Therapy Schools: Summer Camps For Kids With Social Anxiety
If your child suffers from social anxiety, summers can be both comforting and frustrating. Your child likely feels comforted because they can stay home and avoid potentially anxiety-triggering experiences. This comfort, however, can be frustrating for parents, as it might lead to a regression of the coping skills you're hoping your child develops to manage their anxiety.
Fortunately, therapy schools for kids can offer summer activities to help your child continue to develop coping tools for managing social anxiety.
Meditation and Mindfulness
Many therapy schools for kids break the day into mini-sessions. Breaking these activities into smaller chunks of time is perfect for a child's attention span and can also make the process less daunting.
Meditation: a strong body of research indicates that utilizing meditation can be as effective as medications for treating conditions like anxiety. Therapy schools for kids don't just offer meditation sessions for children; they teach them the how and the why behind the practice. For instance, your child might be taught how to use meditation when they feel their social anxiety is becoming unmanageable. They might also be given the opportunity to teach other children how to meditate to give them a sense of ownership and mastery of the skills as well.
Mindfulness: telling a child to calm down isn't an effective coping strategy. Therapy schools for children might teach your child to be mindful of both their emotions and the things that trigger their anxiety. For instance, your child might be asked to maintain a journal with mindfulness prompts or learn breathing techniques focused on enhancing your child's awareness of their feelings.
Therapy Services
Another potential benefit of sending your child to a therapy school is the clinical and group services offered by many of the top providers.
Group: group therapy is normally a standard part of the therapy school's curriculum. These group sessions might be a standard discussion-based group or they might be a team-based activity. For instance, your child might go for a group hike and be asked to share their feelings with their peers and/or counselors on the hike. Many therapy schools also offer artistic mediums for both sharing and articulating a child's mental health struggles.
Individual: if your child needs more individualized therapy sessions, many therapy schools staff licensed counselors who double as teachers, counselors, and/or administrators. Having licensed counselors on staff can allow your child to build strong relationships with their trusted mental health provider.
Contact a specialized school in your area to see what programs they offer.