Book Review: Working with Parents of Anxious Children

As a therapist working in an inpatient facility, I see many young clients with anxiety. I probably see it more often than any other diagnosis. In fact, according to the Child Mind Institute, about 31.9 percent of children suffer from anxiety disorders, with about 8.3 percent severely impaired by the symptoms. To make matters worse, parents do not always recognize what their children are going through. A whopping 80 percent of children suffer from a diagnosable anxiety disorder that is not being treated. I know firsthand how hard it can be to explain to parents that their child’s oppositional, defiant, or moody behavior is related to anxiety. Anxiety, they think, means something else. In Working with Parents of Anxious Children: Therapeutic Strategies for Encouraging Communication, Coping, & Change, psychologist Christopher McCurry outlines the behaviors and symptoms to look for in children with anxiety disorders, and offers a guide for clinicians who work with their families. Anxiety can mimic the symptoms of disruptive behavior disorders, McCurry writes. Six is the age of onset: the age at which kids are entering school, making friends, learning new things, and being expected to conform to social norms. If they are struggling with anxiety during this stressful time, families are likely to see a slew of behaviors and symptoms. McCurry helps clinicians think about how biology and environment work together to either support or work against a child with an anxie...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Anxiety Book Reviews Children and Teens Family General Parenting Professional Psychotherapy Anxious Children christopher mccurry Family therapy how to help anxious childrens families how to help parents of anxious children therap Source Type: news