Help for children facing anxiety

A book that provides techniques to overcome childhood fears

Jennifer Minicus | Aug 7 2017 | comment

There's a Bully in My Brainby Kristin O'Rourke
written for all ages | recommended
published in 2017 | Mascot Books | 38 pages

While the new school year seems far off, soon children in the Northern Hemisphere will be shopping for notebooks, pencils and new sneakers. The beginning of the academic year is often accompanied by both excitement and nervousness. Most children can cope with these feelings, but for some the anxiety of any new situation can be overwhelming.

Kristin O’Rourke, a licensed clinical social worker and child therapist has written a book to help children develop coping mechanisms to overcome these emotions. Young Justin explains the thoughts he sometimes has about common scenarios like riding the bus to school or trying out for the baseball team. Using simple breathing techniques and positive thoughts, he defeats the taunting “bully” in his head. Parents and teachers will find this new release a good resource for young students.

Jennifer Minicus is a teacher living in Ridgewood, NJ.

August 7, 2017

When we are not trying to extend life by every means available, it seems, we citizens of the 21st century are trying to get death over and done with as quickly and cleanly as possible.

In an interview today, Yale Associate Professor of Biomedical Ethics and author of a new book on death and dying, Lydia Dugdale, gives an excellent description of factors that have robbed our age, to a large extent, of the ars moriendi, the art of dying.

And yet she finds that many of her patients still want to discuss with her “the big questions” like those concerning God and the afterlife. Apparently there is no-one else they feel able to ask.

Also today psychiatrist Dr Rick Fitzgibbons presents some important research findings that can help parents understand and respond appropriately to gender dysphoria in their children.