The Centre for School Anxiety

How many schools did you go to?

I think I am up to about 15 including Universities.

I've spent the last 20 years with my children attending and graduating from schools,

I've worked with school aged children for over 17 years,

and

two of my children are currently pursuing careers in education.....

Add to that my mother was a teacher,

I think it's safe to say that education is in my blood.

For someone who would say they hated school, on closer inspection I was anxious every day about going to school, about so many things. Would my friends be there? Would they want to play with me? PE. Bullying. Succeeding.

Chronic anxiety, fear ...

What happens when you get anxious?

When anxiety, or your fear response, is triggered your body responds on instinct.? It sends you into an acute stress response.? Without you thinking about it, physiological changes in the body happen that are designed to keep you safe.? Once your brain identifies something as a threat to your safety, it sends a message to your adrenal glands requesting energy to take action. Or in other words, prods it to switch on your stress response so that you can fight, flight or freeze to keep yourself from harm.

?

When your body responds a cocktail of biochemical survival hormones are released such as adrenaline, noradrenaline, cortisol, norepinpephrine and ephinephrine.? These hormones influence everything you do, from eating and running to feeling, thinking and behaving.? Your heart will start beating quicker as it pumps blood to the areas that your brain believes are needed right now, like your muscles.? A rush of adrenaline causes your lungs to take in more oxygen which the heart pushes to the rest of the body.? Your breathing becomes more rapid and shallow as the airway between the nose and the lungs constricts.

What happens after your fear response is triggered?

Usually, when the situation that triggers the fear response disappears, your body starts to return to normal.? The stress response is an emergency response and is designed for short-term work.? However, when a threatening situation is ongoing, like turning up to school every day, you can start to experience chronic stress.?When you are in this state you are in survival mode and the possibility that you will experience school success diminishes.

However, when a threatening situation is ongoing, like turning up to school every day, you can start to experience chronic stress.?When you are in this state you are in survival mode and the possibility that you will experience school success diminishes.

One of the reasons for my working in this space and creating the Centre for School Anxiety is to help as many students as possible get the opportunity to experience school success. My heart tears up for the children who feel lonely and lost in the playground, are too scared or confused to ask for help in the classroom, and develop physiological illnesses due to the overwhelming thought of going to school.

Up to 40% of children experience school anxiety at a particular time, that's many students at risk of missing out on the best bits of school.

And no I'm not (just) referring to academic success.

More importantly school success encompasses having had the opportunity to develop their unique skills and interests, to find their spark, and to experience connection and care as they navigate through their childhood.

The goal for many of the clients I see in Positive Young Minds is to help them manage the stress that they experience in the school environment. Creating the Centre for School Anxiety is an extension of this.

The Centre for School Anxiety

The Centre for School Anxiety acknowledges that the school system is stressful and broken and impacts everyone: students, teachers, parents and professionals. But whilst we debate this in the media and at the government level the ones who are currently in the system need to navigate it as it is.

Promises of change to a broken system are meaningless to those of us whose students are battling stress and anxiety now.

The Centre for School Anxiety Mission:

• To cultivate a culture of acceptance of the inherent stressors within the school system.
• To empower educators, parents, and mental health professionals through open communication and collaboration to build a supportive network and work as advocates for each other, not adversaries.
• To?foster an environment where students are appropriately supported to embrace challenges, find their spark and thrive.?
• To promote connection as a key factor in reducing school anxiety and increasing school success

Are you a Psychologist or other professional working with school-aged students?

The opportunity to join the Centre for School Anxiety as a Professional Member is now available at a fantastic foundational member price.

Some of the benefits include

• Having easier opportunities to discuss and debate important topics including, the latest School Can’t/Stress/Connection research, best practices, and the submissions and Federal government recommendations into School Can't/Refusal.
• Being part of the collective wisdom and friendly, up-to-date network of your peers who are also passionate about supporting school-aged clients.
• Giving yourself a mental break from the isolation of feeling you are tackling this huge problem by yourself.

You can learn more about the CSA by watching this short video or if you are as excited by this as I am you can jump on board and become a foundational member now.

Until next time

Kim Ross

Psychologist

B.A. Psych; M.Psych (Ed & Dev); AAPi

Positive Young Minds

The Centre for School Anxiety

1000 Voices Project

ps Please share this with others who share our passion.

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