Question
When is it time to refer a child with anxiety for professional help?
Answer
I am actually a big believer in schools being able to provide some interventions and help. I have worked with many speech-language pathologists and think that they are all very competent and have great relationships with their students which really helps in terms of providing interventions to anxious children. However, if you feel like you have tried everything and are still not making much headway, then you would certainly want to seek out cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is the gold standard for treating anxiety disorders for children, teenagers, and adults. The idea of CBT is teaching a person to become aware of their own anxiety, coming up with coping strategies that would reduce that anxiety, and then purposely putting themselves in anxiety provoking situations, but with the help of a professional.
Aimee Kotrba is a clinical psychologist specializing in the psychological assessment and treatment of children, couples, and families. She also offers treatment to adults and adolescents. Aimee is a nationally-known expert and speaker on the identification and treatment of anxiety disorders, and is active speaking in the community on a variety of psychological topics.
