Supporting your child suffering with anxiety or low self-esteem

The modern world can be a very complicated and stressful place, so it is understandable that sometimes our young people can find it difficult to make sense of it all and their place in it, as they transition from child into adult life. Their lives may be further complicated by additional challenges and needs that they are finding difficult to resolve.

Whether your child is currently accessing mental health support services or not, your role, as their parent, is of vital importance in supporting them through this challenging time.
I understand that pain and deep feeling of wanting to help them, to do what ever it takes to make things all ok again.
But the hard truth is, you cannot 'fix' the anxiety for your child - however much you want to.
Only your child can make the changes needed for themselves.
And I know that's tough, you're the parent, you're meant to protect and save your child from harm, pick them up when then fall, tend their wounds. But, in the same way you held them when they were little until the tears passed, so now, you can continue to 'hold them', as together you find a way forwards that helps to promote more positive, healthy, mental behaviours.

Armed with a greater understanding of why your young person may be struggling in the way they are, will really help you to develop ways to encourage your child back into a more confident, motivated and relax way of being.

The more we can try to understand their perspective, the more we are going to be able to help them through it.

I can help you, by working with you to:

gain a better understanding of how the brain (and maybe more importantly the child & teenage brain) works
understand and put into practice the 5 key things that contibute towards mental well-being
help your child build resilience to cope better with sources of stress and manage their feelings
create an environment for positive change
help empower your young person and grow their confidence
understand the importance your own mental health and behaviour plays, in modelling behaviours for your child

Child anxiety - parent support

(All sessions take place online via Zoom)

Initial Consultation - We start with an initial consultation, which provides you with an opportuntiy to discuss the kind of help you are looking for and ask any questions you may have. During this session, I will gather some general information to help with the assessment and give you an insightful explanation of how the brain works, why we and our children can suffer in the way we do and what we can do about it. Once you have an understanding of this, it will really help you to recognise why your child is struggling or suffering. It will also help you to better recognise your own mental state in any given moment, when you are supporting your young person.

Some initial practical tips will also be given on how to start boosting your child's confidence.

This session usually takes 45 mins - 1hour

If you feel you would benefit from working with me, subsequent tailor-made sessions can be arranged.

Subsequent Sessions - We will build upon and gain deeper understanding of the neuroscience and reasons for your child's negative thought patterns and behaviours and we will discuss practical strategies to help you support them back to a place of more positive mental well-being.

Session may include:

Identifying ways to put into practice the 5 key elements that contribute towards positive mental health for your child
Strategies for helping to build resilience, confidence and self-belief in your child
Helpful conversations to support your child in difficult moments
Strategies to help empower your child to become more confident and gain inner strength from their 4 pillars of Emotional Intellegence
Ideas for relaxation techniques to calm down anxiety or stop panic attacks