Why anxiety can be good for us: Helping your child handle fear, uncertainty, and discomfort with Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary

Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, clinical psychologist, researcher, and author of Future Tense: Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad), joins me to talk about why anxiety is one of the most misunderstood emotions in parenting.

 

Together we explore:

 

• The surprising difference between anxiety that helps us grow and anxiety that gets in the way.
• Why anxiety may be helping your child (and you!) more than you realize.
• How to tell when anxiety is healthy and when it's becoming a problem.
• Why some of the most common responses to childhood anxiety can backfire.
• The surprising connection between anxiety, hope, and resilience.
• How parents can become a source of calm without dismissing or fixing their child's feelings.
• The simple shift that can help you stop seeing anxiety as the enemy.
• Dr. Dennis-Tiwary's three-step framework for responding to anxiety in yourself and your child.

 

This conversation offers a powerful reframe for parents who want to support their children through anxiety without reinforcing fear or avoidance. It is about learning to see anxiety not as an enemy, but as a normal part of being human, and helping our children develop the confidence to face uncertainty, navigate discomfort, and trust their ability to handle life's challenges.

 

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT MY GUEST:

🔗 https://www.tracydennistiwary.com/  

📚 Future Tense: Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad) – A Psychologist's Paradigm Shift for Understanding and Hope

📱 @dr.tracyphd

 

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT ME:

🔗 Dr. Sarah Bren  

🔗 Check out my group practice, Upshur Bren Psychology Group, offering therapy and coaching for individuals, children, parents, and families  

📱IG: @drsarahbren

 

 

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

 

👉 Looking for support for a child struggling with anxiety or OCD? If your child is struggling with anxiety or OCD, Upshur Bren Psychology Group offers SPACE-based parent support through both a virtual group and individualized care. Go to upshurbren.com/space to learn more or book a free 30-minute consultation with our care team, who will listen carefully and help you determine the best support for your family.

 

🎧 The mattering gap: Why so many parents feel invisible, overwhelmed, and disconnected with Jennifer Wallace  

 

 

CHECK OUT ADDITIONAL PODCAST EPISODES YOU MAY LIKE:

🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) with Dr. Eli Lebowitz of the Yale Child Study Center

 

🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about how to find the line between supporting your child and feeding their anxiety

 

🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about how parents can know when their child's anxiety may require a mental health intervention