Parenting Your Anxious Child With Mindfulness and Acceptance: A Powerful New Approach to Overcoming Fear, Panic, and Worry Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Paperback)

~ Christopher, Ph.D. McCurry (Author), Steven C. Hayes (Foreword)
Key Phrases: anxiety dance, behavior change campaign, responsive parenting, Parenting Your Anxious Child, Midst of Anxiety, Face of Anxiety (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

We live in a chaotic and often unpredictable world, so it's only natural for you and your child to have anxieties. But seeing your child cry, cling to you, or even use aggression to avoid his or her own fears and worries may cause you to worry even more, trapping both of you in a cycle of anxiety and fear.

You can interrupt this cycle with the proven-effective mindfulness and acceptance skills taught in this book. Drawn from acceptance and commitment therapy, Parenting Your Anxious Child with Mindfulness and Acceptance offers a new way to think about your child's anxiety, as well as a set of techniques used by child psychologists to help children as young as four let go of anxious feelings and focus instead on relationships with friends, learning new things in school, and having fun. You'll learn these techniques, use them when you feel anxious, and teach them to your child. With practice, you both will let go of anxious feelings and your child will find the confidence to enjoy being a kid.

From the Publisher

In Parenting Your Anxious Child with Mindfulness and Acceptance, parents learn responsive parenting techniques drawn from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and other well-researched parent-child treatment programs. Children who suffer from separation anxiety, excessive worry, and other anxiety problems can benefit greatly from the simple ACT skills presented in this book.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: New Harbinger Publications; 1 edition (March 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572245794
• ISBN-13: 978-1572245792
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #275,334 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Key Resource for Parents of Anxious Children, March 9, 2009

By	Steven Curtis, Ph.D. (Bainbridge Island, WA) - See all my reviews

Dr. McCurry has written an essential and effective guide for parents looking to help their anxious child. Given our stresses in today's world, it is no wonder that more and more children are suffering with anxiety. This anxiety greatly affects their performance in school, with interpersonal relationships, and their overall satisfaction in life. Dr. McCurry has worked with children with anxiety throughout his 20+ years in the field. His advice to parents is both grounded in research and in his extensive hands-on experience. Few authors can claim the extensive experience he has acquired in this field. If you have a child with anxiety, I highly recommended buying this book, reading it from cover to cover, and implementing the recommended advice/exercises. By completing these activities, your child will be helped immensely. How do I know this? Because, I a local practioner and am well aware of his excellent reputation. I have heard many positive comments from his clients that he has greatly helped them in times of need. He has now passed on his knowledge in written form from which all of us can learn.

Steve Curtis, Ph.D., NCSP
Child Clinical Psychologist
Nationally Certified School Psychologist
Author,Understanding Your Child's Puzzling Behavior: A Guide for Parents of Children with Behavioral, Social, and Learning Challenges

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for parents of Anxious children, August 8, 2009

By	Redlady (http://redladysreadingroom-redlady.blogspot.com/) - See all my reviews

Parenting Your Anxious Child with Mindfulness and Acceptance allowed me to look at my child's anxiety differently and consider alternate approaches. It encourages you to look at the anxious behaviors and reactions of your child and the "dance" that develops between you as a parent and your child. The "dance" is a familiar pattern and cycle that you develop as well as your own anxieties and often it is not effective. This book encourages us to break the cycle and develop improved communication, confidence and self-control in our children.

There is much information on the definition and diagnosis of anxiety as well as many examples of different children and how the ACT approach can be used. There are also exercises to try on your own with guidance as to how to do so. This is the kind of book that has thorough explanations and tools and exercises to apply. I would suggest reading it in chapters and taking your time thinking about the sections and even taking notes to refer to. It can be studied alone or complemented with therapy from a psychologist who understands and implements this approach. This is a gentle and loving approach to anxiety and does encourage you as a parent to look at alternatives to the cycle and avoid the anxiety "dance".

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent tool for parents and grandparents!, June 2, 2009

By	Maureen Maddox (Madison, WI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I really appreciate the balance Dr. McCurry strikes between important diagnostic information and practical, easy exercises that parents, grandparents and caregivers can use to overcome anxious behavior. It's empowering to learn how small, conscious choices we make can lead to positive changes in our children and our lives.