Unpacking and Supporting Childhood Anxiety Webinar

Unpacking and Supporting Childhood Anxiety - Online webinar: Wednesday 30 November 2022 at 7pm hosted by Sensational Kids

In our one-hour webinar, we will examine the causes of childhood anxiety before focusing on strategies to build resilience and emotional regulation so that children have the tools to respond to challenging life events. Over the course of the webinar, we will explore the neuroscience behind anxiety briefly and look at neuroplasticity; the ability of the brain to form and recognise synaptic connections.

We will put an emphasis on introducing manageable anxiety reducing habits and scaffolding the new habits onto existing routines. We will examine cognitive behavioral therapy exercises to empower children to replace negative thinking patterns with more positive ones

Specific strategies will include helping an anxious child to become a ‘feelings detective’. We will learn ways to encourage children to think about their thinking. We will learn the importance of teaching children that thoughts are not facts they are just thoughts. We will discuss how to develop a calming toolbox that your child can use in the classroom or at home.

Through techniques such as self-monitoring of thoughts, feelings, we will demonstrate how to support children to modify anxiety-related thoughts to produce changes in anxiety symptoms.

There will be time for questions and discussion following the webinar. Participants will be provided with a relaxation script for children and details on resources mentioned as well as additional reading will be provided.

Workshop Objectives:

• Examine the causes of childhood anxiety and explore the neuroscience behind anxiety
• Provide participants with strategies to help build resilience and emotional regulation in children
• Provide guidance on introducing manageable anxiety reducing habits for children
• Examine cognitive behavioural therapy exercises to empower children to replace negative thought patterns with more positive ones
• Empower participants to help children to think about their feelings and support children to modify anxiety-related thoughts
• To discuss how to develop a calming tool box to use at home or in the classroom

Who will benefit from attending this webinar?

Parents and teachers who would like to be able to support children presenting with anxiety

Additional information:

Concerns about increases in anxiety conditions have prompted Sensational Kids to provide a webinar for parents and teachers on Childhood Anxiety. The World Health Organization (2022) report that the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a 25% increase in the prevalence of anxiety worldwide. In in our day-to-day practice in Sensational Kids we have seen an increase in children presenting with anxiety on our caseload.

Anxiety disorders are well recognised as the most common psychological problem for children and adolescents. It is suggested that children as young as three and four can present with persistent anxiety disorders.

The changing goal posts of the COVID-19 pandemic affected children in different ways. There is no doubt that children have experienced a series of anxiety inducing life events from the Covid’19 pandemic to the exposure to images of a war in the Ukraine to the recent shooting in Texas. As parents and educators, we cannot change the outside world for anxious children, but we can change their inner world by providing children with solid coping strategies.

Workshop Presenter:

Maria Osborne, Chartered Educational Psychologist at Sensational Kids

Maria is a Chartered Educational Psychologist who has worked with children and adults with a range of needs. Since 2012, she has worked as a psychologist carrying out assessments.  Maria was a member of the SCPA panel and carried out school based psycho-educational assessments for the Department of Education. Over the years, Maria has also worked on a multi-disciplinary team carrying out assessments for the ‘Assessment of Need’ process.

Maria completed her undergraduate honours psychology degree in UCD and subsequently completed a Masters of Arts in Educational Psychology degree there in 2012. Maria also completed a Higher Diploma in Primary Education and Masters of Education degree specialising in special educational needs in children.

Prior to her work as an Educational Psychologist, Maria worked in a variety of specialist teaching and research roles in mainstream and special schools where she gained invaluable experience working with children who had a wide range of behavioural, emotional, social and learning difficulties.

Maria has always been very interested in positive reinforcement and throughout her worked she is always looking for ways to promote children’s social and emotional competence. To this end, Maria attended a course in 2009, called the `Incredible Years Programme’.

Maria is passionate about attending Continued Professional Development training with a focus on emotional wellbeing and recently completed training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Maria is a busy Mum to three lively and lovely children.

Workshop Cost:

• Regular Rate for bookings from 22nd August to 27th November 2022 €25
• Late Booking Rate for bookings made on or after 28th November 2022 €30

This workshop will be delivered on Zoom and will last approx. 1 hour from 7-8pm

TO BOOK YOUR PLACE ONLINE VISIT

Unpacking and Supporting Childhood Anxiety | Sensational Kids