Talking to HuffPost UK about anxiety in children

Belinda Gidman-Rowse from Grow Psychotherapy / School Counsellor with Place2Be talking to HuffPost UK

I was thrilled to speak to HuffPost UK in their “What kids are carrying” parenting series. This time I was speaking from my experience as a School Counsellor / Mental Health Practitioner for Place2Be in a primary school in Devon on the topic of anxiety.

You can read the full article “Anxiety One Of The Top Issues Children Brought Up In Therapy Last Year, According To Therapists” (10/02/26) over on the HuffPost UK website, or you can read some of my thoughts below.

• “We are living in an increasingly fear-based, fast-paced world that often lacks connection, consistency, and emotional support, and children absorb this climate.”

• prolonged tablet use and gaming, “appears to contribute to heightened anxiety and reduced emotional regulation”.

• In children with autism and ADHD in particular, anxiety is “common”, said the school counsellor, “both as part of the neurodivergent experience and in response to diagnosis and potential stigma”.

• School counsellor Belinda Gidman-Rowse urges parents to prioritise “warm, consistent 1:1 parent-child time”

• “Just 20 minutes a day of attuned attention (chatting, playing, reading books together) can significantly support emotional wellbeing. Play is a child’s natural language and provides a powerful, therapeutic way for them to express and process feelings.”

• The expert added that helping children to name their feelings by role modelling this yourself (“I’m feeling a bit stressed right now”) can also support emotional awareness.

• “Anxiety needs information; parents can support their children by preparing them for change through reading stories, providing clear explanations, or using visual supports. This helps transitions feel more predictable and safe,” she added.