Ep 103: Dr. Abigail Gewirtz: Tips to help your worried or anxious child
Host: Cindy Hovington
GUEST: Dr. Abigail Gewirtz
Dr. Abigail Gewirtz is a child psychologist, mother of four, leading expert on helping families cope with trauma and the author of When the World Feels Like a Scary Place: Essential Conversations for Anxious Parents and Worried Children (Workman, 2020). She is Foundation Professor in the Psychology Department at Arizona State University and Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Psychology. Dr. Gewirtz has developed award-winning parenting programs and is the author of more than 100 publications; she has consulted for national and international organizations including the U.S. Congress and UNICEF. A fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and the American Psychological Association, Dr. Gewirtz has conducted research in the United States, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, and has been invited to speak widely, in the U.S. and across the world, on parenting in times of stress.
Summary
In today’s episode we are joined by Dr. Abigail Gewirtz child psychologist and author of When the World Feels Like a Scary Place.
3:22 - Are being worried and being anxious the same thing? How do you know it’s a problem to bring up with your child’s doctor?
6:26 - If I’m an anxious person, how can I teach my child to manage anxiety?
9:36 - Should I hide my emotions from my child?
13:05 - What is a parenting journal and why is it helpful?
15:31 - If you and your partner have different temperaments, how do you deal with each other?
17:10 - What’s the difference between a reaction and a response to your child?
21:30 - Tips for getting through tough moments (i.e bath time)
25:05 - What are cognitive distortions and do I have them? Can I get rid of them?
29:54 - How do you navigate your children’s different temperaments?
33:04 - How do you deal with your child being scared of common things (i.e the dark)?
40:15 - Why can’t I tell my scared child that they’re going to the dentist once we’re already in the car going to the dentist?
42:50 - What is re-appraisal and how is it useful to teach your child to deal with failure and big emotions?
Resources:
To learn more about Dr. Abigail’s work visit her website.