Managing Anxiety at Home
Learn what strategies you can implement in the home to help your child with anxiety
This course is recommended for parents who may be struggling to manage their child's anxiety. No matter what age your child is, there are some safe effective strategies and approaches that can be used in the home environment that will make the world of a difference. What all children need more than anything else is one secure adult, preferably a parent, who can provide comfort, a non-judgemental ear and a safe space. These are not always straight-forward when dealing with anxiety so this course breaks down the fundamentals in an easy-to-understand way. Learning these strategies will not only serve to support your child but will result in a happier home.
Anxiety is like quicksand - the harder we struggle to escape, the deeper we sink.
Many parents can relate to this quote as they struggle to help their child who is dealing with anxiety. It sometimes feels like there is no solution to an experience that is well and truly impossible to "get rid of". Many families attempt numerous possible solutions but nothing seems to work. The truth is that anxiety is an extremely difficult condition to understand for both the person with anxiety and for the person who is standing by and trying their best to support.
However, there are simple and effective techniques that parents can engage with in the home that can make significant improvements in the life of the child.
Feelings of anxiety can be very convincing but they are also completely controlled by the mind of the person experiencing them. In other words, children need to be given the tools of breath-work, choice, power, control, open expression and creativity in order to overcome the negative thoughts and feelings they themselves are creating without realizing. Upon completion of this course, parents will understand and be able to implement various techniques in the home so that their child can feel in control of their body, mind and world again.
Course Aims
- Understand what anxiety is (from physical, cognitive, emotional, social and spiritual perspectives)
- Learn how thoughts, feelings, behaviours and physiology all interact resulting in anxiety
- Have an awareness of the fight, flight and freeze response
- Be introduced to difference between state versus trait anxiety
- Be able to identify the 9 types of anxiety diagnoses
- Have a good understanding of the triggers for my child's anxiety
- Know the importance of effective open communication?
- Be introduced to effective exercises that can safely and easily be implemented mindfulness and journaling
Before starting this course, parents should complete Understanding Anxiety so that they first have a clear understanding of what their child is dealing with.
Your Instructor
Dr Lorraine Lynch is the Clinical Director of the Child Psychology Institute (CPI). She holds a Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology from London Metropolitan University (LMU) and is accredited by the HCPC and BPS. Her research thesis was based on the lived experience of children with Dyspraxia/Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) from the perspective of their parents. During her doctorate training, she completed placements in the private sector working on breastfeeding advocacy and support, and also within the NHS (Kidderminster Hospital, Birmingham) working on the promotion of digital health solutions. Dr Lorraine has won numerous awards within the social innovation and enterprise space, receiving a Social Entrepreneurs Ireland award in 2014, Enterprise Ireland's New Frontiers Award in 2021 and Network Ireland 'Power Within Champion' Award in 2022. Dr Lorraine is also the author of two books designed to promote children’s wellness - #100happydays4kids and Closing Saor’s Day.
Her most important role is a mother to three smallies, who serve as a constant reminder of how much potential exists within each child.
“Even the tallest trees always begin as a seed.” A. J. Darkholme