The Princess of Wales recently visited a trauma therapy center, describing it as a crucial “lifeline” for children.
During her morning stop at Family Action in Bradford, Kate engaged with therapists at the charity, which supports children and families in overcoming complex trauma.
She participated in creative therapy activities, conversing with young participants about projects like collage trees and wish boxes, to explore how play can serve as a therapeutic tool.
On her tour across the North of England, the princess aims to spotlight the transformative impact of creativity, community, and nature on individuals grappling with trauma, isolation, and mental health challenges.
A long-time advocate for mental health, Kate has shared her personal journey, including how nature aided her recovery from cancer treatment, in a video series released on her 44th birthday.
As a patron of Family Action, Kate supports their mission to deliver practical, emotional, and financial assistance to families affected by poverty, disadvantage, and isolation across the country.
Their children’s trauma therapy service in Bradford works with children who have experienced abuse, neglect or a traumatic bereavement.
She said to staff at the centre: ‘It’s probably been a lifeline for them in so many ways and being able to extend that umbilical cord support – the fact that you’re able to continue that relationship with them.’
Kate Middleton is all smiles as she greets members of the public and is seen with flowers as she leaves Wakefield rugby club today
Princess Kate, patron of Family Action, during a visit to the charity’s Children’s Trauma Therapy Service in Bradford
Kate joined creative therapy sessions at the centre in Bradford where she spoke to children about collage trees and wish boxes
Kate joined a therapy session for a mother and her 12-year-old son who had been colouring in leaves to put on a collage tree, designed to help children illustrate their feelings and discuss their therapy journey.
The boy said how music had helped him process difficult emotions and that he now played drums in a band.
Kate said: ‘That’s a fantastic way to sort of express yourself and also manage really difficult and hard feelings that are sometimes harder to express with words than in any other way.’
She asked if he had ever thought he would play in a band.
He replied: ‘No. If you said it to me three years ago, I wouldn’t have believed you because I wouldn’t have thought I had the attention span for it.’
Kate then met a mother and her five-year-old daughter who were decorating a box of wishes, in which they had added items to help them express their feelings.
The princess greeted the girl by crouching down and holding her hand, before complimenting her leopard print dress.
‘I like your dress. That’s a pretty dress and your shoes, I have boots like that but they don’t have glitter on sadly. Are they your favourite boots?’ she said.
The Princess of Wales waves as she arrives at Wakefield Trinity Stadium on January 27, 2026
The princess is visiting organisations in the North of England to highlight the power of creativity, community and nature for those who have experienced trauma, isolation and poor mental health
The princess waves to Royal fans as she leaves Wakefield Trinity Rugby League club on January 27, 2026
Kate talks to a girl who was decorating a box and filling it with items, including a shell. The Princess of Wales said to her: ‘Sometimes when you put it to your ear, you can hear waves. That’s what I like doing with shells’
Kate joined a therapy session for a mother and her 12-year-old son who had been colouring in leaves to put on a collage tree
The princess greeted a girl by crouching down and holding her hand, before complimenting her leopard print dress
The girl had put a small pot of glitter and water into the box, which she called her ‘potion’.
Asked what the potion did, she said ‘it keeps away the bad dreams’. Kate told the girl’s mother that ‘lots of people need more of these’.
The girl had also put in a feather – which, her therapist said was to keep her ‘busy head’ ‘nice and calm’ – as well as two shells in the box.
Kate said to her: ‘Sometimes when you put it to your ear, you can hear waves. That’s what I like doing with shells.’
She then asked: ‘Have you enjoyed coming here to do these things with mummy? What have you enjoyed about it?
‘Is it being able to play together? And talk about some of the things that you find difficult?’
Later, the girl’s mother joked: ‘I think she was more excited about seeing Esther [her therapist].’
Kate clutches a bouquet of flowers as she greets Royal fans during a visit to Wakefield Trinity Stadium. The princess is Patron of the Rugby Football League
Kate was at the club to learn about its extensive outreach programmes, which bring generations together, tackle loneliness, and provide meaningful support for individuals experiencing isolation within the community
The Princess of Wales headed out to the pitch to join a skills session with girls from Wakefield’s Champion schools competition
Kate is pictured here walking into the stadium with RFL’s Director of Performance and Development Marc Lovering
The princess sits in the dugout alongside a group of schoolboys during a visit to Wakefield Trinity Stadium
Stuart Murray-Borbjerg, senior therapist, said of Princess Kate: ‘She seemed genuinely interested to hear about the family’s experience of the service and the impact of it.’
He explained the importance of ‘non-verbal approaches to therapy’ using tools like art, music and movement to express feelings when language fails.
‘Something that’s lost through traumatic experiences is that sense of playfulness and joy which just comes back when you’re making music or you’re drawing together,’ he said.
‘[It’s] something the princess said too – that kind of gets lost as adults but George keeps her playful. I think she said one [of her children] plays the guitar and one plays the drums.’
