TELL ME IT WILL BE OK

It's common for anxious children to say mean things about themselves like, "I'm stupid. I'm a failure. I can't do anything right." Today we talk about what we can do when our anxious children are full of negative self talk. By the way, if you want to take the Parenting Pitfalls quiz mentioned in this episode, you can do so by going here .  While I make every effort to ensure that the information I...

This podcast and website represents the opinions of me, Dawn Friedman MSEd. The content here should not be taken as clinical advice. The content here is for informational purposes only.  Short answer? Because parents get blamed for everything. Long answer? Because it's complicated. Learn more on this week's episode. While I make every effort to ensure that the information I am sharing is accurate,...

It's a simple question but not a simple answer. This week we talk about how to check in and see if we're being appropriately protective or being over protective with our anxious kids. This podcast and website represents the opinions of me, Dawn Friedman MSEd. The content here should not be taken as clinical advice. The content here is for informational purposes only.  While I make every effort to...

I explain why I think the word "manipulative" isn't helpful when we're talking about child anxiety and why anxious kids might display behaviors that adults may call "manipulative." This podcast and website represents the opinions of me, Dawn Friedman MSEd. The content here should not be taken as clinical advice. The content here is for informational purposes only.  While I make every effort to ens...

This week's question comes from an anonymous submission at my podcast page, which you can find here . The short answer is that no missing school due to anxiety is unlikely to help the anxiety but we also talk about other things you can do that might help. If you need help connecting to resources in your area, please contact the Crisis Lifeline at 988. This podcast and website represents the opinio...

Today we talk about "failure to launch" specifically in the context of anxiety. I also mention the SPACE (supportive parenting for anxious childhood emotions) program. You can learn more about SPACE and find a practitioner at spacetreatment.net or check out my Child Anxiety Support program. This podcast and website represents the opinions of me, Dawn Friedman MSEd. The content here should not be t...

Anxiety and ADD/ADHD share some symptoms and to make things even more complicated, at least one third of all children and teens who are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD are also diagnosed with anxiety. We talk about this more in this week's podcast. This podcast and website represents the opinions of me, Dawn Friedman MSEd. The content here should not be taken as clinical advice. The content here is for in...

Today we're talking about the ways that anxiety can begin or be perpetuated in the context of social anxiety (but also debunking the idea that there needs to be a traceable cause). This podcast and website represents the opinions of me, Dawn Friedman MSEd. The content here should not be taken as clinical advice. The content here is for informational purposes only.  While I make every effort to ens...

Today I introduced my Bill of Rights for Anxious Kids, which was inspired by Ross Greene's Bill of Rights for Behaviorally Challenged Kids. You can download my Bill of Rights by going here: ChildAnxietySupport.com/rights You can learn more about Ross Green's work at his website, Lives in the Balance and download his bill of rights as a PDF right here . This podcast and website represents the opini...

A very brief overview of what to consider when you're making a decision about whether or not to seek medication support for your anxious child or teen. I make mention of the Anxiety Disorders: Parents’ Medication Guide from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, which you can download as a PDF  here . It's a great starting point to help you understand what to talk about with your...

We talk about the importance of planning when we're working on sleep in the context of child anxiety especially because it's likely to get worse before it gets better. I also recommend the wonderful Macall Gordon as a sleep coach. You can find more info about her at her web site LittleLiveWires.com . You can also follow her at Instagram right here . This podcast and website represents the opinions...

In order to answer this question we talk about social anxiety -- what it is, what it looks like -- as well as why it might show up. I also share some interventions to help kids who are socially anxious. This podcast and website represents the opinions of me, Dawn Friedman MSEd. The content here should not be taken as clinical advice. The content here is for informational purposes only.  While I ma...

We consider two ways parents can get impatient with an anxious child -- in the moment and in the big picture relationship. Also here is a direct link to the quiz I mention in the show http://ChildAnxietySupport.com/pitfalls I hope you'll check it out! This podcast and website represents the opinions of me, Dawn Friedman MSEd. The content here should not be taken as clinical advice. The content her...

