Incorporating Others in the Treatment of Child Anxiety

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INTERMEDIATE & ADVANCED LEVEL: Target audience: therapeutic professionals, including psychologists, social workers, physicians, and educators

This workshop will focus on the role of “others”, such as parents and teachers, in the treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Understanding the influence of others and partnering with key people in a child’s life can greatly impact the success of a treatment plan. Through this training, we will explore the transactional relationship between anxiety and the environment and learn ways to assess related barriers to treatment, such as accommodation behaviors. Common family accommodation behaviors will be discussed within the context of specific anxiety disorders. Additionally, participants will learn practical strategies for decreasing accommodation and increasing positive participation of others in the treatment process. Considerations for applying skills when working with special populations and complex cases will also be discussed.

1. Describe the bidirectional relationship between child anxiety and the environment.
2. Describe the role of family accommodation in anxiety treatment with children and be able to differentiate accommodation from appropriate support.
3. Describe the key concepts of psychoeducation, monitoring, parental anxiety management, and parent coaching as they relate to parental involvement in child anxiety treatment.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of necessary considerations when incorporating others into child anxiety treatment with special populations (ASD and co-morbid populations).

Heather Loffredo, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist and Director of Assessment at Alvord, Baker & Associates, LLC, where she has provided psychotherapy and assessment services for over ten years. She has expertise in working clinically with children, adolescents, adults, and families and leads Resilience Builder groups for adolescents and young adults with high functioning autism. Dr. Loffredo completed her pre-doctoral training at Children’s National Medical Center's Neurodevelopmental Clinic, where she gained experience assessing children with developmental delays, and Children’s National Medical Center at HSC Pediatric Center, where she specialized in psychological treatment and assessment of pediatric populations. During her internship in a community mental health center and post-doctoral training, she concentrated extensively on group and individual therapy with children, adolescents, and adults and psychoeducational and clinical assessments. Dr. Loffredo has also worked as the lead psychologist for Friendship Public Charter Schools, where she focused on treatment of children with special education needs, including academic, behavioral, and social-emotional difficulties. Specific areas of clinical expertise and interest include: psychoeducational and psychological evaluations, parent training, and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults with social deficits, anxiety disorders, learning disabilities, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, mood disorders, behavioral challenges, grief and loss, issues related to self-esteem, stress-management, chronic pain, and co-morbid medical diagnoses. Dr. Loffredo is the co-author of Exposure Therapy for Treating Children and Adolescents with Anxiety.

Please contact our CE Coordinator, Keri Linas at [email protected].

Alvord, Baker & Associates, LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Alvord, Baker & Associates, LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Alvord, Baker & Associates, LLC is authorized by the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners as a sponsor of Continuing Education. A certificate for Category 1 credits will be awarded at the completion of each workshop.

Alvord Baker & Associates, LLC, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board of Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists, #PSY -0213

If Alvord, Baker & Associates, LLC decides to cancel the class, all registrants will receive a full refund. Through Friday, February 7, 2025, registrants of the workshop who need to cancel for any reason will receive a refund of 90% of their registration fee. Cancellation requests must be received no later than Friday, February 7, 2025 either by phone 301-593-6554 x40 or by email:[email protected] . Be sure to include your name, address and contact information as provided in your registration information. No refunds will be issued for any reason after Friday, February 7, 2025.

Have questions about this seminar? Contact Alvord, Baker & Associates, LLC

Host or Publisher Alvord, Baker & Associates, LLC