With anxiety at epidemic levels among our children, Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents offers a contrarian yet effective approach to help children and teens push through their fears, worries, and phobias to ultimately become more resilient, independent, and happy. How do you manage a child who gets stomachaches every school morning, who refuses after-school activities, or who is trapped in the bathroom with compulsive washing? Children like these put a palpable strain on frustrated, helpless parents and teachers. And there is no escaping the problem: One in every five kids suffers from a diagnosable anxiety disorder. Unfortunately, when parents or professionals offer help in traditional ways, they unknowingly reinforce a child's worry and avoidance. From their success with hundreds of organizations, schools, and families, Reid Wilson, PhD, and Lynn Lyons, LICSW, share their unconventional approach of stepping into uncertainty in a way that is currently unfamiliar but infinitely successful. Using current research and contemporary examples, the book exposes the most common anxiety-enhancing patterns—including reassurance, accommodation, avoidance, and poor problem solving—and offers a concrete plan with 7 key principles that foster change. And, since new research reveals how anxious parents typically make for anxious children, the book offers exercises and techniques to change both the children's and the parental patterns of thinking and behaving. This book challenges our basic instincts about how to help fearful kids and will serve as the antidote for an anxious nation of kids and their parents.

"With anxiety at epidemic levels among our children, Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents offers a contrarian yet effective approach to help children and teens push through their fears, worries, and phobias to ultimately become more resilient, independent, and happy. How do you manage a child who gets stomachaches every school morning, who refuses after-school activities, or who is trapped in the bathroom with compulsive washing? Children like these put a palpable strain on frustrated, helpless parents and teachers. And there is no escaping the problem: One in every five kids suffers from a diagnosable anxiety disorder. Unfortunately, when parents or professionals offer help in traditional ways, they unknowingly reinforce a child's worry and avoidance. From their success with hundreds of organizations, schools, and families, Reid Wilson, PhD, and Lynn Lyons, LICSW, share their unconventional approach of stepping into uncertainty in a way that is currently unfamiliar but infinitely successful. Using current research and contemporary examples, the book exposes the most common anxiety-enhancing patterns--ncluding reassurance, accommodation, avoidance, and poor problem solving--and offers a concrete plan with 7 key principles that foster change. And, since new research reveals how anxious parents typically make for anxious children, the book offers exercises and techniques to change both the children's and the parental patterns of thinking and behaving. This book challenges our basic instincts about how to help fearful kids and will serve as the antidote for an anxious nation of kids and their parents"--

Worry is contagious... but you can stop its spread Anxiety has an amazing ability to spread. Time and time again, when veteran counselor and parenting expert Sissy Goff has an anxious child or teen in her office, she's found they have at least one very well-intentioned but anxious parent. Anxiety is contagious, and it's likely affecting your kids, distracting you in the present, and making you feel like it will define your family's future. It doesn't have to be this way. With over 30 years of experience helping both children and adults, Sissy offers you practical, well-researched tools that will make a difference in your life--and the lives of your children. Learn how to · uncover the roots of your own anxiety · process anxiety in healthy ways rather than passing it on · model bravery · discover a place of deeper, freer connection to your kids Here is the help you need to experience freedom from anxiety, raise confident, courageous kids, and become a worry-free family in an increasingly anxious world. "When meeting with parents who express worries about their kids (or themselves), I first offer encouragement and then a resource--a tool to help them feel calmer and more equipped. This gem of a book does both."--CHINWÉ WILLIAMS, PhD, therapist and coauthor of Seen: Healing Despair and Anxiety in Kids and Teens through the Power of Connection "Goff's therapeutic know-how adds authority to the text, and her conversational tone and client stories will help readers see themselves in her advice. Parents concerned about their kids' stress will find this a valuable resource."--Publishers Weekly Also available: The Worry-Free Parent Workbook, a companion resource that provides clinically proven exercises to help you pinpoint the best anxiety-fighting tools for you and your family