I wanted to talk more about validation and anxiety and specifically how to validate and why to validate in that particular way. Thanks to my son, Noah, who let me share a couple of stories from his own growing up.❤️ This podcast and website represents the opinions of me, Dawn Friedman MSEd. The content here should not be taken as clinical advice. The content here is for informational purposes only...

The episode answers a listener submitted question which was much longer: “I’ve been following your instagram and listening to your podcast for sometime. You tell people to validate their child’s feelings but this does not work. It doesn’t calm down my child or make her less anxious so why are you recommending it?" That's a great question and gave me the opportunity to explain how the answer lies i...

We examine our assumptions about giftedness and anxiety, look at the research, and discuss the ways that anxiety and giftedness may overlap. I reference two studies in this episode, which you can find here. Mental Disorders Among Gifted and Nongifted Youth: A Selected Review of the Epidemiologic Literature Emotional and Behavioral Characteristics of Gifted Children and Their Families This podcast...

This week we talk about what parents need to understand when they bring their child to counseling to address anxiety. This podcast and website represents the opinions of me, Dawn Friedman MSEd. The content here should not be taken as clinical advice. The content here is for informational purposes only.  While I make every effort to ensure that the information I am sharing is accurate, I welcome an...

Anxious children and teens often demand repeated reassurances from their parents. In this episode we talk about whether or not giving them that reassurance help or hinder their struggle with anxiety. This podcast and website represents the opinions of me, Dawn Friedman MSEd. The content here should not be taken as clinical advice. The content here is for informational purposes only.  While I make...

I take the opportunity to use this very specific question to speak more generally about temperament and how we can mistake a child with a high withdrawal temperament for anxiety (and how to tell the difference). This podcast and website represents the opinions of me, Dawn Friedman MSEd. The content here should not be taken as clinical advice. The content here is for informational purposes only.  W...

It's hard to find a therapist who works with children and teens. Here are some tips to help make your search a little easier. This podcast and website represents the opinions of me, Dawn Friedman MSEd. The content here should not be taken as clinical advice. The content here is for informational purposes only.  While I make every effort to ensure that the information I am sharing is accurate, I we...

This episode offers a rundown of what OCD actually is (hint: it's not being super neat and clean), how it shows up in kids, what parents can do about it and what NOT to do in treatment! This podcast and website represents the opinions of me, Dawn Friedman MSEd. The content here should not be taken as clinical advice. The content here is for informational purposes only.  While I make every effort t...

In this episode we talk about the concept of Rest and the idea of doing Generative Work with Erin Upchurch MSSA LISW-S (she/her). Erin wears many many hats. She is the executive director of Kaleidoscope Youth Center ; a Community Lecturer and Field Instructor at Ohio State University’s College of Social Work; a leader and activist in the Central Ohio community. In 2017 she ran for the Columbus Cit...

Harriet and I talk about her book, Shadow Daughter: A Memoir of Estrangement and discuss our own experiences of estrangement from our moms. We share the way estrangement ripples through families, how we cope with the pain of estrangement, and what we learned about ourselves in our relationships with our mothers.  You can learn more about Harriet at her website here: http://harriet-brown.squarespac...

In which I explain my absence, some big changes, some things that won't change and what's next. Mentioned in this episode: 🌟 READY TO FIND YOUR ROOM TO BREATHE? Parenting has never been more challenging especially for empathetic parents of sensitive kids. TELL ME IT WILL BE OK: The Practice is a weekly, guided practice that gives quiet, calm, reflective space for you to connect with your wisdom a...

Michelle Risser, a counselor specializing in perinatal mental health and a coach who works with moms who are therapists at JoyfulHappyMom.com , sits down to talk with me about burnout.  We discuss: 05:03 What made her decide to go beyond counseling to add coaching to her repetoire 07:58 The special challenges for working moms in the past pandemic year 09:42 How a breast cancer diagnosis was her wa...