Claim OwnershipYour Anxious Child
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© Edward Plimpton, PhD
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This is a podcast for parents for who have an anxious child. Practical suggestions are given to help with a wide range of situations in which anxiety can interfere with a child's life
111 Episodes
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Lenore Skenazy is the author of Free-Range Kids: How Parents and Teachers Can Let Go and Let Grow and is President of Let Grow, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting play and independence in children and adolesecence. Ms Skenazy created quite a sensation after her article "Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone" and got labeled "America's Worst Mom". This lead her to start Let Grow which is an invaluable resource for helping schools and parents promote healthy growth promoting independence in children. Her approach has the benefit of simplicity and common sense. By encouraging independent activity, you are promoting confidence and decreasing anxiety in your child. And it also happens to be fun. Pair this interview with the one I did last year with Camillo Ortiz, PhD who developed an innovative approach to helping anxious children by givng them mega doses of independence. Ms. Skenazy also helped Jonthan Haidt in his recent book Anxious Generation write the recommendations about how to correct a "phone based childhood" and return it to a "play based childhood". Let Grow website https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrFEIxplh1mPrQWQyNXNyoA;_ylu=Y29sbwNiZjEEcG9zAzEEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1714424681/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fletgrow.org%2f/RK=2/RS=UD_aH_MXQEBH_BBxdrHFYlXabIM-
1Linda K. Murphy is a speech language pathologist who has written two books, Declarative Language Handbook and Co-Regulation Handbook. I found her books wonderful in clarifying how language can either turn the volume up or down on anxiety. Imperative language, those questions or comments that demand a response can create stress or anxiety. In contrast, declarative or descriptive language can help your child achieve a more regulated and open state. In this conversation, we talk about the power of just describing or observing, rather than jumping into problem solving. In this approach, we can begin to avoid unproductive power battles and foster a more collobrative relationship with our children. For more information about Linda K. Murphy, MS, CCC-SLP https://www.declarativelanguage.com/
Regine Galanti, PhD has just published Parenting Anxious Kids: Understanding Anxiety in Children by Age and Stage. She is the author of several other books aimed at helping children with anxiety such as Anxiety Relief for Teens. She is the founder of Long Island Behavioral Psychology and can be found at https://www.longislandbehavioral.com/team In this interview we have a chance to explore her new book which contains invaluable advice for parents of anxious children at each stage of their development
Dr Jame Gregory is a clinical psychologist and researcher based at the University of Oxford. She has written with Adeel Ahmod a very helpful book on Misophonia that clinicians, those with misophonia and significant others will truly benefit by. She helps clarify why misophonia often gets attached to a significant person and details a program of therapy that can lessen the severity of this condition. It is really a must read for anyone concerned with this condition, but first listen to the podcast because her passion for this material is so evident.
It was a pleasure to have Natasha Daniels as a return guest on this podcast to talk about her new book Crushing OCD: Workbook Kids. This book is going to be an excellent resource for families and therapists trying to help children with OCD. One of strengths of this book is that it lays out in very digestible units the sequence of steps needed in order to "crush OCD". It is also no small feat the language in this book is very child friendly but always respectful. https://hillchildcounseling.com/ https://atparentingsurvivalschool.com/p/difficult-behaviors
Stephen P. H. Whiteside, PhD is a clinical psychologist, Professor of Psychology in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Director of the Pediatric Anxiety Disorders Prgram at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. His new book will be out in April in which he outlines parent-coached exposure therapy. Unlike other therapy experiences, where children meet alone with a therapist, Dr Whiteside focuses on teaching parents how to help children work on their anxiety or OCD at home. In this interview we talk about his approach to treating anxiety disorders and some of the challenges in treating all anxiety disorders.
I had the opportunity to talk with Aimee Kotrba, PhD on the occasion of the release of the second edition of Selective Mutism: An Assessment and Intervention Guide for Therapists, Educators and Parents co-authored with Katelyn Reed, M.S. She is an international expert on the topic of selective mutism and I have used her material frequently with children struggling with selective mutism. Listen to this informative and fun talk with Aimee Kotrba, PhD. Dr Aimee Kotrba, is the owner of Thriving Minds Behavioral Health Clinic in Michigan and directs a camp for children with selective mutism Confident Kids Camp For more information about Dr Kotrba and to access her webnairs and other material https://www.thrivingmindsbehavioralhealth.com/
Heather White is the author of One Green Thing: Discover Your Hidden Power to Help Save the Planet. She is the founder of OneGreenThing.org and has two decades of experience in environmental advocacy including serving as a presidential campaign staffer for Al Gore and numerous other activities. Climate change is the big challenge for the younger generation and many therapist such as myself are noticing how much it comes up with our young clients. Heather White discusses the importance of a intergenerational discussion of climate change, how doing one green thing a day can create the necessary cultural shift to deal with this crisis and most importantly how to identify the ways in which you and your child can play a part. The program of action Heather White describes are crucial in managing the understandable anxiety that comes with thinking about climate change.
