Supporting Your Child with Fears and Phobias (Age 5 -11)

Waiting for a psychology referral, and not sure what to do with your child in the meantime? Waiting lists for child psychology services can be weeks or months. This booklet is for the part nobody prepares you for: what to actually do while you wait.Written by a UK Clinical Psychologist with 25 years in adult, child and family work, this booklet is built around one specific problem: a primary-school childwith a fear that's no longer ordinary. Not a general book about anxiety. Not a crash course in child psychology. Just the practical groundwork in recognisingwhen a fear has tipped into something more, what genuinely helps, what can make things worse, and how to build your child's confidence a small step at atime.Inside, you'll find:• A clear way to tell an ordinary fear from one that needs more attention• Simple rating scales• Calming techniques you can start using today• Guidance in building a step-by-step Fear Ladder with your child, plus a printableworksheet• What tends to help, and what doesn't, drawn from years of clinical work• When to push harder for professional support, and how to make that conversationcountNone of this replaces an assessment or professional input. It's what you can do before, and alongside.Dr Ellis Kalmus is a UK Clinical Psychologist (HCPC Registered, BPS Chartered) with around 25 years' experience in child, adolescent and adult mental health. HELP WHILE YOU WAIT is an expanding series of booklets for individuals and parents awaiting input for psychological services. It aims to provide clear, practical information to help understand and improve things in the meantime.