Quiet Pathways; Counselling for Quiet Anxious Teens

In my counselling practice, I specialize in working with the quiet kids that struggle with anxiety to the point that they can barely talk at school.

These kids often present as:

• hard workers; they never have to be asked to focus on work
• empathetic towards others
• never get into trouble
• avoid eye contact
• try their best not to stand out
• won't ask for help
• may struggle to talk to other kids
• may not have any friends
• school attendance may be an issue

To some degree, these kids can look like they are doing fine in that they are following all expectations but internally often struggle with a high level of anxiety.

We live in a world that often sees quietness as failure, there can be so much emphasizes put on group work and the need to verbally participate. The consequence is that these quiet kids often feel as if there is something fundamentally wrong with them.

In my work, I help these kids:

• learn ways to manage anxiety
• learn ways to manage overwhelming emotions
• learn how to access help
• build friendships
• increase their self-esteem