotionsGratitude and empathyBody safety and personal boundariesHealthy habits — sleep, food, screen time, choresCoping with mistakes, low grades, and guiltThe difference between accidents and bad intentionsWinning, losing, and what truly mattersThe collection closes with The Independent Walk — a bold, standalone piece written as a safety guide in verse. With no softening, it speaks directly and seriously to children about walking to school alone, recognising danger, trusting their instincts, and knowing exactly what to do if something feels wrong. It is designed to feel different from the rest of the book — because it is. It is a gift of confidence and awareness, written by a psychologist who has spent her career protecting and empowering children.The Map of My Heart is not just a poetry collection. It is a small, quiet companion for big emotional growth — one that children will return to, and parents will be glad they found.Little Lessons. Big Love. Read more