Child Anxiety Course for Parents | SPACE | Altogether Human
Know what to say and do when your child is anxious
Reducing children’s anxiety - a course for parents
Know what to say and do when your child is anxious
When your child is distressed at the school gate, asks you again if everything will be okay, or needs you to stay until they fall asleep, it can be hard to know what will help. In this practical online course, you’ll learn ways to respond that acknowledge how hard it feels for your child while showing them you believe they can take the next step.
You’ll use the workbook to make a plan for one situation your family faces regularly.
Five self-paced videos and a practical workbook.
£39 per family
When you’ve tried everything you can think of
You explain what’s going to happen. You reassure them. You give them extra time. And sometimes you change the plan because everyone needs to get through the morning.
Then the same worry comes up again, and you’re left wondering, Should I keep reassuring them? Should I encourage them to try? What if that makes it worse?
If you’ve been stepping in to make things easier, that makes sense. It’s hard to see your child struggling, especially when you’re tired or in a rush.
This course gives you a chance to look at one of those moments and work out what you’d like to do differently the next time it comes up.
What you’ll learn
Recognise the patterns around your child’s anxiety.
Look at what happens when worry shows up, how you naturally respond and which situations keep repeating.
Find words you can use in the moment.
Practise acknowledging your child’s fear and expressing confidence in them, even when you can’t promise how things will go.
Work out where to keep helping and where to make a change.
Look at the ways your family has adapted around anxiety and decide whether there’s one way of responding that you’d like to adjust.
Make a plan for one recurring situation.
Choose a starting point, think through what you’ll say and decide what you’ll do if your child finds the change hard.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What kind of anxiety is the course about?
The course covers the most common anxieties children experience. This includes anxiety about school, sleep, friends or other social connections, and more significant anxiety problems like obsessions and rituals.
Does my child need to watch the videos with me?
You can do the course on your own. The videos and exercises are designed for parents and carers and focus on the parts of the situation you can influence. You will learn how to approach your child or children about their anxiety and about what you are going to be doing differently in response.
Does my child need an anxiety diagnosis?
You can take the course if worry is affecting everyday life and you’d like to understand how to respond. A diagnosis isn’t required.
How much time will I need?
Allow roughly one and a half to two hours for the videos in total, plus time for any workbook exercises you choose to do. The course is self-paced, so you can spread it out. In fact, we recommend that you spread it out to take some action in between the videos as your plan develops.
Is this therapy?
This is an educational course for parents and carers. It is based on the principles of an evidence based intervention for parents called SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions, along with other models. SPACE has been shown to be no less effective than children attending CBT - all without children having to do any therapy! However, the educational courses for parents have not been tested in similar conditions and do not constitute therapeutic input for parents. If you need advice about your child’s individual circumstances, you can seek an assessment or tailored support from a qualified professional.
Is this course suitable if my child is at secondary school?
Yes, it can be a useful starting point if your child is in the early years of secondary school. Some examples feature younger children, but you can use the workbook to think through a situation that’s relevant to your child, such as worries about the school day or repeatedly needing reassurance. The course draws on SPACE principles alongside other psychological approaches.
Start with one situation you’d like to handle differently
Think of one moment you keep coming back to. Perhaps it’s getting out of the door, saying goodnight or answering the same worried question.
Bring that situation to the course and use it to decide what you’ll say and what you’ll try the next time it happens.
Course Curriculum
Your trainers: The psychologists
Dr Gemma Parker, Clinical Psychologist and Dr Jasmina Frzina, Counselling Psychologist have both been qualified and registered with the HCPC for over 15 years. They have a range of experiences working in NHS and independent settings, working with families and with adults and children experiencing anxiety. Both course instructors have trained in the SPACE model (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) and provide groups and individual family therapeutic work using this and other models in their small community interest company, called Altogether Human CIC in Manchester, UK.
Gemma Parker
Jasmina Frzina
Course Pricing
Child Anxiety Course for Parents SPACE
£39
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A 5 module course about children’s anxiety for parents with worksheets to download and complete
