Your Anxious Child

Latest Episodes:

Caring for Kids and Ourselves in a Changing World: Interview with Stephanie Malia Krauss May 27, 2026

Show notes

In helping our anxious children, it is important to understand the context in which they are growing up in and how that might contribute to their struggles. Stephanie Malia is an author, educator and social worker who has provided us with a guide to navigate the complexity of parenting in our current age.

She has just published her third book, How We Thrive: Caring for Kids and Ourselves in a Changing World. In this book, she explores the urgent need to protect human essentials, like sleep, play and connection-that modern life restricts or denies. She points out the modern era has been characterized by an accelerated rate of change in many domains that we are not equipped to metabolize. She identifies the dangerous "weather conditions" of modern life and after interviewing over a 100 experts for her book, how we can intentionally "Rehumanize" or get back to the essentials that help us thrive. She is talking about the foundation we need to strive for to help all children and especially our anxious ones.

Her previous books are Whole Child, Whole Life and Making It : What Today's Kids Need for Tomorrow's World

For more information www.rehumaning.com

Gastrointestinal (GI) Problems and Anxiety: Interview with Ali Navidi, PSYD May 13, 2026

Show notes

GI problems are so common in children and adolescents who struggle with anxiety. Dr Navidi talks about disorders of gut-brain axis such as irritable bowel syndrome and how a combination of CBT and hypnosis can lead to dramatic improvement. He talks about the brain can misinterpret signals from the body and how that can lead to the experience of chronic pain. Fortunately, there are therapeutic interventions which Dr Navidi describes in this interview, that can make a dramatic difference with GI problems

Dr Navidi has established a practice GI Psychology which provides telehealth services in all 50 states.

For more information

https://www.gipsychology.com/

Bedtime Stories to help children navigate through fear: Interview with Randolph B. Schiffer May 03, 2026

Show notes

Bedtime is a time for stories and it also a favorite time for anxious thoughts to make an appearance. Randolph B. Schiffer, MD has just written Bedtime Stories That Will Terrify Children: Eight Tales to Help Parents and Children Navigate Through Fear . The stories won't actually terrify your child, but they give voice to how scary childhood can be.

"Children don't need us to make the world feel safe. They need to know that they are not alone when it isn't" Randolph B. Schiffer

He created these stories to help his son who was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia deal with the very painful and arduous treatment process. These are stories to model courage and persistence.

For more information https://randolphbschiffer.com/

Pain Reprocessing for teens-relief from chronic pain: Interview with Penina Zillberberg, PhD and Paulina Soble, LCSW Apr 18, 2026

Show notes

It has been estimated that 1 in 5 children and adolescents suffer from chronic pain and it can seriously interfere with their life. Pain Reprocessing Therapy is an evidence based approach that has been proven effective for chronic pain. Daniella Deutsch, LCSW, Penina Zilberberg, PhD and Paulina Soble, LCSW have just published The Pain Reprocessing Therapy Workbook for Teens: Rewire Your Brain To Find Relief From Chronic Pain.

In this interview I talk with Penina Zilberberg, PhD and Paulina Soble, LCSW about pain reprocessing and how to help teens turn the volume down on the pain through a carefully structured sequence of guided exercises. Teen learn to be pain detectives and ultimately to develop a different relationship to the pain and respond differently to it. I found their book very helpful and I rather liked their use of optical illusions to explain how the brain can get things wrong and the power of belief illustrated by a London construction worker.

For more information about pain reprocessing, their website contains a lot of useful material.

https://www.painreprocessingtherapy.com/

Dopamine Kids: Interview with Michaeleen Doucleff, PhD Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

Michaeleen Doucleff, PhD has written two books: Hunt, Gather, Parent What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans 2021and Dopamine Kids: A Science-Based Plan to Rewire Your Child's Brain and Take Back Your Family in the Age of Screens and Ultraprocessed Foods 2026.

In my experience, people outside of the mental health field often write the best books. Dr Doucleff, whose degree is in chemistry, has provides a very clear explanation about how the neurotransmitter, Dopamine, is relevant to understanding why your child has trouble getting off of screens and why they might be such picky eaters. Her research into these topics is impressive, but more importantly is her capacity to explain the science in ways that anyone can understand. That is part of her gift. Drawing upon the latest work on habit formation, she also provides a template of how we can begin to free ourselves from screens and ultraprocessed foods. It is not about will power, but rather "Curating the Cues".

