Childhood Anxiety

Turnaround helps with the most common types of anxiety faced by children.

FAQs

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of worry or fear that can affect children’s daily lives. There are four things to look for that are indicators of a problem.

Is the degree of anxiety significantly greater than the actual problem?
Is the experience of anxiety so strong that it feels out of control or overpowering?
Is the anxiety interfering to the extent it is keeping someone from living a “normal” life?
Is the anxiety persisting way past what would be expected?

How does the program help?

In general, anxiety programs are often designed for adults, and can include complex psychological language. For kids some programs can feel like a “chore” or make them uncomfortable or feel embarrassed about their situation. When the learning is boring or too complex, children participate less and seek ways to avoid.

The key to a successful program is one that makes kids feel comfortable, is easy for them to understand, and is presented in a way that kids actually enjoy each session. The Turnaround program is unique in that it speaks directly to children using many different fictional characters to encourage them to learn to overcome their anxiety in a fun, unique and non-threatening way.

It ingeniously incorporates Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy including Exposure and Response Prevention. That is woven throughout the entire treatment program.

What Ages is the Program Designed for?

It’s designed for children ages 6-12 who struggle with anxiety, providing support in a friendly, accessible way. Some 6 year old might be a bit young and similarly some 12 years might find the presentation too childlike. We recommend having your child listen to some of the samples to determine if it is appropriate for them.

An extensive discussion by Drs. Russ and McCarthy is included for parents. It is recommended that parents listen along with the program because an entire vocabulary is developed that can be shared between the listening child and the parent. For younger children, sometimes a parent can explain things if there are questions. The fundamental material is the same that we would use with adult clients so it might be helpful for the adults listening!

Can parents use this too?

Is it easy to use?

Absolutely, the audio is simple and designed for kids to follow on their own. It can be playing on any device and many families report listening in the car.