Dr. Deborah MacNamara: 10 Insights Into Anxiety
Photo by Ricky Turner
In a recent newsletter, Dr Deborah McNamara asks, “Have you noticed that too many of our kids are not doing okay — and neither are their adults?” To address this issue, she has produced the downloadable guide 10 Insights into Anxiety.
Dr McNamara notes, “The numbers tell the story: nearly 1 in 5 children are diagnosed with anxiety, and by adolescence, up to 50% of all mental health issues are already showing up…..And yet, most of the advice we’re given - coping tools, calm-down kits, pep talks to ‘be brave’ – never seems to bring lasting relief…And the truth is: when our kids aren’t doing well, neither are we.”
In her two decades of work with the Neufeld Institute, Dr McNamara has learned that “anxiety isn’t a thinking problem to be managed with tools – it’s an emotional problem that needs to be understood and cared for at its roots.” So, her current work focuses on creating “a clear roadmap … that makes sense of anxiety and gives us the confidence to lead children and teens through it.”
As a first step, Dr McNamara has produced a short, practical guide, 10 Insights into Anxiety our Kids Need Us to Know, distilling her experience of counselling, teaching, and developmental science, designed to:
See what’s really happening beneath the surface when kids are alarmed.
Understand why the usual strategies often fall short.
Discover the hidden roots that drive anxiety – and what actually helps.
The guide can be downloaded on her website at https://deborah-macnamara-phd.kit.com/ca0fca003a Dr McNamara comments, “Anxiety is the body’s alarm system - and the way through begins with understanding.”
For additional information on the topic, BC Children’s Hospital has produced a backgrounder, Anxiety disorders in kids: What parents need to know, to support Action Anxiety Day this past June, available at: https://bcchr.ca/news/anxiety-disorders-kids-what-parents-need-know