Childhood Anxiety
|
Anxiety is one of the more common issues that bring children into therapy. Whether it be separation anxiety, fears and phobias, school refusal, worry, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), stomach aches, or social anxiety and shyness, anxiety can show itself in different ways. This may lead to kids having a hard time at school, a hard time with friends since they may want to avoid playdates and birthday parties, and cause many struggles at home. It can manifest as being withdrawn, argumentative, clingy, terrified, and/or somatic problems like stomach aches. Sometimes anxiety can be caused by a negative experience like a trauma, could be biologically based, a learned behavior, or all of the above. Luckily, there is help and anxiety is one of the most treatable mental health problems that children and adults experience.
In working with anxiety, I utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Evolving Structural-Strategic Family Therapy (ESSFT). With CBT, we learn to externalize the worry, and treat it like a bully that is trying to ruin your child's fun. We also learn to not try to run away from anxiety and go into red alert, but instead to expect anxiety, let it be there, but keep on doing what we want rather than letting anxiety ruin our fun. |
Symptoms of GAD
(Generalized Anxiety Disorder) 1. Uncontrollable worry 2. Feeling nervous 3. Feeling tense or unable to relax 4. Difficulty concentrating 5. Difficulty sleeping 6. Fear of specific things 7. Being easily fatigued 8. Drug and alcohol abuse |
We learn relaxation techniques, but at the same time, learn to challenge ourselves and do the opposite of what anxiety wants, ultimately leading to us not letting anxiety push us around, and building our muscles to be able to sit with anxiety and discomfort. Parents and sometimes siblings are involved in the treatment in order to team up with the child against anxiety, and reinforce the changes we're making in therapy in order to create lasting change. To learn more about the ESSFT four stage approach to working children and families, you can learn more by clicking here.
To make an appointment for an assessment and/or discuss recommendations for treatment, call (415) 686-9544 or email [email protected] I have offices in San Francisco and Corte Madera and provide phone and/or web sessions for clients who can not come to the office.