Ben Sedley, PhD is a clinical psychologist in Wellington New Zealand and author of two books for teens Stuff that Sucks: a teen's guide to accepting what you can't change and committing to what you can and with Lisa Coyne, PhD Stuff's That's Loud: a teen's guide to unspiraling when OCD gets noisy He is talking with us today about the treatment of OCD and how ACT (Acceptance and Committment Therapy) is an important tool in helping teens with OCD.
Emily Edlynn, PhD is a clinical psychologist who has just published Autonomy-Supportive Parenting: Reduce Parental Burnout & Raise Competent, Confident Children. As Emily Edlynn explains "This book gives parents a roadmap to move away from hovering and over-helping (burning us out and undermining our kids competence and confidence) to raising self-sufficent children ready for the world. We can all shift from "full service" to "self-service" in our homes by focusing on three fundamental human needs: autonomy, relatedness and competence." In this interview, Emily illustrates how we can move away from more fear based parenting which tends to be very controlling and contributes to anxiety in children to parenting that fosters competence and a sense of agency. https://www.emilyedlynnphd.com/ She is also co-host on the podcast Psychologist off the clock and check out her interview with Jennifer Wallace author of Never Enough: When Achievemnt Culture Becomes Toxic-And What we Can do About it. This book nicely compliments Autonomy-Supportive Parenting https://offtheclockpsych.com/toxic-achievement-culture-with-jennifer-wallace/
In this episode, I talk with Suzanne Mouton-Odum, PhD and Ruth Goldfinger Golomb about their recent book with Charles S Mansueto. These authors have done some of most important work in developing effective treatment for BFRBs. We discuss the key elements ComB model for the treatment of hair pulling and skin picking. Since sensory issues are often very important in the treatment of BFRB, we also talk about Suzanne Mouton-Odum and Ruth Golomb other books on sensory dysregulation. Helping Your Child with Sensory Regulation: Skill to Manage the Emotional and Behavioral Components of Your Child's Sensory Processing Challenges by Suzanne Mouton-Odum and Ruth Goldfinger Golomb Psychological Interventions for Children with Sensory Dysregulation by Ruth Goldfinger Golomb and Suzanne Mouton-Odum Ruth Goldfinger Golomb, LCPC can be found at http://www.behaviortherapycenter.com/new-page-2 Suzanne Mouton-Odum, PhD can be found at https://psychologyhoustonpc.com/.
The brain changes that happen as a result of pregnancy is a fascinating topic. Dr Pawluski is one of the leading authorities on this topic. We talk about her book Mommy Brain in which she discusses how the brain changes as a result of pregnancy and how the transition to parenthood does not get the recognition that it deserves. She also sets the record straight about what actually happens to a mother's memory during pregnancy. Most importantly she highlights the amazing ways the brain adapts to the task of having a child. Jodi Pawluski, PhD is a neuroscientist who specializes in the neuroscience of motherhood and perinatal mental illness. She has a podcast Mommy Brain Revisited in which she talks to leading scientists and others about the latest thinking and research on the changes in the maternal brain as a result of pregnancy. https://www.jodipawluski.com/mommybrainrevisited/episode/3735c11f/43-attachment-and-neural-synchrony Her website where you can also information about Dr Pawluski's webinars for parents https://www.jodipawluski.com/about And her book which is available in English and French
https://www.drdonnahenderson.com/ In this interview I talk with Donna Henderson about autism and anxiety. Dr Henderson and Sarah Wayland with Jamell White have written two books about autism: Is This Autism: A Guide for Clinicans and Everyone Else and Is This Autism: A Companion Guide for Diagnosing. Dr Henderson talks about how understanding some of the nonobvious ways in which autism can present itself and the unique features of anxiety in this population.
