Parental Support
This chapter introduces the concept of supportive parental responses to childhood anxiety symptoms, a key concept in addressing family accommodation. Supportive responses are defined as parental responses that convey to the child two messages: a message of acceptance and validation of the child's anxiety, and a message of confidence in the child's ability to cope with and to tolerate anxiety related distress. When parents combine both acceptance and confidence they are being supportive of the child's anxiety. The chapter includes several examples, clinical anecdotes, suggested texts for explaining the concept of support to parents, and tools for practicing formulating supportive statements that parents can use with their child.
Addressing Parental Accommodation When Treating Anxiety In Children