Anxiety & Children

As a parent, watching your child struggle with anxiety can be incredibly challenging. Anxiety is a common mental health issue that affects many children, often making everyday tasks feel overwhelming. At Mind Co, we focus on helping children and families navigate these challenges through tailored therapy programs and compassionate support.

Childhood anxiety is more than just occasional worries or fears. It’s a persistent feeling of unease that can interfere with a child’s daily life. Common signs of anxiety in children include:

• Excessive worry about future events or past behaviours
• Avoidance of certain situations, like school or social gatherings
• Physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, or trouble sleeping
• Difficulty concentrating or becoming easily irritated

Early intervention is key to helping children manage anxiety effectively. Addressing anxiety early can prevent it from escalating into more severe mental health issues later in life. At Mind Co, we believe in the power of early support to build resilience and equip children with the tools they need to thrive.

There are several strategies parents can use to support their children in managing anxiety:

1. Open Communication: Encourage your child to talk about their feelings. Listen without judgment and validate their emotions. Let them know it’s okay to feel anxious and that you’re there to help.
2. Routine and Structure: Establishing a consistent daily routine can provide a sense of security and predictability, which is especially helpful for anxious children.
3. Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: Practices like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness exercises can help your child calm their mind and body.
4. Cognitive Behavioural Techniques: Helping your child challenge negative thoughts and replace them with more positive, realistic ones can reduce anxiety. This is a key component of the therapy services we offer at Mind Co.
5. Seeking Professional Support: If your child’s anxiety is significantly impacting their life, professional support can make a world of difference.

At Mind Co, we offer therapy programs designed to help children with anxiety. Our Adopt a Bear Program, for example, is a unique initiative that uses therapeutic tools to help children express their emotions and build emotional regulation skills. We also provide one-on-one counselling and family support to equip families with the knowledge and skills to support their child’s mental health.

Childhood anxiety can be daunting, but with the right support, children can learn to manage their anxiety and lead fulfilling lives. If you’re concerned about your child’s anxiety or simply want to learn more about how you can support them, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Mind Co. 

At Mind Co., we understand the complexities of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), a profile on the autism spectrum characterised by a heightened avoidance of everyday demands and expectations. For individuals with PDA both children and adults, even small requests can feel overwhelming, triggering a ‘threat response’ that leads to extreme anxiety, shutdowns, or challenging behaviours.

Why Do PDAers Avoid Demands?
PDA is rooted in a deep sense of losing control, which can turn even simple tasks into significant stressors. The demand—whether it's brushing teeth, putting on shoes, attending school, or engaging socially—can trigger the body's fight, flight, freeze, or fawn response. For these individuals, demands are often perceived as a threat to their autonomy and emotional safety.

Our Approach: Bypassing the Threat Response
At Mind Co., compassionate approach to working with PDA. We focus on bypassing the threat response by creating environments and strategies that promote collaboration and emotional regulation, rather than confrontation and control. Our therapeutic approach includes:

• Low-Demand Interventions: We use gentle, non-directive language and give individuals more control over their choices to reduce feelings of being overwhelmed by demands.
• Collaborative Problem-Solving: Working with clients and their families, we create a shared understanding of the child or individual’s needs. Together, we explore solutions that respect their boundaries while encouraging skill development at their pace.
• Emotional Regulation Tools: We aim to develop emotional regulation, we equip clients with tools to understand and manage their emotions. This empowers them to recognise their internal signals before the threat response escalates.
• Building Trust and Flexibility: Our work emphasises building trust with clients, creating flexible and safe environments that allow for gradual participation and engagement, free from pressure.

Supporting Families Through PDA
Families of those with PDA often feel frustrated and unsure of how to navigate the constant refusal of daily demands. At Mind Co., we provide education and strategies to parents and caregivers to help them foster a sense of safety, trust, and understanding. We work closely to build sustainable routines that work for everyone in the family without relying on rigid expectations or demands.