Focused on results, not return visits. Start the fight for your freedom.

Parenting an Anxious Child

Anxiety disorders affect one in eight children As a parent, your #1 priority is to protect your child. You want them to feel safe, loved, and secure in the world. Parenting a child who is suffering with an anxiety or mood disorder can be challenging. You may feel unsure how to help, worry you’ll say the wrong thing, or feel stuck between supporting your child and maintaining reasonable expectations. At GPS Psychology & Anxiety Clinic, we’ll help you understand your child's anxiety disorder or other behavioral and emotional problems. We offer supportive training for parents by focusing on relationship-strengthening techniques such as enhanced active listening, empathy-building, and setting and maintaining realistic expectations. Parenting through collaboration Collaboration between you and your child is essential to overcoming anxiety. We work to encourage this collaboration in several ways. First, we educate parents on the difference between anxiety and normal stress or teenage angst. We also teach recognizable factors that may be contributing to your child’s anxiety (ex. the role of social media and the use of devices). Your own behaviors, however well-intentioned, may be maintaining your child’s anxiety. Helping to identify those behaviors, even when you think they’re helpful, is critical in reducing anxiety in your child or teen. Most importantly, we teach you how to communicate effectively, develop greater empathy, and use that empathy to actively listen. Seeing things from your child’s or teen’s perspective is essential to problem-solving. These skills can initiate long- lasting, impactful changes at home that will be integral to your child’s success.