All kids get stressed sometimes. They’ll have butterflies leading up to the first day of school or worry about being left out if their BFF plays with someone else at recess. Most kids will complain, maybe cry a little, and then move on. But for the estimated one in five kids in the United States who suffer from anxiety disorders (including separation anxiety, social anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder), it’s a major challenge to manage their worries.
In severe cases, kids with anxiety may stop eating, sleeping, or going to school.
For some kids, minor worries turn into full-fledged fears. But with the right approach, you can help your child feel reassured.
- How do you help a child with anxiety?
- What are signs of anxiety in a child
- How do you calm an anxiety attack in a child?
When children are chronically anxious, even the most well-meaning parents can fall into a negative cycle and, not wanting a child to suffer, actually exacerbate the youngster’s anxiety. It happens when parents, anticipating a child’s fears, try to protect her from them.
My guest today is intimately familiar with anxiety. And he openly talks about his story.
About my guest
Kevin ASHWORTH, MA LPC has a knack for explaining complicated concepts in easy to understand terminology, while providing a great deal of empathy for others suffering and helping individuals challenge their worst fears.
Kevin received his Bachelor’s in Psychology from Washington State University, before completing his Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology at Pacific University. His focus remained on anxiety and models for working with children, which led to completing anxiety focused training during his tenure at Pacific University. During this time, he authored three publications on anxiety and completed his dissertation on the effectiveness of Collaborative Problem Solving. Kevin has earned a certification in treating OCD and Hoarding Disorder from the International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation (IOCDF) Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI). Though he has presented at local and national conferences, he has found his true calling with public speaking on the topic of anxiety, often being recruited for providing lectures and workshops in the Portland community.
Kevin aims to provide effective, evidence-based treatment to individuals struggling with anxiety disorders using humor, kindness, and compassion. He believes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is effective when he is able to help clients shift their relationship with anxiety while not taking themselves too seriously. Kevin likes to empower his clients by saying (in regards to Exposure Response Prevention) “you’re already miserable, you may as well be miserable on purpose.”
Resources and links
- https://www.nwanxiety.com
- Fighting Fear with Kevin Ashworth, YouTube Channel
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Anna
