Social & Friendships.
Friendship coaching for children in North London and online, supporting social confidence, communication, and making and maintaining friendships, including for neurodivergent children.
Friendships understood, not forced.
- London Teacher of the Year Award 2021
- BSc Psychology
- Qualified Teacher Status
- Assistant Psychologist & Psychological Research Experience
- In person across North London and online worldwide
Social & Friendships.
Friendship coaching for children can support social confidence, communication, and making and maintaining friendships in ways that feel authentic to each child. Ruby works with children in North London and online, including neurodivergent children, children on the edge of the group, and children who find friendships confusing, exhausting or lonely. Ruby never asks a child to perform a different version of themselves. Ruby and your child work out what good friendship looks like for them, then build the skills and confidence to get there.
Built around your child, not a fixed package.
Every programme is built around the individual child. Ruby and your child shape the focus, the pace and the goals, so the support fits your child, not the other way around.
Programmes run from a minimum of four sessions, and continue for as long as your child needs. Some children need a short, focused block; others benefit from longer, ongoing support. Ruby and the family find the right length together.
How it works
- 01It starts with a free discovery call, where Ruby talks through what is going on for your child and what you are hoping for.
- 02From there, Ruby builds a programme around your child's goals, strengths and needs.
- 03Programmes begin with a minimum of four sessions and continue for as long as they are helpful, with regular reviews along the way.
Who it's for
- Children building everyday social confidence
- Children on the edge of the group or unsure how to join in
- Neurodivergent children navigating unspoken social rules
- Children who find friendships intense and dysregulating
- Children who mask socially and burn out at home
How Ruby approaches it
- Ruby starts by understanding your child, not the label or the problem
- She builds from what your child is already good at
- Sessions move at your child's pace, with goals Ruby and your child agree together
- Ruby and the family review as sessions progress, so the programme stays useful
What Ruby and your child work towards
Every child is different, but this is the kind of growth Ruby and your child work towards together.
She gave him strategies to help him navigate social situations and build relationships with children his own age, something he had been finding quite difficult. He has built strong friendships, and his perception of social interactions has changed.
Social skills, friendships and communication
Friendships ask a lot of a child. Joining a conversation, reading how someone is feeling, taking turns, disagreeing without falling out, and repairing things when they go wrong are all learned over time, and some children need that made a little more explicit. Coaching offers a calm space to talk through real situations, understand what happened, and try out approaches that feel like them.
With older children and teenagers, the work often moves towards communication: saying what they need, setting a boundary kindly, handling group chats and exclusion online, and knowing when to ask an adult for help. Growing up between countries or moving school can make friendships harder to build and keep, and you can read more about support with transitions and moving school and coaching for international and expat families.
This is part of Ruby’s approach and her way of working with every child. Read more about the approach.
Qualified teacher, psychology graduate, and award-winning specialist educator.
Ruby Cole is a qualified teacher with Qualified Teacher Status and a BSc Psychology (Hons), and winner of the London Teacher of the Year Award 2021. With 10+ years working with children and young people across the UK and internationally, she supports both how a child learns and how a child feels.
Qualified teaching background
Classroom and specialist experience across London schools brings clear knowledge of progression, assessment, school expectations, and age-appropriate teaching.
Psychology and child development
A background in psychology supports careful attention to motivation, confidence, emotional regulation, and how each child feels safest and most ready to learn.
Additional needs and neurodiversity
Sessions are adapted for neurodivergent learners and children with additional needs, without lowering expectations or making a child feel singled out.
Frequently asked questions
Is this therapy or counselling?
No. This is educational, psychology-informed coaching. It is not therapy or counselling, and it is not a substitute for clinical support.
What ages is this suitable for?
Programmes are designed for children and young people aged 7 to 18, with sessions adapted to the child's age, confidence, and context.
My child has friends but still struggles socially, does this apply?
Yes. This programme supports children at any social confidence level, including those who want to deepen existing friendships or work through specific social challenges.
What happens on the discovery call?
The free discovery call is a chance for Ruby to understand what is going on for your child, answer your questions, and decide together whether coaching feels like a good fit.
How many sessions will my child need?
Programmes begin with a minimum of four sessions and continue for as long as your child needs. Some children need a short, focused block, while others benefit from longer support. Ruby and the family review together as sessions progress.
Every programme is delivered personally by Ruby Cole, a qualified teacher combining academic rigour with an evidence-based understanding of how children learn and grow. Ruby is winner of the London Teacher of the Year Award 2021, BSc Psychology (Hons), Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), with ten-plus years working with children nationally and internationally, including specialist 1:1 tutoring, Assistant Psychologist experience, and research with UCL and the Anna Freud Centre.
Every programme is built around the same principle: a child who feels understood is a child who can achieve more.
What this is
An education-led, psychology-informed programme focused on building confidence, skills and understanding, tailored to your child.
What this is not
This is not therapy, counselling, or clinical treatment, and it is not a substitute for clinical support. If Ruby believes a child would benefit from clinical support, she will always say so.
Talk it through with Ruby.
A free 15-minute discovery call, no pressure and no obligation.