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Practical Strategies for Decreasing Children’s Back-to-School Anxiety

Summer is drawing to a close and a new school year is about to begin. For many of us, this brings stress as we witness our children’s anxieties about school increasing. For our children, the transition from summer to school may be scary due to fear of the unknown and the anticipated change in routine. This can leave us as parents trying to find ways to address the anxiety while also trying hard not to play into it and make it worse. Luckily, as parents, we are able to implement a few practical strategies that may be helpful for decreasing our children’s back-to-school anxiety, which can also set up our families for more successful and peaceful transitions into the school year.

· Validate your child’s worries. Sometimes we fear that this may make the anxiety worse but it can actually be helpful to reassure your child that it is very normal for all of us to be nervous about new experiences, including you. Allow your child to voice concerns and fears. It may be reassuring for you to remind your child of times that he or she was worried and then ended up having a good experience.

· If separation from you is a concern, start practicing. Start by talking about the need to separate during the school day. Read books about children going to school and talk about the fun things that your child will experience at school. Talk through what your child’s specific drop-off and pick-up routine will look like. Create times to separate from your child, if possible, so that he or she can ease into being away from you in preparation for the first day of school. You can also create a reward system with your child for the first few weeks of school where your child can earn engaging in a favorite activity with you after successfully separating from you at school. This can reinforce easier separation from you and provide a safe and fun way for you to stay connected to each other during this hectic time of year.

· Adjust the family schedule to the schedule your family follows during the school year. This can be done by adjusting dinner, bedtime, and wake-up times a little every few days until they are in line with the school year schedule you hope to follow. This can cut down on some of the fatigue that comes with schedule adjustment by letting the schedule gradually shift and may also decrease any irritability or emotionality that often exist in the first few weeks of school.

· Spend some time at the school. You can start as simply as taking your child to play on the playground a couple of times. If possible, set up times for your child to be inside of the building by attending any meet-the-teacher events or just arranging an informal time for your child to meet the teacher and see the new classroom ahead of time. Middle and high school students often benefit from having time to practice walking their schedules inside of the building and either connecting or reconnecting with their assigned school counselor and/or administrators.

· Incorporate some relaxation activities into your child’s daily routine. This will help calm his or her anxiety now as school approaches while also introducing and practicing effective strategies to manage anxiety in the future. Short walks in nature, listening to soothing music, practicing yoga, deep breathing or simply blowing bubbles can all have a calming effect on your child and naturally help decrease feelings of anxiety.

· Plan ahead to create an after school schedule for your child that allows for a balance of decompression time and necessary tasks like homework and/or household chores. If possible, it would be best to accommodate your child’s unique personality and needs when setting this up for them. For example, some children need a break and/or snack when first returning home before they can transition to homework and chores, where other children thrive on accomplishing these things first so that they have the remainder of the evening to relax and unwind.

Even with all of these in place, the first few weeks of school may still be tough on parents and children. We can all give ourselves and our children some grace during this time. It is wise to consider planning for extra family time and relaxation as we all get back into the school routine.

If your child’s anxiety symptoms are not decreasing or are getting worse after a few days of school, consider reaching out to your child’s school counselor for support. There may be available interventions at school that can help. Your school counselor can also be a great resource in helping to determine if your child’s anxiety would best be addressed through counseling in the community. You are always welcome to call the West County Psychological Associates office at (314) 275-8599 to discuss the possibility of counseling services for your child or teen who struggles with anxiety. 

Amy Maus, MSW, LCSW

Amy Maus

I specialize in services to schools, including work within public, private, and parochial schools serving students of all ages. Frequently, I provide training to school staff, presentations for parent groups, and consultation and training for Care Teams. A particular joy of mine is providing presentations and workshops to school-related groups of all sizes. I also lead monthly consultation groups for area school principals, and serve as an on-site school social worker for schools that contract for weekly services. Working with students of all ages, their families and school staff has been the focus of my clinical work.

In addition to my work with schools, I am trained to and provide psychoeducational testing services for students age 6 years and older, focusing on issues related to ADHD, depression and anxiety, behavioral problems, and learning differences. Please see our Psychological Testing page for more information.

Amy Neu, MSW, LCSW

Amy Neu

I provide private therapy for adults, older adults, and caregivers who are facing a variety of issues including depression, anxiety, grief, coping with medical issues, dementia, and end of life.  I meet with clients for sessions in the office, virtually, or in-home/on-site depending on each client’s need. Traditional Medicare does cover psychotherapy, and I am a contracted provider. 

In addition to my work with individual clients, I provide on-site counseling, consultation, and education to staff throughout the continuum of senior living communities and home care agencies. I love speaking with professionals across disciplines about mental health and aging. Grief work is another passion of mine, and I facilitate groups for those experiencing grief and loss.

Murisa Begic-Gusic, Psy. D.

