I recently came across a really great article about anxiety in Kids and Teens that aligns very closely with our first blog post, which you can read here.
"Anxiety is the work of a strong, healthy brain that’s a little overprotective" - Karen Young
In this article, found on the website 'Hey Sigmund,' Karen Young does a great job of explaining what parts of the brain are involved in anxiety, and what kids, teens, and parents can do to help. It is a must-read for parents of anxious children or teens, and can also be used as an excellent psycho-education tool for therapists working with children and adolescents.
Often times, kids and teens don't know that they are anxious... They just know that they feel really bad. They may think they are sick. They may think nobody likes them or wants to be their friend. They may feel like they can't do anything (or many things) right. It may be easy for them to give up, or to avoid the risk of failure by not even trying.
For parents of anxious children or teens, they may not know how to handle the refusal, the avoidance, the tantrums or arguments, and the pleading to stay home from school.
There are very important skills that children, teens, and parents can learn in therapy to help manage anxiety. Still, if a child or teen spends 1 hour a week in counseling, that's 167 hours spent in other environments throughout the week. It's no wonder why practicing skills outside of session is so important for success in managing anxiety! This is why the role of parents and schools is so important in creating successful treatment outcomes. At Pinnacle Counseling and Testing Center, we believe the role of parents, teachers, and other mentors is crucial. Therefore, not only are anxiety-management skills learned and practiced in session with the child or teen, but these skills are then are taught to parents (and teachers and other mentors, where applicable) so that progress can continue to be made between sessions.
If you believe that you, or your child or teen may have anxiety, and you are looking for skills and support, please contact us here for your free consultation.