If you are a parent of a child in therapy or are considering it in the future, it may seem like a bit of a mystery what happens in that room when the door closes. Chris offers us a look into the process of therapy that is informational and comforting. As one who specializes in trauma therapies and serves a wide variety of clients, he helps to demystify some of the unknown.

Through this conversation, Chris gives us some insight into the practical aspects of what therapy might look like for our children. He also shares his trust in the wisdom and intuition of children working through trauma and explains how providing a safe, open environment and a strong connection is the most powerful tool that we have in helping children heal, not only in the therapist’s office but also in the family home.

I’m grateful to Chris for having this conversation and he provided us with some great resources which are linked below.

https://www.treehousetraumacentre.com/

The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation https://www.isst-d.org/

https://drdansiegel.com/books/

https://www.complextrauma.ca/

And the earlier episode we mentioned of Parenting in the Trenches with Lisa Dion: https://www.my.thrive-life.ca/parenting-in-the-trenches-s8e3

Welcome to Part Two of this conversation!

In Part One, Dr. Lark and I set the stage with some discussion around the types and forms of Anxiety we are seeing in our kids and the clear need for us to help them so that they can learn to manage their Anxiety. If you missed Part One, please go back and listen - Lark helps us understand Anxiety in a way that honors its complexity and nuance while simplifying some of the more difficult concepts that we can find confusing as parents watching our children struggle.

Children are experiencing increasing rates of Anxiety and it is imperative that we provide them with help to stay connected and to work through their Anxiety. Unfortunately there’s no silver bullet to ease the worry and fears for our children, but there are many things we can offer them from connection and mindfulness to meeting their basic physiological needs that can bolster their ability to grow and build resilience. Dr. Lark and I offer some tools and strategies in this episode that are known to be helpful.

We also paint a no fault, no guilt picture of why we are where we are, with our children experiencing Anxiety that may at times stem from our own. In naming what is happening in this process we are not laying blame, but instead acknowledging the reality that we are all affected by stressors around us, and that the resulting Anxiety exists. It actually can’t be avoided, and none of us are immune. It’s part of the human experience.

Understanding the Anxiety we see in our Children is important so that we can support them and know when and how to reach out for additional help. You are not alone, watching your kiddo in this hard space.

Here with you,
Karen

In this episode Lark and I set the stage with some discussion around the types and forms of Anxiety we are seeing in our kids; the possible roots of it, the manifestations of it, and the differences between as well as the commonalities of situational anxiety and Generalized Anxiety.

This conversation offers insight into the current increasing overall state of Anxiety that we are seeing our kids experience on a massive scale due to the last few years of isolation, fear and stress that we have all lived through and continue to process as a global community. The picture is not pretty, with Anxiety and Addition rates skyrocketing. We’re making an effort to look honestly at the reality of the situation, which enables us to foresee the challenges and offer hope through strategies based on connection which promote resilience.

This episode is sure to inform and hopefully clarify some things around Anxiety for parents with children struggling in this area. For practical tools and common sense reminders, but sure to tune in next week to Part 2 when Lark and I dig into supporting our children through connection, co regulation and more.

If you'd like to explore Dr. Lark's work, you can check that out here:

https://www.larkeshleman.com