Understanding Anxiety
Learn about what exactly Anxiety is and how it manifests in our children's bodies and brains
"Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.”
This course is recommended for parents and those working with children in education, health and social care professions (Primary School Teachers, Secondary School Teachers, Early Years Practitioners, Social Workers, Youth Workers, GPs, Nurses, SNAs/CAs, Counsellors, NQTs, Home School Community Liaison Officers, Principals, Boards of Management, Administration Staff).
Our nervous system is designed for a world that doesn't exist anymore.
1 in 10 children now report symptoms of anxiety, and this figure is rising as a result of the international pandemic. At the same time, there is limited access to support for our children. As a direct response to this growing need, the Child Psychology Institute has developed this short online course so parents and professionals working with children can be educated, informed and empowered when it comes to managing children's anxiety.
"Thank you for this amazing online course, Lorraine - it has completely changed how I view anxiety and how I can now work with my own children and my clients. I've already signed up to Managing Anxiety at Home! Keep up the amazing work."
Amanda Henson, Parent and Teacher
There is a growing body of research supporting the idea that the mind and body are inextricably linked when it comes to mental health conditions such as anxiety. Many of us live with symptoms of anxiety without ever fully understanding what is happening within ourselves, much less how to resolve these issues. These symptoms can feel like a range of different health issues, including breathing difficulties, circulation issues, heart problems, while they also interfere with our ability to perceive our environment. For example, someone experiencing high levels of anxiety may describe having a heightened sense of smell and taste, blurry vision and hearing, and feeling paranoid in social scenarios. These feelings are symptoms of a dysregulated nervous system which is struggling to cope within its environment. This course moves away from the perspective of simply labelling and medicating a "disorder" and guides students down an avenue of the true understanding of what anxiety truly is - a simple and complicated experience for humans.
This course covers the following topics:
- Anxiety prevalence and facts
- Difference between state and trait anxiety
- Stress response: fight or flight
- Anxiety diagnoses and conditions
- The function of anxiety and how anxiety is treated
This course is vital for parents and professionals working with children, teenagers adults, and vulnerable members of our society, and for anyone who is interested in learning the roots of anxiety for their own personal development.
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