Jacqueline Tournier's psychoeducational book "YOU and Stress… The Brain Explained" has officially launched into the global English-speaking market, following its success in the Netherlands and Belgium where it has helped over 4,000 families, educators, therapists, and children. The newly released fourth revised 2025 edition aims to become an international movement in emotional awareness, child-parent connection, and stress literacy.
The book is designed for a wide audience, including parents and children aged six and older, schools, therapists, daycare centers, and healthcare professionals. It uses a simple three-animal metaphor: the Owl Brain (cortex, the thinker), the Dolphin Brain (limbic system, the feeler), and the Crocodile Brain (brainstem, the survival reactor). This metaphor provides a visual language to explain why people fight, flee, freeze, or fawn, and offers strategies to return to emotional safety.
Tournier, a systemic family therapist, child psychologist, Symbol Drama therapist, EFT-certified practitioner, HeartMath coach, and mother of three, including a daughter with Down syndrome, has spent over 15 years at her therapeutic practice FlowinGrow dedicated to helping families understand trauma, attachment, fear, anger, stress, and emotional overload. Her mission, as stated on her website, is that everyone deserves to understand their stress and what happens to their brain and behavior.
The book includes a calming breathing exercise, movement and grounding tools, step-by-step stress-relief strategies, a free downloadable workbook, and visuals that help children "see" what's happening inside their brain. Professional endorsements highlight its simplicity and effectiveness, with one autism coach noting it "gives children words and images for their behavior… and helps parents react with calmness."
Tournier emphasizes that "stress is not the enemy, disconnection is" and that this practical, science-based tool can be applied immediately in daily life to manage stress and maintain connection. Beyond the book, she offers parent workshops, school programs, therapist training sessions, and professional development for educators, all centered on helping the Owl, Dolphin, and Crocodile "speak the same language."
The global release addresses a critical need, as stress among children is higher than ever, parents are overwhelmed, teachers need simple strategies for emotional dysregulation in classrooms, and adults need to understand their reactions. The book is available through Amazon and all major international book distributors.
