Katie Lear, Child Counselor, 706 Northeast Drive Ste 1, Davidson, NC (2026)

01/25/2026

Caregivers need support navigating the grieving process, too. If you’re the parent of a young child who is grieving a loss, my book, A Parent’s Guide to Managing Childhood Grief, can help you move on to deeper conversations after reading some of the picture books I’ve recommended here.

The book combines guidance and grief education with hands-on activities you and your child can work on together. You’ll find ways to learn about grief and loss, express feelings, and strengthen your parent-child bond.

It’s available on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, and at your local independent bookstore.

01/24/2026

Stories and picture books give children accurate, age-appropriate information about death, which can help reduce anxiety. Death is a big unknown for all of us, but especially for kids. Children who don’t have enough information about death may make assumptions on their own that lead to even more worry – such as wondering whether or not they did something to cause their loved one to die.

Reading a book also helps children talk and think about death without having to share their own personal experiences. It’s easier to talk about a fictional character and their grief than one’s own. Stories help elementary-aged children understand grief through another person’s perspective, and hopefully realize that the feelings they’re having are normal and healthy, too.

Time spent with a parent or loving adult is one of the most helpful experiences a grieving child can have. They will still need a lot of support from you to understand their grief. Sitting down to read a book together is a wonderful way to comfort your child and let them know it's okay to talk about grief.

01/18/2026

As I’ve talked about here, there’s a big difference between remission and cure. With good treatment, many kids with OCD will go for long stretches without problems. However, expecting your child to never have another OCD thought ever again for the rest of her life probably isn’t realistic. While some kids may fully outgrow their OCD, many won’t. Most experts consider OCD to be a chronic condition that, once you have it, sticks around for the long term.

That may be demoralizing to hear. The words “chronic illness” can sound very hopeless, especially if your child is struggling intensely right now. But just because OCD can be a lifetime diagnosis doesn’t mean it’s a life sentence. You may remember that OCD affects 1-3% of people. That’s a pretty solid number! There are lots of kids and adults out there who are thriving, enjoying life, and just so happen to have OCD.

01/17/2026

At first glance, the title and plot of this book might seem a little corny—at least it did to me! The story follows a leaf through the four seasons of the year, from growth in the spring to falling off the tree and dying in the fall. It’s accompanied by nature photography that shows the beauty of each season.

While the book is recommended for kids ages 4-8, I think the length and wordiness of the story might challenge the attention spans of some younger readers. The story also raises some big philosophical questions that might be better suited to older kids, like “What’s our purpose in life?” Finding meaning in life and death is an important part of grieving, and few children’s books talk about it. If your child is starting to ask deeper questions, this book is a gentle way to think about how life and death are both natural parts of life.

(One small word of caution: at the very end of the book, there’s one brief mention of death feeling like falling asleep. Younger children may take this literally and worry about falling asleep at night. I’d recommend changing the words when you get to that page!)

01/11/2026

Different experts have different opinions on whether or not it’s possible for OCD to completely go away. I don’t think I can argue with the experts! It’s not entirely clear whether people get cured of their OCD, or if they just go into remission from OCD. “Cured” means the symptoms are gone forever, while “remission” means the symptoms go away for a while, but may come back later.

Being the nerd that I am, I’ve looked over a handful of studies looking at the likelihood of OCD symptoms going away after therapy. It seems like it is possible for some people, and there are a few factors that increase a person’s odds. Kids whose symptoms start when they are young have better chances of entering remission than teens or adults. So do people whose symptoms are milder, and who are able to get therapy quickly. Finally, people who do not have other mental health problems alongside their OCD fare better than people who are also dealing with anxiety or other conditions.

Depending on the study you look at, you’ll see researchers estimating that anywhere from 32% to 70% of people go into remission after therapy, meaning that their symptoms are gone for a long time, or have gotten so mild that they aren’t getting in the way of things. However, this is different than being cured: there’s no guarantee that the symptoms might come back. The number of kids who are cured is much smaller and open to debate. Some experts guess that 20% of kids with childhood O

01/10/2026

Of all the books I’ve shared, this is the one that feels the most “therapy-ish” to me. It’s a very simple, straightforward book without a lot of story to it. However, the idea of the invisible string is easy for children to understand: it’s a metaphor for the love that connects family, friends, and other special people. This image can be a big comfort when a loved one dies, leaves, or moves far away.

The book briefly mentions death and heaven, but isn’t solely focused on grief. Instead, it talks about how the bond between two people remains no matter where they are, how they’re feeling, or what they’re doing. The book points out that love doesn’t go away even when a person is angry, which can be a really important message for grieving children to hear.

Children (and adults) have to find ways to continue to love and remember the person who has died as part of the grieving process. This book can be a great opener to having conversations with very young kids about how they can continue to maintain a connection to their loved one.

