A Licensed Therapist's 3 Tips for Managing Your Child's Anxiety

As a psychotherapist with a private practice and the creator of Calm Crusaders, an anxiety program for children aged 9-12, I'm privy to a lot of children and families. The program has been wildly successful because our children and families face an inordinate amount of stress and we help arm them with tools to deal with anxiety and worry when it pops up, which it inevitably does....even in the "best" of families.

THE 3 TIPS I GIVE MY FAMILIES ARE....

1. Normalize His/Her Fears

Create a space where the they can share their feelings with you, while you listen, really listen. Instead of trying to fix it, just sit in it with them. With teenagers, taking a walk or going for a drive is a nice place to talk with you. It can feel less intense. For small children, try before bed, during morning cuddle time, or while cooking or playing a board game. Acknowledging the anxiety takes the power from it. Also, I've been known a time or two to say "you can be anxious or worried and still do the thing". T