CBT and Exposure Therapy are best practices when it comes to treating anxious kids. However, treatment outcomes for kids often improve when the clinician collaborates with a child’s parents and school. In this program, Ms. Growe will present a complex case of an anxious child and help participants navigate the process of treating the child’s anxiety while working together with caregivers and school staff. This is an advanced program and participants should have a foundational understanding of cognitive-behavioral and exposure-based therapies.

Objectives:

After completing this program, social workers, program administrators, and other participants will be able to:

1. Discuss the value of including caregivers and schools in treatment for child anxiety.
2. Identify key considerations in prioritizing treatment steps in a complex case presentation.
3. Describe strategies for engaging caregivers and schools in presented case.
4. Describe strategies for direct, exposure-based interventions with anxious youth.

Presenter:

Rebecca is a child therapist and founder of Growe Counseling LLC, in St. Louis, MO. She has extensive training in the provision of trauma-informed treatment and is an expert in treating child and adolescent anxiety disorders and disruptive behavior disorders. She is a certified provider of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and its adaptation for treating selective mutism (PCIT-SM).

In addition to her work as a child and family therapist, Rebecca provides mental health consultation and training to schools and other organizations in the community. She serves as a Child Specialist for Collaborative Divorce proceedings and has served as an expert witness for Family Law matters. Rebecca is also an active member of PCIT International’s Continuing Education Task Force.