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First, it is important to clarify that nothing is wrong with your child, even if they receive therapy; as with any component of healthy living, mental health requires guidance, adjustments, and upkeep.

When mental health disorders emerge during a child's formative years, parents typically become worried because of the belief that they will interfere with their child's sensitive developmental stage and manifest later in life as serious behavioural issues. Children with mental health challenges often also struggle at school because of their preoccupation with their own thoughts and phobias, which can lead to academic struggles and social exclusion. But with therapy, children can learn to live with their mental health disorders happily and healthily having the tools that would help him or her lead a accomplished and successful life..

Many forms of mental health interventions for children exist, as there are varieties of mental afflictions. Tamar uses cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and an adaptive model that teaches your child to control their mental state, giving them the skills to identify, challenge, and replace the negative thoughts that distract them. With a child and a family-friendly approach, Tamar helps children fulfill their personal, social, and academic goals and acquire transferable mental skills that will help them live happily with their mental issues.

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Anxiety is a predominant cause of child mental health disorders. Anxiety is not pleasant, but in healthy doses is a valuable tool for safety and survival.

Normal Fears and Anxieties:

Anxiety becomes a problem when it begins to affect a child’s ability to engage in the three main responsibilities of childhood; to learn, to make friends and to have fun. Anxiety can cross the threshold from normal to problematic when children and adult encounter stress of major life events. For children, the loss of friends, a geographic move, change of schools, challenging academic requirements, tragic events, parental divorce, death or illness may be triggers for problem anxiety.

The Four D's are a rule of thumb that parents and professionals use to decide whether a child's anxiety is reaching a level that warrants further assessment or treatment:

• Disproportion
• Disruption
• Distress
• Duration

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Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is the most common anxiety disorder among adolescent. This condition is characterized by uncontrollable and often unsubstantiated worry or rumination over day-to-day events. Your child may be deriving disproportionate fears from something, causing themselves physical tension, stomach and bodily discomfort, and disturbances to sleep and appetite. GAD is one of the most common causes of poor academic performance and lack of social participation in young children.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy equips your child with internal coping strategies that can help push aside irrational fears and improve self-concept, academic performance, and social involvement over time.

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A close cousin of generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety refers specifically to a child's social reservations and outright avoidance. Childhood is one of the most important incubation periods for a person's social skills development, and so treating social anxiety should be prioritized from an early age, as young as 4 years old. Social anxiety is characterized by extreme shyness, intense and paralyzing concern about appearing foolish in social interactions.