Davidson Child Anxiety Counseling

04/26/2026

There’s often a lot left unsaid when a loved one dies, especially without a chance to say goodbye. Children may wish they could apologize for a past argument, share an update about their lives, or simply thank their loved one for the lasting impact they’ve left behind.

Writing a letter gives children a chance to voice all these unexpressed thoughts and feelings. Even though they can’t be directly shared with the deceased loved one, a letter can be read aloud to another supportive adult, like a parent or caregiver. Once your child has finished the letter, listen attentively as they share it with you. They can then choose a way to “send” their letter to their loved one, such as bringing it to the gravesite or burning the paper and watching the smoke travel upwards toward the sky.

04/25/2026

A loved one’s death can change the way a child sees the world. This is especially true when a loved one’s death was sudden or traumatic, such as a death from an accident. Suddenly, the world no longer seems as safe as it used to. Something terrible and unexpected has happened, which makes life feel less predictable.

This can lead to a lot of worries for bereaved kids. They may worry about the health and safety of other loved ones, or about their own risk of dying. Some children may even feel less hopeful about the future, or have a sense that things just won’t turn out well for them in life. In big and small ways, their experience with grief can color a child’s thoughts.

We can help a child to pay attention to their thoughts and not take them at face value. Kids can act like detectives, gently questioning their worries to see how accurate or true they really are. Oftentimes, worries are not based on very much good evidence—they’re just guesses about what might happen in the future.

You can help your child by asking questions like “Do you have any proof that is true?” and “Even if this scary thing did happen, would it be as bad as it seems?” Remind your child of their own strengths and ability to problem-solve, as well as the network of supportive people who could help them in a true emergency.

04/19/2026

Social media opens up a new, private world for your child where they might encounter all kinds of uncomfortable stuff. It requires a certain level of mutual trust between parents and kids. Chris McKenna at WaitUntil8th.com wisely points out that you should make sure you’ve had “the talk” and all other potentially awkward conversations with your child before letting them loose on social media. Even kids who are not looking for trouble are likely to stumble across explicit material on any of the major platforms. You want your child to be prepared when that happens, not confused or embarrassed.

Being on social media also makes your child more vulnerable to sexual predators, which means you need to talk about safety and go beyond simple stranger danger. Your child should know how to recognize signs of grooming, and have a plan for what to do if someone makes them feel uncomfortable. You’ll also want to talk about what to do if that uncomfortable pressure is coming from someone your child knows—for example, a friend or classmate asking for inappropriate photos.

As a parent, you’ll want to know that your child is responsible and makes good decisions. However, your child also needs to trust that they can come to you with problems, and you won’t immediately panic or ground them for the rest of time. If something inappropriate happens online, your child should feel safe coming to you for help, which will go a long way toward keeping them out of harm’s way.

04/18/2026

There are many good reasons to be angry when a loved one dies. As a kid, it can feel so unfair to see other children enjoying time with their grandparents or other family members when your own time was suddenly cut short. Kids may also be angry at parents, doctors, or emergency workers who had to make medical decisions on behalf of their loved one who died.

Angry children need support for their feelings just like sad children. We can provide kids with safe ways to vent anger that don’t hurt people or damage belongings. Drawing a picture and ripping it up can help children release emotion. Other children may enjoy stomping on egg cartons, tearing cardboard, popping bubble wrap, or finding other materials that are safe to destroy.

Anger gives kids a lot of energy, so physical activity can be a big help, too. Any activity that increases a child’s heart rate can help them to discharge angry feelings. Jumping rope, riding a bike, or running laps are quick and easy ways to burn off some extra adrenaline. This also gives them a healthy coping mechanism for dealing with anger as they go through life.

04/15/2026

I’m excited to share that my practice has a new look and a new name: Davidson Child Anxiety Counseling!

This change reflects something that’s been true of my work for a long time: helping kids get a handle on anxiety and OCD is what I most love to do.

Over the years, I've seen how powerful the right support can be for anxious kids, who tend to have so many strengths: they're bright, creative, quirky individuals who often just need the structure and skills to learn how to manage their feelings better.

