Helping Your Anxious Child (A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents) - 9781684039913

With more than 150,000 copies sold, this fully revised and updated edition of the classic self-help guide for parents offers cutting-edge, proven-effective techniques for helping your child overcome anxiety and thrive.

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, this book offers new, practical, and evidence-based proven tools that can help.

Now in its third edition, Helping Your Anxious Child has been expanded and updated to include the latest research and techniques for managing child anxiety, and includes new information on helping very young children and adolescents; as well as anxiety in children with behavioral problems, learning difficulties, or medical conditions. The book offers proven-effective skills based in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, and mindfulness and relaxation techniques 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.

Parents will learn:

• How to help your child practice “detective thinking” to recognize irrational worries
• What to do when your child becomes frightened
• How to expose your child gently and gradually to challenging situations
• How to help your child learn important social skills

Also included are links to a free downloadable workbook for parents, and an activity book for kids. The kid-friendly, illustrated activity book will help your child take an active role in learning to manage their anxiety, as they learn and practice the skills outlined in Helping Your Anxious Child.