For more information: michaeleendoucleff.com

Clinical hypnosis for anxious children: Interview with David Gottsegen, MD Mar 27, 2026

Show notes

David Gottsegen, M.D.. is a pediatrician who uses hypnosis and mediation to help children with discomfort and fears about headaches, stomachaches, bedwetting, sleep issues, anxiety and many other common pediatric disorders. His recently published book is Mending the Body with the Mind: Harnessing Kids' Superpowers to Stay Healthy He is a strong advocate for helping children use their natural imaginative skills to deal with many challenging health related issues. In this interview he shows us how he does it and for the sceptic there are 70 pages of references!

A Pediatrician's Perspective on Anxious Children: Interview with Kristen Cook, MD Mar 22, 2026

Show notes

Kristen Cook, M.D. is a pediatrician who has just published Parenting REDEFINED: A Guide To Understanding and Nurturing Your Child's Behavior To Help Them Thrive. She also has a podcast MomDocTalk https://www.kristencookmd.com/podcast

Whenever there is a problem with your child, the first recommendation is often to consult with your pediatrician. They have a unique vantage point of being familiar with every stage of child development and have often seen the same child from infancy to college graduations. So as think about how to help our anxious children, the perspective of a pediatrician is an extremely valuable contribution. In Dr Cook book and podcast, she provides very clear and concise information on a wide range of issues. Today we focused on vaccines, medical trauma and how parents and pediatricians can collaborate effectively together. I

How Screen Based Technology Can Rewire Your Brain: Interview with Mari Swingle, PhD Mar 09, 2026

Show notes

Dr Mari Swingle was one of the first people to warn us about the dangers of screen based technology. Her book i-Minds: How and Why Constant Connectivity is Rewiring our Brains and What to Do About It was first published in 2019. This well researched book provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges and promises this new technology poses for us. I found her explanation about why children have such difficulty getting off or dismounting from their technology compelling. Her intriguing phrase is that it involves vestibular system lock-in. Listen to the interview to hear her explanation for what is an all frequent occurrence in many households.

For more information about Dr. Swingle

https://swingleclinic.com/about/our-staff/dr-mari-k-swingle

http://www.drmariswingle.com/about-dr-mari/

Freeing Your Child From Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Interview with Tamar E Chansky, PhD Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

The first edition of Freeing Your Child From Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Tamar E. Chanksky, PhD was published 25 years and now there is a revised and updated edition (2025) . This book has remained the standard reference book for parents who are trying navigate the complex territory of parenting a child with OCD. The book has stood the test of time. Children as David Elkind, PhD once explained are "cognitive aliens" in that they think about the world quite differently from adults. Fortunately, Dr Chansky is remarkable in her ability to articulate a program of action in child friendly language with a mixture of humor and compassion. This one of the things that makes her so special.

For more information about Dr Tamar Chansky https://tamarchansky.com/

Treating BFRB in children and adolescents: Interview with Dr Jennifer Gola and Dr Renae Reinardy Mar 02, 2026

Show notes

When a child engages in hair pulling, skin picking and other body focused repetitive behaviors, it can be very alarming for parents. Children feel compelled to engage in the BFRB but often feel quite embarrassed and ashamed. Drs Jennifer Gola, Marla Deibler and Renae Reinardy talk about their new book, Free To Be Me with a BFRB: The Ultimate Kid's Guide to Living Well with Hair Pulling, Skin Picking, Nail Biting, and other Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors.

This book provides a very comprehensive and compassionate approach to the treatment and management of BFRB's. Our discussion provides an excellent introduction to this topic and to a very useful resource for parents, children and therapists.

For more information

https://thecenterforemotionalhealth.com/staff/dr-jennifer-gola

https://thecenterforemotionalhealth.com/staff/dr-marla-w-deibler/

https://www.lakesidecenter.org/about.html

and also see Dr Marla Deibler's blog on Psychology Today

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/from-surviving-to-thriving