My goal with this rebrand is to make it easier for families (and referral partners) to find specialized care when they need it.

We’ve also recently expanded the practice and now have immediate openings for new clients, including with a new therapist on our team. If your child is struggling with anxiety issues like, social anxiety, school avoidance, emetophobia, or OCD, we’d love to help.

You can learn more or get started here:

Child anxiety and OCD therapy in Davidson, NC for kids and teens. CBT, ERP, and creative approaches from a specialized group practice. In-person & online.

04/12/2026

Researchers have started looking at possible links between social media use and poor body image and disordered eating in young girls. Although nothing has been proven for sure, studies suggest that photo-based social media apps, like Instagram, make girls feel worse about their bodies. Tweens on social media are inundated with images that are designed to look candid and casual, but these pictures have been heavily edited and posed by a team of professionals.

In our child and tween therapy office, young people tell us that they can’t help but compare themselves to others on social media. They scrutinize the likes their classmates have received and question why they can’t look like the influencers they follow. I don’t think social media is solely to blame for the body-image issues teens and tweens have to deal with, but it doesn’t make things any easier.

Before moving ahead with a social media account for your child, you might want to think about how you’ve seen your child respond to criticism or bullying from peers. Does she crumble when someone says something mean to her, or is she able to let it roll off her back? Does she celebrate the way she looks, or do you see her frequently comparing herself to others? How media literate is she—can she recognize an airbrushed or unrealistic photo when she sees one? If the answer to most of these questions is “yes”, she may be ready to brave the world of Instagram.

04/11/2026

Sometimes, grieving people need to take a break from their grief. While it’s important to work through the feelings and pain of loss, they can become overwhelming at times. This is especially true for kids, who don’t have the capacity that adults do to handle lots of emotional pain all at once.

When a loved one dies, children may feel like nothing is fun or worth doing anymore. It’s common for kids to retreat from hobbies, extracurriculars, or social events they used to enjoy. Over time, this can lead to feelings of depression, which makes it even harder for a child to get out and enjoy life. A vicious cycle can form where the longer a child self-isolates, the worse they feel.

We can support children in taking breaks from their grief by setting aside time each week for activities that are fun, social, or creative. Tasks that give you a sense of accomplishment when you finish them are great, too. Playdates with friends, a family board game or craft night, gardening, or committing to visiting a new place in your town each week are all ways to help your child stay socially connected even when it feels hard to do.

04/05/2026

The “age 13” limit for social media is a legal one rather than a developmental one. So parents need to look for signs that their child is ready for social media. One big factor is being able to consider cause and effect.

As adults, we are painfully aware that anything we put on the internet is pretty much there forever. We’re able to think abstractly and play out different possibilities in our heads, and we know that our actions have consequences. Embarrassing selfies or flame wars with strangers in a Facebook group doesn’t just exist in a vacuum: they could come back to haunt us in a job interview someday.

When children are young, they tend to live in the here-and-now, and use the information they have in a given moment to make decisions. It is harder for them to play out hypothetical situations in their minds, especially when those things could occur far off in the future. It’s totally normal and healthy for kids to think this way, but it makes it harder to appreciate some of the risks of social media.

Some kids develop their abstract thinking abilities earlier than others. If your child is able to consider problems from different angles, plan ahead for different scenarios, and improvise solutions to problems, she’s likely reached this point in her development. If you are considering allowing your child to get on social media, check in about her ability to visualize different situations she might encounter online. If she’s able to understand cause and effect and anticipate possible issues, it will be easier to make safe choices!

04/04/2026

Dealing with grief as a child is difficult, but there are coping skills you can equip them with to get through. For example, reading a story together is a great way to gently introduce the subject of grief and loss to your child. Often, kids don’t have a strong understanding of death before it personally affects them. As hard as it is for adults to cope with a loss, it can be even tougher for children who aren’t sure what exactly is happening. Books about grief provide age-appropriate information that isn’t too overwhelming.

