Child & Youth Counselling for Anxiety

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive apprehensiveness about real or perceived threats, typically leading to avoidance behaviors and often to physical symptoms such as increased heart rate and muscle tension. The symptoms of anxiety are severe enough to result in an impairment of function.

Understanding and Addressing Child and Adolescent Anxiety

It is normal for a child or adolescent to want to avoid certain activities or interactions out of slight fear, but more often than not, they can be convinced that it won’t be as bad as they are expecting. 

However, treatment is helpful when that fear escalates to a more severe manifestation and interferes with their daily functioning. You may notice that they stop participating in events or activities that they previously enjoyed, or there may be an unexpected change in their behavior.

Our Approach to Care / What To Expect

When a child or youth is experiencing anxiety, our mental health team will help guide the child in learning how to manage and cope with their anxious thoughts and feelings. These strategies may include education about anxiety and exploration of various calming activities and ways to ground themselves during situations where they feel overwhelmed. 

Sessions may also include coping strategies to help the physical symptoms of anxiety like learning how to slow their breathing down. Depending on the age of the child/youth, the parent(s) may also be involved in sessions so that they can continue to help and support the child at home.