Why "School Refusal" is the Wrong Term: Navigating Teen Anxiety with Sarah Haugh | Ep. 57
Teens Uncharted: the PodShow Notes
Welcome back to episode 57 of Teens: No Cap! Today, host Charity Chaffee, LMHC, sits down with Sarah Haugh, an LMHC based in Topsfield, MA who specializes in anxiety and trauma. In this episode, Charity and Sarah dive deep into the complexities of "school avoidance"—a term Sarah prefers over the pathologizing labels of "school refusal" or "truancy."
In this episode, we cover: 🎙️ Why terms like "truancy" and "refusal" feel like accusations to teens. These labels can damage a teen's self-esteem and provoke a defensive response. 🎙️ The real roots of school avoidance. Sarah explains how it is often a symptom of underlying struggles like generalized anxiety, social anxiety, or perfectionism. 🎙️ How the anxiety cycle works. Avoiding a stressful situation brings temporary relief, but it ultimately amplifies the anxiety for the next time. 🎙️ The accidental enabling by parents and schools. Allowing teens to take excessive mental health days or sit in the counselor's office all day can inadvertently reinforce the avoidance cycle. 🎙️ Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) strategies. The goal isn't to remove the anxiety entirely, but to help teens build the tolerance to feel their anxiety and still go to school. 🎙️ The importance of systemic collaboration. Therapists, parents, and school personnel must work together with flexibility and warmth to support a titrated exposure plan.
Connect with Sarah Haugh: Website: https://northshoreprofessionaltherapy.com/ Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/sarah-haugh-anxiety-trauma-licensed-therapist-topsfield-ma/1364597
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#TeensNoCap #SchoolAvoidance #TeenMentalHealth #AnxietyRelief #TherapyPodcast #ParentingTeens #ERP #ChildPsychology
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