Helping Kids Realize that Avoidance Grows Anxiety & OCD

Helping Kids Realize that Avoidance Grows Anxiety & OCD

Helping Kids Realize that Avoidance Grows Anxiety & OCD One of anxiety and OCD’s favorite behaviors is avoidance. Avoidance grows these struggles quicker than any other behavior. Anxiety will whisper, “just don’t go.” OCD will plead, “just don’t touch it.” The more our kids avoid (and the more we help them avoid), the bigger these issues grow. In this week’s kids YouTube video, I talk […]

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How to Teach Anxious Kids to Deal with Mean People

How to Teach Anxious Kids to Deal with Mean People

Anxious kids often have a hidden superpower. They are some of the kindest human beings on this planet. They are thoughtful, considerate and empathetic.They can soak up other people’s emotions and feel other people’s pain. So what happens when they become the target of a mean child. A child who is the opposite of thoughtful. The opposite of considerate. The opposite of empathetic.

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PSP 154: How to Tell if Your Child’s Anxiety or OCD Therapy is Working

PSP 154: How to Tell if Your Child’s Anxiety or OCD Therapy is Working

You make the appointments. You drive your child each week. You hand over your credit card. But how do you really know if your child’s therapy is working. What should you look for? What are some red flags? Therapy can be time consuming and expensive, so it is important you know you are on the right track sooner rather than later!

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Motivating Kids by Asking, “What is Anxiety or OCD Ruining for You?”

Motivating Kids by Asking, “What is Anxiety or OCD Ruining for You?”

Motivating Kids by Asking, “What is Anxiety or OCD Ruining for You?” It can be hard to motivate kids to work on anxiety or OCD. It can be a hard sell to tell them that the more they do hard things, the easier it will become. Anxiety or OCD can be demanding and convincing. So how are we supposed to motivate our kids to work […]

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PSP 153: The Lonely Journey of Parenting a Child with Anxiety or OCD

PSP 153: The Lonely Journey of Parenting a Child with Anxiety or OCD

When I began my journey parenting kids with anxiety or OCD, it was a lonely experience – and I am an anxiety and OCD child therapist! I felt my judgement was questioned. I felt the diagnoses were questioned.I felt like my parenting was questioned.

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Breaking Through the Secrecy and Shame of Childhood Anxiety and OCD

Breaking Through the Secrecy and Shame of Childhood Anxiety and OCD

No one will get it. They’ll think you are crazy. Your thoughts are ridiculous. You better keep them to yourself.

Anxiety and OCD’s most powerful weapon is shame and secrecy. That is why the very first thing I do with kids is normalize their anxiety and OCD. Right after that I let them know anxiety and OCD’s favorite tactic…secrecy.

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Help for Anxious Kids Who Worry About Trying Something New

Help for Anxious Kids Who Worry About Trying Something New

Do you cringe when you sign your anxious child up for something new? Do you have a mini heart attack when you are planning to move your child to a new home, visit a new place or have a new experience?

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Encouraging Kids to Take Small Steps Towards Beating Anxiety or OCD

Encouraging Kids to Take Small Steps Towards Beating Anxiety or OCD

Sometimes it just seems impossible. Beating anxiety or OCD seems like an insurmountable task that is not worth taking. This is especially true for our kids. When just getting them to do their homework or eat healthy is an uphill battle, how on earth can we encourage them to take steps towards their fear?

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Teaching Kids How to Protect Their Anxious Minds

Teaching Kids How to Protect Their Anxious Minds

If you want to not only survive, but thrive with anxiety – you have to learn how to protect the anxious mind. Our anxious minds are sponges to bad things. It files things away, only to torture us later on with it.

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Does Your Sensitive Child Crumble When People Yell or Have a Tone?

Does Your Sensitive Child Crumble When People Yell or Have a Tone?

Does Your Sensitive Child Crumble When People Yell or Have a Tone? How many times have you heard, “Stop yelling at me!” When you are calmly telling your sensitive child what to do? Or how often do you hear, “She is so mean!” When your child is talking about teachers with an “all business” attitude. For some anxious kids, when people yell or have a […]

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Ask the Child Therapist Episode 113 Kids Edition: When Kids Focus on Problems, They Get More Problems.

Ask the Child Therapist Episode 113 Kids Edition: When Kids Focus on Problems, They Get More Problems.

When Kids Focus on Problems, They Get More Problems. When we eat, live and breathe our problems, our problems eat, live and breathe us! It is important for kids to work on their issues, but when they get stuck in the muck it can pull them down. When kids focus on problems, the more problems they start to have. This week I am helping kids […]

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PSP 101: How to Advocate for Your Child in School | 504 Plan for Anxiety & OCD

PSP 101: How to Advocate for Your Child in School | 504 Plan for Anxiety & OCD

Anxiety and OCD can bully their way into our children’s education. It can create anxiety when it comes to going to school, it can create anxiety at school and it can be a minefield of triggers for a child with OCD. So where do you even start advocating for your child. And how do you know when it is time to get a 504 plan for anxiety or OCD?

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Ask the Child Therapist Episode 108 Kids Edition: Teaching Kids How to Deal with the Fear of the Dark

Ask the Child Therapist Episode 108 Kids Edition: Teaching Kids How to Deal with the Fear of the Dark

Teaching Kids How to Deal with the Fear of the Dark Many anxious kids (and non-anxious kids) fear the dark. For some this can be a mild fear, while for others this fear can make it hard to function. In the latest edition of Ask the Child Therapist Kids Edition, I am teaching kids how to get empowered to beat their fear of the dark. […]

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PSP 097: Helping Anxious Kids Survive the Holidays

PSP 097: Helping Anxious Kids Survive the Holidays

A house packed with friends and family. Music blaring. Relatives beckoning and begging for tight hugs. It can sound like a hallmark card for most people, but for anxious kids it can be a living nightmare. Seriously. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can help anxious kids survive the holidays with some proactive planning!

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PSP 090: How Do I Help My Anxious Child with Anger Problems

PSP 090: How Do I Help My Anxious Child with Anger Problems

If you have a child with any type of anxiety, you are more likely to have a child with anger problems as well. This makes sense. Anxiety is like a pressure cooker. Stress and worry build up over time and eventually it boils over. And when it does – it isn’t pretty. Many parents I work with ask, How do I help my child with anger problems?

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