Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD: A Scientifically Proven Program for Parents

Eli R. Lebowitz

Oxford University Press, 2021 - Anxiety in children - 256 pages

Parenting an anxious child means facing constant challenges and questions: When should parents help children avoid anxiety-provoking situations, and when should they encourage them to face their fears? How can parents foster independence while still supporting their children? How can parents reduce the hold their child's anxiety has taken over the entire family?

Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD: A Scientifically Proven Program for Parents is the first and only book to provide a completely parent-based treatment program for child and adolescent anxiety. Parents will learn how to alleviate their children's anxiety by changing the way they themselves respond to their children's symptoms--importantly, parents are not required to impose changes on their children's behavior. Instead, parents are shown how to replace their own accommodating behaviors (which allow anxiety to flourish) with supportive responses that demonstrate both acceptance of children's difficulties and confidence in their ability to cope. From understanding child anxiety and OCD, to learning how to talk with an anxious child, to avoiding common traps and pitfalls (such as being overly protective or demanding) to identifying the ways in which parents have been enabling a child's anxious behaviors, this book is full of detailed guidance and practical suggestions. Worksheets are included to help parents translate the book's suggestions into action, and the book's compassionate and personable tone will make it a welcoming resource for any concerned parent.

Contents

• 1 Understanding Child Anxiety: 1
• Types and Treatments: 27
• 3 Is Your Childs Anxiety Taking Over Your Family?: 43
• 4 Common Pitfalls in Parenting an Anxious Child: 51
• 5 Family Accommodation: 67
• 6 Mapping Accommodation: 89
• 7 How Can You Be Supportive?: 97
• 8 Which Accommodation Should You Reduce First?: 117
• 9 Planning How to Reduce Accommodation: 129
• 10 How Do You Let Your Child Know about the Plan?: 145
• 11 Working on Your Plan: 173
• 12 TroubleshootingDealing with Difficult Child Responses: 187
• 13 TroubleshootingDealing with Difficulties in Working with Your Partner: 205
• 14 Wrapping Up and Whats Next?: 221
• Worksheets: 227
• Resources: 239
• Index: 241

About the author

Eli R. Lebowitz, PhD, studies and treats child and adolescent anxiety at the Yale School of Medicine Child Study Center, where he is director of the Program for Anxiety Disorders. Dr. Lebowitz' work has been recognized by private and public organizations including the Brain and Behavior Foundation, The National Institute of Mental Health, and The National Center for Advancing Translational Science. He is also the father of three great (and sometimes anxious) boys.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD: A Scientifically Proven Program for Parents
• Author: Eli R. Lebowitz
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2021
• ISBN: 0190883529, 9780190883522
• Length: 256 pages