Young children may worry about what has happened to their loved one who died: Are they in pain? Are they scared? Older kids may worry about the thoughts and feelings they’re having in response to grief, and whether or not they’re normal. Children of any age may feel intense guilt about how they treated their loved one, and may even wonder if they somehow did something to cause the death.
When children are better informed, they’re less likely to struggle with worries like these. Seeing how characters grieve in stories gives children examples of the many ways grief can look and feel. This can reassure children that no matter how they respond to grief, there is no wrong way to feel.

03/29/2026

When I think about kids struggling with dark intrusive thoughts, a quote from famous psychiatrist Dan Siegel comes to mind: “Name it to tame it.” Dr. Siegel came up with this phrase, and it’s since been adopted by many therapists to describe a simple process that makes strong feelings more bearable. “Name it to tame it” is exactly what it sounds like. Often, the simple act of labeling our thoughts and feelings as we have them can make them feel better. This is because naming something requires us to take a step back and go into observing mode, rather than being totally absorbed and overwhelmed by our feelings.

You can help your child practice saying one of these phrases (or something similar) the next time an intrusive thought strikes:
💬“My brain is giving me one of those garbage thoughts again.”
💬“I’m having an intrusive thought right now.”
💬“This seems like one of those thoughts I don’t need to listen to.”

Once the thought has been named, don’t dwell! We can just let the thought pass by. The more a child resists having intrusive thoughts, the more likely they are to pop up again. It may sound counterintuitive, but accepting intrusive thoughts can actually reduce how often they happen. By naming the dark thought and moving on, your child is teaching herself that they’re nothing to be afraid of.

03/28/2026

Even though it’s super common, it’s undeniably risky for kids’ mental health and safety to have unrestricted social media access. But you may be surprised to learn that I think social media—when used in moderation—can be beneficial to kids’ mental health.

🎨 First, social media can be an amazing creative outlet for kids. Many of my child clients primarily use social media to share fanfiction and fan art that they’ve created based on their favorite TV shows. Aspiring makeup artists, photographers, and fashion designers can also find an outlet for their passion online. I could write a whole blog post on the possible mental health benefits of this kind of creative expression. It’s meaningful, positive social interaction that helps kids build real-life skills. Especially during times when kids are stuck at home, positive and creative experiences like these can reduce their risk of depression.

🌍 Second, social media can open a child’s eyes to a bigger, more diverse world. If you live in an area where everybody looks the same, this is an opportunity to provide racial windows for your child that give her a peek into another culture or way of life. Did you know there’s a big Indigenous and Native American community on TikTok performing dances and teaching about their culture? I didn’t until this year, and now I love watching their content.

♿ Finally, social media is a godsend for anyone living with a disability or chronic illness. A child who lives with a medical condition may be the only person at their school with that diagnosis. However, social media can connect him to tons of other people who get exactly what he’s going through. It can be a source of moral support, positive role models, and even advice. Being different can be isolating, and social media can make a child feel less alone.

03/25/2026

Have you ever knocked on wood to keep something bad from happening? Or worn your “lucky shirt” on game day to help your team win? If so, you’ve experienced magical thinking. Magical thinking is the belief that our private thoughts and behaviors influence what happens in the outside world.
Magical thinking is really common in children, especially younger kids. It’s usually most noticeable from the toddler years through about age 7. If you think back to your own childhood, you’ll probably discover magical thinking everywhere: cootie shots, lucky charms, and “step on a crack, break your mama’s back” are all examples of magical thinking that are fun for kids.

However, there can be a dark side to magical thinking, too. Children often believe that their thoughts can cause things to happen in the world around them. If a child worries their thoughts are responsible for something bad happening, this can cause terrible fear and guilt. It’s easy to imagine how a child who gets intrusive thoughts about violence or crime could begin to worry about accidentally hurting others.
Help your child understand that having bad thoughts does not make you a bad person. It’s our actions and choices—not our thoughts and feelings—that help us to be “good people.” Next, reassure your child that thinking angry or scary thoughts about a person can’t hurt them or cause something bad to happen. Even if they feel bad to us, thoughts are not that powerful.