Helping Your Anxious Child: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents

With more than 150,000 copies sold, this fully revised and updated edition of the classic self-help guide for parents offers cutting-edge, proven-effective techniques for helping your child overcome anxiety and thrive.

Most children are afraid of the dark. Some fear monsters under the bed. But at least ten percent of children have excessive fears and worries―phobias, separation anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder―that can hold them back and keep them from fully enjoying childhood. If your child suffers from any of these forms of anxiety, this book offers new, practical, and evidence-based proven tools that can help.

Now in its third edition, Helping Your Anxious Child has been expanded and updated to include the latest research and techniques for managing child anxiety, and includes new information on helping very young children and adolescents; as well as anxiety in children with behavioral problems, learning difficulties, or medical conditions. The book offers proven-effective skills based in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, and mindfulness and relaxation techniques to aid you in helping your child overcome intense fears and worries. You'll also find out how to relieve your child's anxious feelings while parenting with compassion.

Parents will learn:

• How to help your child practice “detective thinking” to recognize irrational worries
• What to do when your child becomes frightened
• How to expose your child gently and gradually to challenging situations
• How to help your child learn important social skills

Also included are links to a free downloadable workbook for parents, and an activity book for kids. The kid-friendly, illustrated activity book will help your child take an active role in learning to manage their anxiety, as they learn and practice the skills outlined in Helping Your Anxious Child.

Ronald M. Rapee, PhD, is distinguished professor in the school of psychological sciences at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia; and director of the Centre for Emotional Health. He has been involved in an advisory capacity with the DSM-IV and DSM-5, and has sat on both public and scientific advisory committees for national and international organizations. He is developer of Cool Kids, a scientifically proven treatment program for anxious young people that is used by health departments, therapists, and organizations in over thirty countries.

Ann Wignall, DPsych, was principal clinical psychologist at Northern Sydney Health, and service manager for child and youth mental health. She established the Child & Adolescent Anxiety Clinic at Royal North Shore Hospital in 1995, and ran national training programs for treatment and early intervention in anxiety and depression.

Susan H. Spence, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and researcher specializing in the assessment, treatment, and prevention of child and adolescent anxiety and depression. She is an emeritus professor at Griffith University, Queensland, Australia; and has a strong international reputation, having received several significant awards for her contribution to youth mental health.

Vanessa Cobham, PhD, is a clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of anxiety and post-traumatic stress in children and adolescents. She is a professor at The University of Queensland, and an advanced clinical psychologist within Children’s Health Queensland’s Child and Youth Mental Health Service. She is from Brisbane, Australia.

Heidi Lyneham, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and researcher who focuses on assessment and treatment of emotional difficulties in children and families, particularly in improving access to services. She is clinic director at the Centre for Emotional Health at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.