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Esteemed Colleague,

As teens and young adults with anxiety return to school, families often try to ease the transition by avoiding triggers, managing demands, and offering reassurance. Though well-intentioned, these efforts can unintentionally reinforce avoidance.

Clinicians help families recognize when support becomes overaccommodation and guide them toward strategies that build resilience and align with treatment goals. Here, we explore these issues further.

Dina Nunziato, PhD

Chief Clinical Officer

The Accommodation Trap

Parents may try to shield their child from anxiety by avoiding triggers—bringing short-term relief but reinforcing anxiety over time. The clinician's role is to support families in recognizing and changing these patterns.

When Helping Hurts: Understanding and Reducing Family Accommodations

Identifying School-Based Family Accommodation

A Yale study found that nearly all parents of anxious children make accommodations — often without realizing it. Back-to-school season can heighten or reinforce accommodations. Feel free to share this article with parents.

Helping Your Teen Overcome School Anxiety Through Therapy

Worksheet: Identify and Reduce School-Related Family Accommodation

Download our clinical tool to help families recognize and track improvement of their accommodation behaviors. The worksheet includes family reflections, selecting an accommodation to work on, and a strategy to help reduce it.

at Anxiety Institute

Webinars, Self-Paced Courses, and CE Opportunities:

Beyond Behavior: Formulating Anxiety and OCD Treatment through Neuropsychological Assessment

This webinar shows how integrated neuropsychological testing uncovers the cognitive and emotional roots of anxiety and OCD. Through case studies and practical tools, presenters illustrate how testing refines treatment planning for greater accuracy and personalization.

CE credits available.

Presenters: Andrew Barile, PsyD, Clinical Supervisor, Anxiety Institute; and David Rowe, PhD, Director of Neuropsychology at United Assessment

When: Wednesday, September 17th, 2025, 12:00-1:00pm ET

Where: Online via Zoom No cost.

Little Lives, Big Challenges: Treating and Diagnosing Pediatric OCD

OCD often begins in childhood but can be hard to detect, as symptoms overlap with anxiety, autism, and other conditions. This webinar offers clinicians evidence-based strategies for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. CE credits available.

Presenters: Stacy Dobrinsky, PhD, Director of Training at Anxiety Institute & Hannah Doucette, PhD, Psychologist at InStride Health

When: Wednesday, October 15th, 2025, 12:00-1:00pm ET

Where: Online via Zoom No cost.

Watch our newest on-demand training

and earn CE credits.

New offerings include:

Inside ARFID: Diagnosis, Anxiety-Based Treatment, and Neurodivergent-Informed Approaches (3-part series)

This course makes the case for treating ARFID through an anxiety-focused lens, focusing on underlying cognitive and emotional mechanisms, thus ensuring more comprehensive treatment. Learn More

OCD and Autism: Treatment that Works (4-part series)

This expert-led course focuses on accurate diagnosis and tailored ERP strategies for neurodiverse clients. Learn More

OCD Master Class: Advanced ERP Training for OCD (4-part series)

Deepen your OCD expertise by covering complex subtypes, eating disorders, and LGBTQ+ care. Learn More

Bolster Your Practice with Resources For Parents

School Day Calm: A Meditation for School Resistance

Share this guided meditation with your clients. Designed to reduce anxiety and promote calm, it teaches simple breathing and visualization techniques to help students feel more confident and focused for the year ahead. 

 See other Anxiety Institute meditations to share with clients.

From Our Blog:

Looking for a quick read on back-to-school anxiety? This month’s blog spotlights Understanding Anxiety and School Avoidance: Strategies for Effective Intervention.

Explore our Insights & Articles blog for other helpful reads for parents raising a child with anxiety.

Further Reading:

In cases of school refusal, see our guide on How to Help Your Child Overcome School Refusal which includes advice from a special needs lawyer.

For a more scientific explanation, see Family Accommodation of Child and Adolescent Anxiety: Mechanisms, Assessment, and Treatment from the National Library of Medicine.

This study from NeuroscienceNews.com delineates how parents are less likely to intervene in their young children’s tasks when these activities are framed as learning opportunities.

Want to connect or refer?

Questions about about our programs and services, treatment options, or referrals?

Call (844) 881-1846

or visit anxietyinstitute.com.

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About Anxiety Institute

Anxiety Institute is a clinical treatment center specializing in acute anxiety disorders that uses advanced, proven techniques while nurturing the patient in their local home environment. Utilizing the most up-to-date, evidence-based treatments, our intensive services focus on treating teens and young adults, while coaching the parents who guide them. Locations in Madison, NJ; Greenwich, CT; and McLean, VA.



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