Parent Support for Child Anxiety in Miami, FL
Helping your child confront anxiety is possible.
Common Experiences of Child Anxiety
Having a child that is experiencing anxiety or fear-related concerns can be a challenging emotional experience for a parent. Oftentimes, a caregiver may feel torn between wanting to “push” their child to face their fear without pushing them too hard. It is common that when a caregiver sees their child in distress about something that is scary for them, you may also feel anxious and the need to protect them kicks in. This may cause you to “give in” and let them sleep in your room, allow them to avoid extracurricular activities due to their fear of being away from you, or excuse their behavior when someone is talking to them and they begin to cry and cling to your leg in fear of talking to this unfamiliar person.
It can be difficult to understand their reactions to a situation that isn’t threatening and should not be scary. It can feel embarrassing when an adult is talking to your child, and they do not respond as you do not want to seem rude. Oftentimes you may even wonder, “But my child is 4 years old. Isn’t it normal that they have fears?”
Our Approach To Child Anxiety
Anxiety can become problematic when it starts to interfere with the child’s life. When your child is unable to do the things they need to do, want to do, or are capable of doing, anxiety parent training can be helpful in teaching you how you can support your child in facing their fears. In doing so, you will gain the insight to better understand your child, their feelings, and their behavior. This will help your child feel more confident in themselves as they feel understood and supported. You will learn how much to push your child, how to validate their emotions so they feel understood, and how you can guide them to navigate their fears so they feel empowered to accomplish something difficult for them.
Help Your Child Take Control Of Their Fears Today!
At Empowering Families Counseling, our goal is to help empower you with knowledge of skills that will help increase your child’s confidence and teach them how to overcome their fears. You won’t have to second guess yourself anymore or wonder what the best way to manage your child's anxiety is. Instead, you’ll feel better equipped with the skills needed to balance being the support your child needs and pushing them just enough to move them closer to reducing their fear.
4 Facts About Parent Training for Child Anxiety
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You will learn in real time how to better support your child when they are feeling anxious. Since sessions are virtual your therapist will observe you interacting with your child in your home setting. This allows the added benefit of you learning how to apply these skills in a naturalistic environment.
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• Encourage your child’s brave behaviors and reduce their anxious behavior.
• Use your attention through positive reinforcement to increase your child’s confidence in confronting their fears.
• Help your child approach anxiety provoking situations in a gradual and supportive manner.
• Feel less stressed in managing your child’s anxiety as well as how to model brave behavior and appropriate coping skills.
• Help your child better understand and manage their emotions.
• Set realistic expectations given your child’s age and stage in development.
• Effectively communicate to your child to set them up for success.
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It is normal that the parent-child relationship becomes strained overtime due to these challenging behaviors. You will learn special skills to enhance your relationship with your child.
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The number of sessions each family needs depends on many factors. Factors that impact the length of therapy include:
• The consistency of caregiver’s practice of therapeutic skills. Changing behavior is a lot of work. It requires patience and a lot of practice. It is recommended caregivers practice daily for 5 minutes.
• Family’s consistent attendance to sessions.
• The intensity of your child’s anxiety/behavior since the start of therapy.
• Caregiver’s openness to learning new skills and making changes.
• Additional stressors. Other stressors outside of your child’s problem behaviors may make learning and practicing skills more challenging.
• Your child’s temperament. Every child is unique. Some kids take longer to respond to therapy.
Parent Training for Child Anxiety FAQs
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This type of therapy is best suited for children who may exhibit any of the following:
• Anxiety when separated from their parents.
• Anxiety in social situations.
• Oftentimes worries and has difficulty stopping themselves from worrying.
• Has a specific fear/phobia.
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Your child does not need a diagnosis to participate. However, this type of therapy is helpful for children diagnosed with the following:
• Separation anxiety
• Social anxiety
• Generalized anxiety
• Specific phobias
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We work with both the child and parent(s). This type of therapy is a form of parent training. We teach the parents how to effectively help their child confront their fears.
The therapist does not work directly with the child. Instead, we work directly with the parent through a live coaching approach that allows you to receive immediate feedback as you interact with your child during our sessions.
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This type of therapy requires consistent attendance from the same caregiver each week. If other caregivers want to attend sessions but cannot do so on a weekly basis, it is strongly encouraged that they at least attend both skill teaching sessions.
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• Openness to learning new skills.
• Practicing therapeutic skills with your child daily for 5 minutes.
• Openness to learning how to play and engage with your child doing an activity they enjoy.
• Attend sessions consistently.
• Complete assessments on your child’s behavior weekly in order for your therapist to monitor your child’s progress and best help you.
• Collaborate with your therapist and communicate your questions and concerns.
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At Empowering Families Counseling we only offer sessions virtually for families who reside in Florida. Below is a list of supplies you’d need for sessions:
• Reliable Wifi
• Laptop, tablet, or phone with a functioning webcam
• Headphones (preferably wireless so you can move around the room)
• 2-3 toys
• A place in your home with limited distractions
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The live coaching experience gives caregivers the opportunity to learn in real-time how to apply skills, manage their child’s behavior/anxiety, and become aware of how their own behavior is an important aspect in influencing their child’s behavior/anxiety.
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• You are not able to practice therapeutic skills on a daily basis with your child.
• The same caregiver cannot attend sessions weekly with the child. Please note this type of therapy is not recommended when caregivers need to take turns attending sessions weekly with the child. At least one caregiver needs to be the primary participant that will attend with the child weekly.
• Your child is outside of the 2-8 age range.
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This is normal! Especially, in the beginning, it can feel uncomfortable to have someone else observe your interactions with your child. As you become more familiar with your therapist, the nerves will start to settle. Your therapist is there to help support you!
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Absolutely. Therapy is required by law to be confidential. However for your own safety, there are three exceptions:
If you state you plan to harm yourself.
If you state you plan to harm others.
If there is suspicion of abuse of a child or a vulnerable adult.
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Since this therapy requires a lot from a parent when working with just one child, it would be more helpful that you participate with one child first. Once we are seeing progress with the first child and you are feeling more confident in managing their behavior/anxiety than we can start therapy with the second child (if needed). For some parents, completing the entire program once with one child was enough to learn the necessary skills for them to apply to the second child. This can be discussed further with the therapist to determine what will be best for your families’ needs.
Take the Next Steps Towards Transformation.
Contact Us.
Contact us to schedule your free 15-minute phone consultation.
Consultation.
This consultation will give you the opportunity to ask questions and confirm that we are the right fit for each other.
Get Started!
After we have confirmed that we will be a good fit for each other we will schedule our first appointment. I will then send you paperwork to fill out by our first session to help me assess how I can best help you.