Camilo Ortiz is an Associate Professor of Psychology and the director of clinical training at Long Island University-Post as well as maintaining a private practice. Dr Ortiz is developing a novel approach to treating childhood anxiety by providing children with opportunties to practice being independent. Everyday acts of doing things independent of adults essentially exercise the same psychological muscles that a child need to deal with anxiety. His approach has the potential to be a promising addition and at times an alternative to traditional exposure based therapy for anxiety. This approach has an accessible simplicity and leverages children natural wish to be independent and competent. His Website is http://drcamiloortiz.com https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/04/opinion/anxiety-depression-teens.html https://profectusmag.com/treating-childhood-anxiety-with-a-mega-dose-of-independence/ https://letgrow.org/program/the-let-grow-project/
Chelsea Conaboy is a journalist specializing in personal and public health. Her recent book, Mother Brain, is now available in paperback. Her book is a thoughtful and well researched discussion of the emerging neuroscience about the brain changes that occur as a result of becoming a parent. In addition, she offers an incise critique about the concept of "Maternal Instinct" and how it is fundamentally flawed and inaccurate.https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/26/opinion/sunday/maternal-instinct-myth.html This is a major developmental period and transition which is actually similar in magnitude to the changes that occur in adolescence. However, this sensitive developmental transition has not received the attention and recognition that truly deserves. Chelsea Conaboy has corrected this imbalance with her highly readable and thoughtful book
https://cc.au.dk/en/recreational-fear-lab The question of why we would be drawn to movies and other material such as haunted houses is what Mathias Clasen and Marc Andersen investigate at the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University. The negative effects of children watching movies that are inappropriate for their age has received substantial attention. However, Clasen and Andersen note how all ages are drawn in different ways to scary material, and in their work they demonstrate some of benefits of this exposure. Among other things it can help us learn how to manage our fears and bring us closer together. In this interview we talk about "the threat simulation theory of horror movies" and importantly how horror movies represent one end of a continuum in which we seek to explore fear and other emotions. They point that even in nursery or preschools books, such as We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury explore what it is like to be afraid. These safe explorations are one way in which we learn to manages anxious feelings.
We are born with a set of primitive reflexes that are necessary for our survival but over the course of the first year should be gradually inhibited or integrated with higher cortical functions over time. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons primitive reflexes do not always get integrated as higher cotrical functions get online. Sonia Story is a leading expert on the role of primitive reflexes in contributing to a variety of mental health issues. It is an exciting area that provides a new set of interventions for children based on movement patterns. Some helpful links to supplement the podcast How neurodevelopmental movements can help with mental health issues. https://www.moveplaythrive.com/MentalHealth The importance of Primitive Reflexes https://www.moveplaythrive.com/learn-more/item/importance-of-integrating-reflexes About ADHD and Primitive Reflexes https://www.moveplaythrive.com/learn-more/item/can-adhd-be-dissolved About Sonia Story's Brain and Sensory Foundation course https://www.moveplaythrive.com/OBSF1
In this interview we talk about needle phobia and pediatric pain with Dr Jody Thomas who is the Founder and Director of the Meg Foundation. The Meg Foundation is one of the primary resources to help children deal with needle phobia and pediatric pain. It is so important for parents and childen to know that something can be done to make the experience vaccinations and blood draws less scary and painful. Dr Thomas and the Meg Foundation are the go to resource for helping parents and children cope with vaccinations and other medical procedures. In this interview Dr Thomas outlines the steps to help children with this important part of their medical care. https://www.megfoundationforpain.org/
Bethany Saltman has written a compelling book about the science of attachment. It is a memoir of her journey into the science of attachment, a summary of what is known about attachment and the process of how this important theory was established. In this interview we talk about some of the basic features of attachment. The relationship an infant forms with their caregiver puts down a psychological foundation that biases development in certain directions. For the purpose of this podcast, we note that an insecure attachment increased the probablility of developing an anxiety disorder. However, developmental trajectories are complex and nothing is fixed in stone. Bethany Saltman has many facets to her work, including being a writing coach and she can be found at https://www.bethanysaltman.com/strange-situationn.com
Dr Zucker is a licensed psychologist in Washington D.C. She has published several books on the treatment of anxiety disorders. In this interview , I talk with her about her two most recent books: A Perfectionist's Guide to Not Being Perfect and How to Manage Your Social Power in Middle School. The two books deal with separate but related challenges of the middle school years. The middle school years can pour jet fuel on any tendencies towards perfectionism. And it has been said of middle school children that peer relations become so important that it is as if children get addicted to popularity. Her comments on social power can help children manage these rough waters. For more information on Dr. Zucker https://www.bonniezuckerandassociates.com/publications We discuss two videos in the interview that she recommends. J. Jiang What I learned from 100 days of rejection. https://youtu.be/-vZXgApsPCQ Brooks Gibbs How to Stop a Bully https://youtu.be/7oKjW1OIjuw
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This is SO helpful for me and my anxious daughter. Its concise so I can listen to one as I'm getting ready for work and focuses on just ONE thing that is easy to remember and that I implement that day. Adding 1 skill and strategy at a time works best for us. Thank you so much for your podcast!!!