"... thoughtful tools for helping young people help themselves." —Library Journal Parenting a teen isn't easy, but parenting an anxious teen is especially challenging. Written by a psychologist and expert on adolescent anxiety, this essential book will show you what really works to overcome all types of teen anxiety and how to apply specific skills to support your teen. Most parents find it frustrating when common sense and logical methods such as reassurance don’t seem to work to allay their teen’s anxiety. They want to know: Why is anxiety so hard to get rid of once it takes hold? Why aren’t my efforts to help working? And how can I best help my teen break free from anxiety to become happy and resilient? This powerful book, based on cutting-edge research and cognitive behavioral strategies, will help you develop the know-how to effectively manage teen anxiety. You’ll learn the best ways to support your teen in overcoming problematic thinking and fears, discover what behaviors and coping strategies unwittingly make anxiety worse, and understand how anxiety is best defeated with surprisingly counterintuitive methods. Step-by-step guidance, along with numerous real-life examples and exercises, will help you to: Sensitively redirect your teen’s worries when they intensify Reduce social anxiety, perfectionism, and panic attacks Proactively address common triggers of stress and anxiety Implement a proven approach for decreasing avoidance and facing fears From overcoming minor angst to defeating paralyzing fear, you and your teen will feel empowered by radically new ways of responding to anxiety. With Helping Your Anxious Teen, you’ll have a wealth of research-backed strategies to lead you in being an effective anxiety coach for your teen.

Most children are afraid of the dark. Some fear monsters under the bed. But at least ten percent of children have excessive fears and worries—phobias, separation anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder—that can hold them back and keep them from fully enjoying childhood. If your child suffers from any of these forms of anxiety, the program in this book offers practical, scientifically proven tools that can help. Now in its second edition, Helping Your Anxious Child has been expanded and updated to include the latest research and techniques for managing child anxiety. The book offers proven effective skills based in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to aid you in helping your child overcome intense fears and worries. You'll also find out how to relieve your child's anxious feelings while parenting with compassion. Inside, you will learn to: Help your child practice “detective thinking” to recognize irrational worries What to do when your child becomes frightened How to gently and gradually expose your child to challenging situations Help your child learn important social skills This book has been awarded The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit—an award bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.

This unique guide pairs the expertise of a trained child psychologist with the fresh voice and perspective of her young daughter to help children and their parents embark on an emotional regulation journey while strengthening their relationships and nurturing their confidence to overcome life obstacles. The young readers will learn, alongside their caregivers, how to set goals, deal with setbacks, and live a life in line with their values. Dr. Dessy and Lora’s guide will help us better understand ourselves and our loved ones, recognizing why we feel and act the way we do and deepen our empathy and care for each other. Using a holistic approach, Dr. Dessy offers step-by-step guidelines on managing strong emotions anytime and anyplace. With simple language and fun illustrations, Dr. Dessy and Lora explain how our brains work, with Aimie (the amygdala) making us feel, Brightie (the cerebral cortex) making us think, and Dooie (the pre-frontal cortex) making us act. By keenly understanding how these parts of us act and interact, and practicing the lessons and exercises offered in this guide, you and your child will be empowered to face fears in any setting. The toolkit with strategies will help children and other family members enjoy events, places, and situations avoided in the past or suffered through because of baseless worries and a thousand “what ifs.” Intended primarily for parents/caregivers with children aged eight to twelve and mental health professionals, this guide addresses a growing societal problem: Research shows that anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental health conditions worldwide, impacting the quality of life of millions of children and their families. But whether it’s anxiety issues or any other strong emotions, this book will help people get a handle on why they feel the things they feel and learn what to do about it. Indeed, the readers will be equipped to use proven science-based strategies to cultivate a resilient mindset preparing them to tackle life’s biggest challenges.

Parenting Kids With OCD provides parents with a comprehensive understanding of obsessive-compulsive disorder, its symptoms, types, and presentation in children and teens. The treatment of OCD is explained, and guidelines on how to both find appropriate help and best support one's child are provided. Family accommodation is the rule, not the exception, when it comes to childhood OCD; yet, higher accommodating is associated with a worsening of the child's symptoms and greater levels of familial stress. Parents who have awareness of how they can positively or negatively impact their child's OCD can benefit their child's outcome. Case examples are included to illustrate the child's experience with OCD and what effective treatment looks like. OCD worsens when there is increased stress for the child; therefore, stress management is an essential component for improvement. Parents will learn how to manage stress in themselves and encourage effective stress management for their children.