01/04/2026

Looking at the research, one thing that is really clear; OCD is not likely to go away on its own. It’s not something that a child is likely to just outgrow or forget about. Kids with OCD need specialized therapy. The right counseling can help them learn how to deal with the intrusive thoughts that cause their anxiety and push them to repeat actions over and over.
OCD symptoms tend to ebb and flow over time: sometimes they’re better, sometimes they’re worse. Stress often plays a part in how bothersome OCD symptoms are. Some studies suggest that a small number of people might be able to “outgrow” their OCD without therapy: about 1 in 5. However, it can be a little tricky to tell if someone has really gotten rid of their OCD, or if they’re just in a low-stress time of life when it isn’t noticeable. It’s possible for symptoms to go away entirely when stress is low, only to return again during a more difficult time.

There’s also a risk that a child’s OCD could get worse without treatment. This can lead to small inconveniences, like chapped skin from too much handwashing, or major life impairments, like difficulty getting out of the house. Children with OCD are at an increased risk of also having other mental health problems, like anxiety and depression. Later in life, people with untreated mental health problems sometimes turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms like drugs and alcohol if they don’t have other good ways to deal with their symptoms.

The good news is that most people with OCD feel better after therapy. About 70% of people who get specialized treatment for OCD will improve, and usually they improve by a lot. The great news is that kids often get better results from OCD therapy than adults do. Catching symptoms early and getting help quickly leads to fewer symptoms later in life. Most kids will still have some leftover symptoms after therapy, but a small number of kids might see their OCD go away.

01/04/2026

If someone in your family or circle of friends has recently died, you may need to speak a little more directly about death with your young child. The death of a loved one can bring up a lot of questions and curiosity for preschoolers and kindergarteners. Children may wonder what happens to the body when someone dies, why people die, or what happens at a funeral. It’s also common for young children to worry that they might have done something to cause their loved one’s death, or to believe that death is a punishment for being bad.

I Miss You: A First Look at Death answers these questions in a way that’s detailed but easy to understand. It’s aimed at a similar age group as The Goodbye Book, but it’s a longer and more complex read. In addition to answering common questions and dispelling misconceptions a child might have about death, it normalizes many of the complicated feelings a grieving child might have, such as guilt, regret, and anger. It also reviews a few simple beliefs different cultures have about what happens after death. There is a lot here for kids to think about and revisit over time.

12/28/2025

Childhood OCD is more common than you might think! Most studies estimate that 1-3% of kids have OCD, although their symptoms are hard to spot and might fly under the radar for a long time.

OCD usually starts when a person is a child or teen, and pretty much everyone with OCD starts getting symptoms before age 25. For childhood-onset OCD, the average age of onset is around 10 years old. It is common for boys to start noticing symptoms a little earlier, while girls might not develop OCD symptoms until later. Some people may not get treatment for OCD until they reach the late teen or adult years, but their problems often began years earlier, during childhood. Addressing symptoms of OCD early can help children manage the disorder and set them up for healthy teen and adult years.

12/27/2025

Therapy isn’t always the best option for families, but tweens experiencing generalized anxiety, panic, and more, need support from parents and loved ones to manage their symptoms. My online course, Worry-Free Tweens, was designed especially for kids ages 8-12 and their parents. In it, you’ll find step-by-step directions for both you and your child on how to manage anxiety, panic, and overwhelming worries at home. https://creative-tween-counseling.teachable.com/p/worry-free-kids

12/21/2025

The death of a grandparent or great-grandparent is another common way children are introduced to grief and loss. This story for young children touches on themes of aging, dementia, and the special relationship that little children and their older relatives can share. Like The Dead Bird, this book focuses more on telling a story than teaching specific concepts about death or grief. It’s an entertaining story for children in its own right that could also lead to some helpful discussions about what happens as grandparents and other loved ones grow old.

This true story, based on author Tomie dePaola’s childhood, explores the relationship between a little boy, his grandmother, and his great-grandmother, who live together in a nearby house. It gently refers to death as a part of life, and something that happens to everyone. While dementia or Alzheimer’s aren’t specifically mentioned, talking about the great-grandmother’s behavior in the story could also be a helpful jumping-off point for conversations about these illnesses in real life.

12/20/2025

Generalized anxiety disorder presents itself in many ways. Here are some signs to look out for in children.

💭 A lot of time spent worrying about things that could happen in the future, whether or not they seem very likely to happen.
💭 Frequent complaints of headaches, tummy troubles, or other problems that don’t seem to have a medical cause.
💭 Your child seems to worry more often and more intensely than other kids of the same age, and has a harder time setting his worries aside.
💭 As soon as one worry gets resolved, another seems to rise up to take its place. The worries shift rapidly from topic to topic.
💭 Your child is extremely worried about bad things happening to herself or to you, even if you’ve never been in a dangerous situation before.
💭 Mildly stressful events at school cause major anxiety, for example, a test, big project, or a competitive game.

If your child is experiencing one or more of these, it may be worth considering treatment for generalized anxiety disorder.

Katie Lear, Child Counselor

01/25/2026

01/24/2026

01/18/2026

01/17/2026

01/11/2026

01/10/2026

01/04/2026

01/04/2026

12/28/2025

12/27/2025

12/21/2025

12/20/2025

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category