Anxiety can show up in many different ways. Sometimes we see kids avoid things, display big and loud behaviors, engage in repetitive behaviors, or refuse to follow directions. Kids aren’t always good at letting us know how they feel and as parents sometimes these situations feel confusing and we may struggle to know how to respond. At Green Leaf our clinicians work with both kids and parents to build awareness and communication about how kids are feeling and then work with both kids and parents to develop strategies to respond in the best way possible. At Green Leaf we know that anxiety doesn't get better by avoiding it or making ourselves safe. We teach our kids how to be brave and tolerate fear and anxiety so kids can do the things that they find valuable and meaningful. Often we use CBT, specifically exposure and response prevention (ERP) strategies to build bravery. This approach takes a step-by-step to overcoming fears!