therapIES for anxiety
(COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL AND BEHAVIORAL)
Fears and worries come in all shapes and sizes, but can be overwhelming and feel like they are ruling your life. Common anxiety disorder that we help children, teens and their families with include:
There are strategies that can help combat anxiety.
Conquer your fears and feel good about it!
- Generalized Anxiety
- Panic Attacks
- School Refusal
- Social Anxiety
- Specific Phobias
- Separation Anxiety
- Selective Mutism
There are strategies that can help combat anxiety.
Conquer your fears and feel good about it!
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (cbt)
-Individual therapy with Parent Involvement
-Group Therapy
Our practice draws largely on Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for treating anxiety. Coping Cat for Anxious Youth and the CAT Project for teens are evidence-based CBT approaches for children and teens with anxiety that are among the treatment options for anxiety. Children and teens are taught coping skills for managing stress. Children and teens also gain awareness of their feelings and how to manage them effectively. Children and teens learn to identify triggers for their fears and thoughts that contribute to the fear or prevent them from overcoming anxiety. An essential feature of this type of treatment involves creating a hierarchy of fears and facing each fear head-on gradually in real-life scenarios with support of the clinician and involved family members.
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Adaptations for Anxiety in Young Children
-Dyadic Therapy with Child and Parent Together
There are adaptations of PCIT that have been shown to effectively treat anxiety disorders in young children. Parents are in the sessions with their children and are coached by the therapist live to use the skills they are learning. Here are the PCIT adaptations for anxiety our practice offers:
PCIT for Selective Mutism (PCIT-SM):
Selective Mutism (SM) in young children is treated using a Child Directed Interaction (CDI) and Verbal Directed Interaction (VDI) approach. This treatment approach involves positive reinforcement and gradual shaping to increase the number of people, places and situations in which the child will comfortably speak. (See more on our Selective Mutism page)
PCIT-CALM:
Separation Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Specific Phobias, and some other anxiety struggles can be treated using a a Child Directed Interaction (CDI) followed by a structured approach for facing fears directly with the support of the parent or caregiver using strategies called the DADS skills.
PCIT for Selective Mutism (PCIT-SM):
Selective Mutism (SM) in young children is treated using a Child Directed Interaction (CDI) and Verbal Directed Interaction (VDI) approach. This treatment approach involves positive reinforcement and gradual shaping to increase the number of people, places and situations in which the child will comfortably speak. (See more on our Selective Mutism page)
PCIT-CALM:
Separation Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Specific Phobias, and some other anxiety struggles can be treated using a a Child Directed Interaction (CDI) followed by a structured approach for facing fears directly with the support of the parent or caregiver using strategies called the DADS skills.
SPACE- sUPPORTIVE pARENTING FOR aNXIOUS cHILDHOOD eMOTIONS
-pARENT/cAREGIVER oNLY
SPACE is a unique treatment that parents can participate in alone without their child when their child is unwilling or unable to attend treatment. SPACE is supported by research to have similar rates of effectiveness to CBT. SPACE can be used with children with anxiety and/or OCD. Children often involve their parents in their anxiety and this treatment helps parents take steps to change their involvement in their child's anxious behaviors.