Child Therapy
All children experience anxiety and worry. With practice most kids will learn how to calm themselves when faced with new or scary situations. However, children with problematic anxiety become overly focused on their fears and are unable to overcome them in the same way as their peers. These children process anxious information differently than others. The “volume” is turned up on their everyday worries, exaggerating the fear and preventing them from seeing that the feared situation is unlikely to happen and convincing them that they are unable to cope with their anxiety.
Once problematic anxiety settles in it can wreak havoc for the child and the whole family. The good news is that with a little help most kids are able to overcome their fears and learn how to turn down the volume on their anxious minds.
We believe that parents are a key part of helping children overcome their anxiety. As a result, your child’s therapist will meet with your child by themselves, with you and your child together, as well as with you by yourself to make sure that both of you have the tools needed to overcome not only the current worries, but any fears or worries that may come up in the future.
For more information about the types of anxiety we specialize in visit the Our Expertise section on our home page.
Are you curious about your child’s anxiety?
Is it normal or not?
Below is a quick guide to help you determine whether your child’s anxiety is normal or may be problematic.
Signs of Transitory Anxiety (A Phase)
Fears and concerns are reasonable and expectable
Child is responsive to suggestions
Questions, though they may be plentiful, have answers that are accepted – child absorbs information and benefits from reassurance
Symptoms diminish in intensity over time, and take up less time
Symptoms are limited to the situation
Child understand why he needs to face the situation
Symptoms catalyze/facilitate positive change
Signs of Problematic Anxiety
Fears and concerns are unreasonable, out of proportion with the event
Child becomes overwhelmed and may regress in response to suggestions for change
Reassurance is never enough; no answer is good enough. Concerns are taken deeply to heart and create distress in the present and about the future
Symptoms increase in intensity over time and the worry takes on a life of its own
Symptoms generalize to increasingly more situations
Child more focused on how to avoid the situation than how or why to face it
Symptoms interfere with growth and productivity
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