With anxiety in children at record levels, an experiences Australian psychologist argues there is an urgent need for parents and carers to learn the skills needed to help children cope.
Before the pandemic, the bushfires and the floods, anxiety levels in children were already at an all-time high. Now the demand on the mental health sector is so great that one in three psychologies have closed their books to new patients.
That's an issue according to psychologist Michael Hawton because 'child anxiety tends to become worse the longer it's left. The earlier a parent can intervene, the better the outcome."
Many parent, however, lack the confidence to take a hands-on approach to help their kids navigate anxiety. Instead, many unwittingly fed anxiety by allowing their kids to avoid stress.
The good news is that research shows that parents can be just as effective as a therapist in helping their children manage mild to moderate anxiety. All they need to do is learn the right skills.
Michael, who has 30 years' of expert, qualified experience, has released, The Anxiety Coach'. It's a handbook of simple, effective strategies carers can employ to help children build resilience. The flip side of anxiety is resilience, and in this book, Hawton shows parents not only how to counter anxious behaviour but also how to build their child's mental strength.
Based on a powerful programme Michael taught to thousands of families and professionals, these parent-led strategies allow carers to be on the spot and deliver cognitive behavioural approaches that, when applied over time, are vital to the successful treatment of mild to moderate anxiety.
The Anxiety Coach
by Michael Hawton
Exisle Publishing
RRP: $34.99
buy this book
MORE