BERRY & CHONG PSYCHOLOGISTS - Group Therapy for Children with Anxiety

WO-NO-MO (Worry No More) is an evidence-based, cognitive-behavioural group therapy program for children suffering from anxiety. Our program helps children to recognize the signs of anxiety, and equips them with the skills they need to conquer it. The WO-NO-MO program uses exciting, playful and creative activities to teach children effective skills in managing their anxiety. The group environment provides an engaging and supportive atmosphere for your child to practice dealing with his/her worries. At the WO-NO-MO sessions, children will learn to recognize and change their anxious thoughts into coping ones, and to confront the situations that they fear. With the help of group members, therapists, and parents, your child will begin to gradually face his/her anxieties, within and outside of the group, and to live a more fulfilling life. (Please click on the following links to find out more):

Anxiety is a normal physiological and psychological response to a perceived threat. Everyone experiences anxiety at times, but severe anxiety can impair us in our daily living. Children experience anxiety during all of their developmental stages. This is expected and normal with fears being usually short-lived. When, however, fears persist and start to impact a child’s overall happiness and they interfere with his or her usual activities, the child may be suffering from an anxiety disorder.

If your child starts to experience the following symptoms, it is a good idea to consult with a health care professional for help:

Fears and concerns that are unreasonable and out of proportion to the situation

Distress, agitation, or anger in stressful situations

Physical complaints such as: headaches or stomach aches

Anticipatory anxiety: worries about future situations that may or may not occur

Disrupted sleep or nightmares

Perfectionism: A fear of embarrassment or of making mistakes

Excessive avoidance of social situations or school

Behaviours that interfere and disrupt the growth and productivity of the family and/or child: difficulty going out with friends, family, vacations, etc...*

Your child asks repetitive questions seeking reassurance, but is inconsolable

Your child feels responsible, apologizes unnecessarily, is concerned that others are upset with them, and is eager to please others

Severe anxiety does not go away without treatment. If left untreated, severe anxiety gets worse over time and can have a negative impact on a child’s physical and mental wellbeing. Moreover, without treatment, anxiety disorders can persist into adulthood. The earlier children start to conquer their problems with anxiety, the less impact it will have on their future relationships, academic potential and on their self-esteem.

Over 13% of children suffer from anxiety disorders. They are the most prevalent condition among children today. The good news is Anxiety disorders are treatable. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is a research-based treatment, effective in treating childhood anxiety disorders.

WO-NO-MO is designed for children 8 to 12 years of age. The program runs for 12 consecutive weeks (with 12 sessions for children and 3 additional sessions for parents). Each session is two hours long.

• An initial consultation interview will take place with a psychologist to determine if the program is appropriate for your child’s specific difficulties

• The next WO-NO-MO program will commense in Spring/Summer of 2011. It will be limited to only six children. Intake interviews will be take place in Early December but early registration is advised.

• Parents interested in having their child screened for the program or who would like more information may call us at 905-670-0334.

Upon the successful completion of our Fall 2010 WO NO MO Program, we are pleased to display some of the creative work that our participants have made. Our participants take part in therapy where they learn to interact with peers, are encouraged to creatively complete their tasks and conquer their anxieities. Below are pictures of a Fear Thermometer and hand-knitted finger puppets that were created by one of our participants.