At the GHC, we offer a variety of group treatment programs for children and their parents.  Fun Friends is a highly-effective anti-anxiety program designed to help children, ages 4 to 7 years, develop healthy coping strategies that will result in improved emotional functioning.  Research shows that 80% of children showing signs of an anxiety disorder no longer displayed those symptoms after completing a Fun Friends program.

Seven year old Jack has always been a little anxious, but eventually his anxiety became overwhelming for him and his parents. He would get fidgety in class and constantly worry about things like thunderstorms, and doing things on his own. He did not sleep well.  In school he often burst into tears when the anxiety got the better of him.  The parents were completely drained in their efforts to support him and unsure how to help their son.

By participating in our Fun Friends group, Jack was able to learn the difference between green thoughts (helpful thoughts) and red thoughts (unhelpful thoughts).  He learned coping skills such as deep "milkshake" breathing, and breaking down problems into manageable parts. His parents also got support from a therapist at the Centre to learn how to help Jack increase tolerance in new situations.  The therapist worked with the parents to take Jack on field trips – to unknown places to practice his new skills with support. The therapist also helped the parents look at how Jack’s anxiety triggered their own anxious responses, how those responses escalated Jack’s anxiety, and how to respond in more helpful ways.  

Because of Fun Friends, today Jack is much calmer, more confident and able to handle the things that other 7 year old kids can.