Moving Families Out of the "Worry" Cult:

What Works When Treating

Anxious Kids and Parents

6 CEs ~ October 13th, 2017

Ashworth By the Sea, Hampton, NH

Presented by Lynn Lyons, LICSW

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Join leading specialist Lynn Lyons, who embraces the HOW of therapy, honing in on teaching attendees helpful techniques to assist in treating anxiety in children utilizing a family-based approach

Included in your registration: printed materials, continental breakfast, lunch, and mid-morning/mid-afternoon refreshments

Conference Schedule

8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Workshop

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lunch (included)

Workshop Description:

Anxiety can be a very persistent matter. When left untreated, it is one of the strongest predictors of anxiety and depression later in life. Childhood fears and worries are normal, but excessive worrying and the cycle of behaviors that follow adversely influence a child’s learning, social development, and family life. To make matters worse, the things adults (including many therapists and school staff) do to help anxious children can actually make the anxiety stronger.

Fortunately, research shows that what we teach children about risk, danger, uncertainty, and problem-solving makes a huge difference in whether they go on to become anxious or depressed teens and adults. In this workshop, you’ll learn concrete counterintuitive strategies that normalize worry for families, using their strengths and skills to keep moving forward.

The effectiveness of a family-based approach is well-documented, and yet many anxious children are treated without parental involvement or psychoeducation, and with a limited focus on relaxation and distraction. This workshop will offer an approach that shows adults (clinicians, educators, parents) and children HOW to interrupt anxiety’s cognitive patterns with simple, process-based strategies that work more effectively than commonly used strategies that inadvertently support avoidance of anxiety symptoms.

Learning Objectives:

1. Assess anxiety symptoms in a child as well as his/her family system.

2. Coach parents to interrupt their own patterns of anxious parenting.

3. Develop active assignments for families that correct the common cognitive traps that bolster both anxiety and depression.

4. Apply this approach in challenging situations (e.g., when a parent is avoiding or resisting, when parents are engaged in bitter conflicts over parenting issues, etc.).

5. Explain the difference between content-based and process-based interventions.

6. Create a therapeutic toolbox to include playfulness, humor, games, collaboration, and active homework assignments.

Presenter:

Lynn Lyons, LICSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist who lives in Concord, New Hampshire and is in private practice there. For 27 years, Lynn has specialized in the treatment of anxiety disorders in adults and children. She is an international speaker and trainer on the subject of anxiety, its role in families, and the need for a preventative approach at home and in schools.

With a special interest in breaking the generational cycle of worry in families, she is the coauthor of two books on anxiety, Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous & Independent Children, and the companion book for kids, Playing with Anxiety: Casey’s Guide for Teens and Kids. Her latest book, Using Hypnosis with Children: Creating and Delivering Effective Interventions is a how-to guide for helping professionals looking to incorporate hypnotic strategies for the treatment of depression, anxiety, medical procedures, pain, and sleep.

Cancellation policy: Refunds, minus a 35% cancellation fee, will be issued for all cancellations received two weeks prior to the start of the course (on or before September 29, 2017). No refunds or vouchers will be made thereafter. No shows are not refunded.

Inclement weather policy: In the event that NHPA has to postpone or reschedule the training conference, a voucher equivalent to the full price amount of what was paid for the conference, will be issued. If NHPA has to cancel the event with no postponement or reschedule date, a full refund will be given. Please be sure that NHPA has your up-to-date contact information (email/text/phone). Any weather cancellations or postponements will be made no later than three hours prior to an event. Should you have questions or concerns about whether an event may be changed due to weather, please check the NHPA website or call our office at (603) 415-0451.

Full attendance: is required to obtain CEs. No partial credit will be given.