Catherine, Princess of Wales thinks music is a "fantastic" way for people to express themselves

Catherine spoke to one 12-year-old boy and his mother, who explained music had helped him process difficult emotions and told how he now plays music in a band.

According to The Times, the princess replied: Kate said: "That's a fantastic way to 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 the boy if he had ever imagined he would be able to play in a band and 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."

Catherine also met a mother and her five-year-old daughter, who were busy decorating a box of wishes containing items they had added to help express their feelings.

The girl had a pot of glitter and water in the box, which she called her "potion".

Asked what it did, she replied: "It keeps away the bad dreams."

Catherine told the girl's mother: "Lots of people need more of these."

The girl had also added a feather - which the therapist explained was to help calm her "busy head" - and two shells, which Catherine showed her how to listen for the sea through.

She said: "Sometimes when you put it to your ear you can hear waves. That's what I like doing with shells.

"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?"

The girl nodded.

Speaking to staff at Family Action, Catherine praised their work.

She said: "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."

Later in the day, Catherine - who is the patron of England rugby - also visited Wakefield Trinity's ground, where she met schoolgirls taking part in the sport.

She joked to the players: "There's not any other sport when you can say contact is a good thing."

The princess praised the club for the support they offer to the local community, as she sat down with a group of supporters aged between 60 and 90 who are regulars at In Touch events run by Wakefield Trinity's Community Foundation.

She said: "I love this, the league game is so embedded in community life and it's so grassroots (and) interaction, and getting youngsters involved but also how clubs like this connect to the rest of the community.

"They're absolute gold dust really, and I'm so proud to help support the league across the country."

The princess' day of engagements also saw her join a wellbeing walk in the Peak District with the charity Mind Over Mountains, who offer professional mental health support.