Murisa Begic Gusic

I am a licensed psychologist and provide comprehensive psychological evaluations and psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and adult clients. I have extensive experience working with clients dealing with a wide range of pathology including mood disorders, anxiety, psychosis, autism, ADHD, intellectual disability, personality disorders, and trauma. I provide comprehensive psychological evaluations including diagnostic, psychoeducational, pre-adoption, disability, and clergy evaluations.

Lauren Chacón, LMSW

Lauren Chacón

With a robust background in individual, family, and group therapy, I bring unique experience and cultural sensitivity to the mental health landscape. I have previously worked in a non-profit outpatient setting, where I navigated the complexities of providing therapy to individuals and families of various cultures and backgrounds. My expertise extends to working in a hospital-based intensive outpatient program where I provided mental health services to adolescents and their families, facilitating therapeutic interventions within a group context.

While adept in addressing a spectrum of ages, my passion lies in working with adolescents and young adults, guiding them through the complexities of this transformative life stage. Grounded in experiential therapy modalities, such as Emotion-Focused Therapy and Internal Family Systems, I integrate empathy, cultural sensitivity, and experience-based techniques into my therapeutic approach, empowering clients to explore and heal from within.

Co-Author:

  • “The Impact of Immigration-Related Separation and Reunification on Children’s Education: Evidence from the American Community Survey 2010-2018” by Cartwright & Chacón
  • “Body Composition Outcomes of Healthy Fit and the Role of Acculturation among Low-Income Hispanics on the US-Mexico Border” by Huerta, Chacón, Vasquez, & Brown
  • “Take Off Pounds Sensibly: A self-help and mutual support organization” by Chacón, Corral, & Brown

Angela Cook, BSW, MSW, LCSW

Angela Cook

I have over 25 years of clinical social work experience assisting individuals, families, and couples to find peace within themselves and their relationships.  Through extensive training and expertise, I enjoy helping clients empower themselves in successfully resolving issues related to: trauma, attention deficit, anxiety, relationship discord, depression, OCD, and emotion regulation. I integrate the following evidence-based treatment modalities as needed: Emotion Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Play Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Cognitive Stimulation, and Trauma Focused – CBT. I also provide presentations on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

I strive to establish a powerful, therapeutic, nonjudgmental alliance built on compassion and respect which in turn helps the collaborative process be much more individualized and strength-based.

Julia Covilli, MSW, LCSW

Julia Osborne

With mental health experience working with a multitude of populations, I currently am accepting clients with all clinical issues and of all ages. I have enjoyed working with adolescent clients in the clinical and school settings, dealing in large part with school-related anxiety and other emotional and transition issues.  My experience ranges from childhood through older adulthood, supporting clients with a variety of concerns.

My professional passions include individual, couples, and family therapy. I offer both in-office and virtual sessions, and I am a traditional Medicare certified provider.  Employing evidence-based practices, I frequently utilize cognitive-behavioral based therapies and psychodynamic therapy, to best suit my clients’ needs. 

Bryan Duckham, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW

Bryan Duckham

I have been in practice for over 30 years treating individuals and couples. While I specialize in working with those struggling with depression and anxiety, I also enjoy working with couples who are experiencing conflict or want to enhance their relationship. My Ph.D. is from Loyola University-Chicago with a heavy emphasis on theory, especially psychodynamic, narrative, and family systems. However, I am very eclectic in my approach and can use behavioral and cognitive approaches as well as a depth psychology approach that seeks to heal underlying conflicts or ambivalences that are fueled by unresolved feelings and needs.

I have worked in a variety of outpatient mental health and treatment programs, including St. Anthony’s Hyland Center and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and I was the director of the FlexCare Treatment Program. In addition to maintaining my practice at West County Psychological Associates, I was an Associate Professor at Southern Illinois University before retiring in 2019 to devote more time to my practice.

Donna Garcia, MA, MS

Donna Garcia

As a former teacher, principal, and assistant professor, I work with schools who would like to strengthen their school environments in a variety of areas. I provide educational consulting services and professional development for principals and faculty, and workshops for students and parents. Workshops and professional development are tailored to meet the needs of individual schools. My training includes cultural competence, parenting cafes, and suicide prevention, to name a few. I am presently working on combining my previous educational experience with the world of social work.

Kimberley Gentile, Psy. D., LPC

Kimberley Gentile

I earned my Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology and am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Missouri. I specialize in working with couples on relationship concerns, as well as sexual addiction, infidelity and sex therapy. In addition, I work with clients experiencing eating disorders, issues post-bariatric surgery, depression and anxiety. My philosophy involves welcoming clients into a comfortable therapeutic alliance infused with respect, trust, compassion, and a bit of humor. The therapeutic techniques I use include cognitive behavioral therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), motivational interviewing, and family systems therapy. My passions center around collaborating with clients by supporting them in gaining more adaptive and healthier coping skills to pursue greater happiness and control over their lives.