A comprehensive manual for front line workers who help children understand and cope with anxiety has been published.
A Path from Anxiety to Courage.… One Step at a Time and its corresponding website offer practical, creative and engaging resources for clinicians, educators and parents working with anxious children.
After long careers in a variety of teaching and counselling positions with children of all ages, Elizabeth Birch Brown and Patricia Cawley Reid teamed up to focus on a support program for children struggling with anxiety disorders.
Over four years they developed, implemented and refined the first such program to be offered by a Canadian Board of Education.
“The world can be, and often is a scary place for children,” said Patricia Cawley Reid.
“But everyone has the right to experience some sense of accomplishment and feelings of peace, love and joy. If left unattended, anxious children run a high risk of experiencing a variety of other mental health issues, such as underachievement, dropping out of school early, depression, alcohol and drug abuse.”
The manual and website resources have been a labour of love for the two educators. They believe that all children deserve and need to experience pride and confidence in their accomplishments.
“A growing number of our children, close to 12 per cent, are debilitated by fear and anxiety on a day to day basis,” said Elizabeth Birch Brown.
“We have created a program through which anxious children learn and practice with their peers, a variety of skills and strategies that will help them cope with their anxieties in all areas of their lives.”
Literally everything required to run the program is readily available in the book or downloadable from the website.
This support includes participation forms, letters, worksheets and lists of recommended supplies and resources.
The format of the Path to Courage Program is structured, experiential and fun, and incorporates recognized successful intervention strategies.
The manual answers questions, such as:
– Which skills will help children cope with their anxieties?
– How do I set up a support program for children struggling with various types of anxiety?
– How can I find anxiety support resources?
– How do I involve and support parents?
In recognition of the significance of all the important people in a child’s life working together to provide a consistent support base, the manual contains a concurrent Parent Support Program. It is designed to give parents as many tools as possible to support their children.
The manual is available in hardcover or paperback from the publisher, FriesenPress and other online bookstores.
