Anxiety is a normal human emotion, yet it is increasingly experienced by both youth and adults in overwhelming proportions, interfering with everyday functioning and wellbeing. This community conversation and learning experience will examine the root causes of escalating anxiety and provide practical skills for building familial resilience.

Integrating perspectives and practices from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE), we will—hand in hand—look bravely at our own avoidance of uncomfortable feelings and build familial language for facing and embracing distress. These practices make room for us to derive greater fulfillment out of the messy, unpredictable journey of life.

About the Speaker:

• Megan McCormick, Ph.D., is an associate professor of medicine and the co-founder and director of programs for the Center for Wellbeing in School Environments (WISE) at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.
• Clinical Focus: Dr. McCormick specializes in the development and research of multi-tiered, relationally centered mental health programming in schools.
• Personal Connection: She is the parent of two students in Waldorf’s early childhood program and utilizes these practices within her own home.

WISE is a national leader in child and family mental health, partnering with schools and organizations worldwide to de-pathologize school-based challenges and promote relational health as a primary path to healing and success.