Parent-Child Guide to Coping with Anxiety
Helping Our Brains Manage Strong Emotions
by Dessy Marinova

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This unique guide pairs the expertise of a trained child psychologist with the fresh voice and perspective of her young daughter to help children and their parents embark on an emotional regulation journey while strengthening their relationships and nurturing their confidence to overcome life obstacles. The young readers will learn, alongside their caregivers, how to set goals, deal with setbacks, and live a life in line with their values. Dr. Dessy and Lora’s guide will help us better understand ourselves and our loved ones, recognizing why we feel and act the way we do and deepen our empathy and care for each other. Using a holistic approach, Dr. Dessy offers step-by-step guidelines on managing strong emotions anytime and anyplace. With simple language and fun illustrations, Dr. Dessy and Lora explain how our brains work, with Aimie (the amygdala) making us feel, Brightie (the cerebral cortex) making us think, and Dooie (the pre-frontal cortex) making us act. By keenly understanding how these parts of us act and interact, and practicing the lessons and exercises offered in this guide, you and your child will be empowered to face fears in any setting. The toolkit with strategies will help children and other family members enjoy events, places, and situations avoided in the past or suffered through because of baseless worries and a thousand “what ifs.” Intended primarily for parents/caregivers with children aged eight to twelve and mental health professionals, this guide addresses a growing societal problem: Research shows that anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental health conditions worldwide, impacting the quality of life of millions of children and their families. But whether it’s anxiety issues or any other strong emotions, this book will help people get a handle on why they feel the things they feel and learn what to do about it. Indeed, the readers will be equipped to use proven science-based strategies to cultivate a resilient mindset preparing them to tackle life’s biggest challenges.

www.drdessy.ca

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Dessy Marinova, Ph.D., is a school and clinical psychologist with over 20 years of experience with children, adolescents, and adults. Dr. Dessy maintains a practice as a psychologist, provides consultations to schools and mental health professionals, and delivers workshops for parents and teachers. This book is the culmination of more than twenty years of professional experience with children, adolescents, and their families on two continents: Europe and North America. Lora is the daughter of Dr. Dessy Marinova. Starting at age 4, Lora helped her mother create the main characters in this book, and by age 11, they both have translated evidence-based strategies into language that kids can easily understand. Lora also created all the illustrations and provided many examples from her own life, and her observations of her peers, to help clarify and explain the various lessons and practices. Dr. Dessy and Lora live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

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Contributors

Author

Dessy Marinova

Illustrator

Lora Marinova

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