There are a range of anxiety related disorders which are more prevalent during school-age children: social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, social anxiety disorder, generalised anxiety disorder [1]. Research shows that we experience various forms of anxiety throughout childhood developmental phases [2]. For example, separation anxiety is typically experienced during early childhood and social anxiety is more typical during adolescence.
In persistent and chronic forms anxiety can have a negative impact on behaviour, motivation, social relationships and educational outcomes. Studies show anxious individuals are more attentive to threats than positive cues in the environment [3] and this heightened focus places additional demands on attention and working memory and requires more effort to maintain performance. Intervention studies demonstrate that this ‘threat bias’ and ‘error sensitivity’ can be reduced through cognitive re-appraisal techniques [4].
I have a PhD in Education, degrees in Psychology and Cognitive Science and extensive experience of working in educational environments. Therefore, as a hypnotherapist I can bring relevant academic knowledge, an evidence-based approach, a capacity to listen and to be responsive to what the clients wants to achieve in the educational context.
[1] American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association
[2] Beidel, D. C., & & Turner, A.A. (2011). Childhood anxiety disorders. Routledge.
[3] Eysenck, M. W., & Derakshan, N. (2011). New perspectives in attentional control theory. Personality and Individual Differences, 50(7), 955–960.
[4] Hadwin JA, Richards HJ. Working Memory Training and CBT Reduces Anxiety Symptoms and Attentional Biases to Threat: A Preliminary Study. Front Psychol. 2016 Feb 2;7:47. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00047