Counselling for Children with Anxiety in Toronto

Counselling for Children with Anxiety in Toronto

Anyone can be a candidate for anxiety including children. No matter how young they are anxiety can strike at any time whether it’s selective mutism, generalized anxiety, worry, panic, OCD or another condition. Evidence suggests 17% of people will experience anxiety at some point in their lives so it’s extremely common.  Most won’t get treatment early and will live with debilitating symptoms for far too long before eventually seeking help. Positive Kids specializes in helping and supporting children in Toronto who experience anxiety or have an anxiety disorder. We support children to develop tools and strategies through anxiety counseling.

Prevalence of  children with Anxiety in Toronto. Below is some current stats on  children in your area.

• 1/2 of Ontario parents report having ever had concerns about their child’s level of anxiety 
• 1/3 of Ontario parents have had a child miss school due to anxiety
• 1/4 of Ontario parents have missed work to care for a child with anxiety. This is significantly higher among parents who have had concerns about their child’s anxiety.
• 62% of Ontario youth report ever having had concerns about their level of anxiety; only 3 in 10 (32%) have spoken to a mental health care professional about anxiety.
• 73% of teachers agreed that anxiety disorders were a pressing concern

Source:           https://www.cmho.org/education-resources/facts-figures

Types of Anxiety

There are different types of anxiety and different symptoms for each variation.  The list below is a short list of some of the most common types in Toronto

Social Phobia People who are affected by social phobia may worry about entering into social situations and what people may think of them

Chronic worrying or GAD This is the feeling of being anxious about almost everything and anything.

Selective Mutism (SM) This is when you cannot speak in certain places such as school or when you have to meet someone you don’t know

Exam/School Stress Anxiety This is anxiety a child feels when  under pressure, worried, or overwhelmed to a point that it hinders their learning and emotional health.

Specific Phobia This happens when a child experiences anxiety though a specific phobia like spiders, or dark spaces.

Separation Anxiety This is a term used to explain a feeling of anxiety or stress when a child is away from their parents/guardians.

Here are some examples of anxiety related symptoms:

• Physical symptoms such as tightness in the chest, a racing heart, shortness of breath, an upset stomach or sleep problems.
• Feeling overwhelmed, out of control or unable to cope with normal daily life.
• Intrusive worrying thoughts that “snowball”.
• Obsessive thoughts that focus on the same negative things over and over.
• Difficulty concentrating on normal everyday tasks.
• Compulsive and repetitive behaviour.
• Avoiding certain situations, people or environments (such as school, social events or certain classes).
• Frequent crying or seeking comfort from parents.
• Difficulty separating from parents.
• Excessive irritability, tantrums or angry outbursts.
• Periods of depression or prolonged negative moods.

Positive Kids in Toronto uses a psycho-educational approach to help children master their anxiety symptoms.  That means among other modalities,  we help children to learn and understand what is actually happening to them as they are experiencing their symptoms.  We believe that the more information a child has about the condition, the more empowered they become to combat it.

 Our  Anxiety Counsellors and Professionals in Toronto

If you find that your child fits into any of the categories above or presents symptoms indicative of an anxiety disorder, do get them help in Toronto sooner than letter. Neglecting to do so can cause the disorder to strengthen  or get worse which can lead to children self medicating with drugs or alcohol or worse. Positive Kids is your provider of  Child Anxiety Counselling in Toronto. Our Child anxiety counselors are available in most cities and will work with your availability to work with your child. For more information about counseling for anxiety for children in Toronto, call us today at 1866-503-7454.

The picture below can help to explain what happens children become anxious;