You Can’t Talk Your Way Out of Anxiety—And Neither Can Your Child!

Many of us have been taught that if we just talk about anxiety, we can make it go away. While talking can bring awareness, it doesn’t always bring relief—especially for children. In fact, sometimes talking about anxiety can make us (and them) feel even more anxious.

Here’s why: children’s brains are still developing. The part of the brain that helps with logic, reasoning, and calming thoughts isn’t fully online yet. So asking them to “think differently” or “talk themselves out of it” is incredibly hard—if not impossible.

Even as adults, we can try telling ourselves “I’m okay,” but deep down, if our bodies don’t feel safe, those words fall flat. That’s because anxiety isn’t just in the mind—it’s in the body. When our nervous system is trapped in old survival patterns, no amount of talking can convince us (or our children) that we’re truly safe.

So what does work?

A whole-body approach.

We need to work with the nervous system, body, and thoughts together to create real, lasting change. That’s where we come in. We help parents understand the body’s biology and survival patterns that keep the body stuck in a stress response. We also offer practical tools and techniques to help your child’s body feel safe again. And perhaps most importantly, we provide resources to help you teach your child these life-changing skills.

The Emotions Lab