FAQs

The Phoenix Sessions is a self-paced, online program grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that helps parents support their child through anxiety—whether it's just beginning to show up or already affecting everyday life. The flexible design meets families wherever they are, offering practical tools that grow with your child’s needs.

Here’s how the format works—and why it matters:

• Self-paced and flexible: Parents can log in anytime and move through sessions at their own speed. There’s no pressure to attend live classes, making it easier to stay involved even with a busy schedule.

• Structured guidance, on your timeline: Each session includes clear, step-by-step activities that you can complete when it works best for your family.

• Support across different experiences: Anxiety can show up in many ways—like recurring worries, avoiding certain activities, or frequent stomachaches and tension. This program offers tools that help across all of these signs, no matter how mild or persistent.

• Parent-child connection first: Skills are introduced in ways that respect your child’s readiness and protect your relationship—so that support feels safe and collaborative, not forced or rushed.

• Personalized learning: You'll gain strategies for responding to common patterns in childhood anxiety—such as avoidance, difficulty with transitions, or frequent need for reassurance—so you feel more confident helping your child cope.

Whether you're noticing early shifts or responding to ongoing challenges, The Phoenix Sessions offers a warm, flexible way to begin helping your child now—backed by research, built for real life, and designed with families in mind.

It’s a thoughtful question—and one we take seriously. The reason this program focuses on just a few CBT strategies is because research shows that a small number of well-delivered skills can make the biggest difference for children facing anxiety. 

We now know that anxiety tends to follow certain patterns in kids:

• They avoid what makes them feel nervous.

• They worry about what might go wrong.

• Their bodies react—tight stomachs, racing hearts, trouble sleeping.
  And parents, understandably, want to protect them.

But here’s the insight: when parents learn how to respond in ways that gently encourage brave behavior, reduce excessive reassurance, and help children face fears gradually—those changes often lead to meaningful relief. These are the core “active ingredients” of CBT that matter most. Instead of giving families everything at once, this program focuses on the most effective and efficient pieces—so they’re easier to learn, practice, and apply in real life. That means families don’t need to wait for a diagnosis or sit on a long waitlist to get help. The support begins now, in ways that are practical, flexible, and rooted in science. In short, this program is designed to offer what research shows works best, in a way that families can access and use—whether they’re just starting to notice anxiety or already facing daily challenges. It’s not watered down. It’s targeted, intentional, and backed by years of science—so you can feel confident taking the first step.

What about medication?

Medication is an important part of the picture for some families. When anxiety is severe and really interfering with daily life, medications—especially a group called Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs—can be helpful. These have been well-studied and are often used alongside CBT, especially when children are struggling to function, or when CBT alone hasn’t been enough. But they’re not the starting point for most children. The first step is usually CBT, because it helps children build lasting skills, without the need for medication—and with fewer side effects.

Fear ladders (also called fear hierarchies) are a key part of CBT. They help children face their fears gradually—in small, manageable steps—so anxiety starts to lose its power.

Here’s how they work:

• Step 1: Identify a fear your child has (e.g., going to a birthday party, sleeping alone, talking in class).

• Step 2: Break it down into smaller parts, and rate each step by how scary it feels.

• Step 3: Start with a mildly scary step, and help your child practice it over and over.

• Step 4: Move up the ladder as each step becomes easier.

And here’s something many parents are surprised to learn:

Facing just one fear—when done with repetition and support—can help other fears start to shrink, too. It builds confidence and changes how kids respond to discomfort.

It’s not a one-size-fits-all process. Each anxiety needs its own ladder, but you only tackle one at a time. It’s steady, doable, and incredibly effective.

Using fear ladders isn’t about pushing your child into panic—it’s about coaching them through bravery, step by step.

Here’s what it takes:

• Repetition: Each step needs to be practiced more than once for the brain to learn that it’s safe.

• Patience: Some days will be harder than others.

• Support over pressure: Encourage effort, celebrate progress, and stay calm.

• Focus: Stick with one fear ladder at a time—slow and steady wins the race.

Fear ladders help children learn that they can face fears and feel proud—not because the fear disappears overnight, but because they learned they could handle it.

When kids feel anxious, their minds often jump to the worst-case scenario. These thoughts show up fast and feel very real—even if they’re not entirely accurate. Learning to think differently is about helping children slow down, question those thoughts, and come up with new ones that help them feel more capable and in control.

Let’s say your child thinks:

“If I participate in class, I’ll say something dumb and everyone will laugh at me.”

Instead of jumping into reassurance with, “That won’t happen” or “I’ll be fine,” we advocate for a different process—one that gives them tools they can use again and again.

First, notice that this is an anxious thought—not a fact. 

Second, come up with at least two “O” thoughts—other ways of seeing the situation. These “O” thoughts need to be believable and grounded in reality. 

For example:

• “If I mess up, the teacher will probably just help me. That’s their job.”

• “If the everyone laughs, eventually they will stop and move on. They always do that!”

And when a worry is especially big, kids need to walk through it – not run from it.

“What’s the worst thing that could happen—and what would I do then?”
This helps them realize: even if something uncomfortable does happen, they can handle it, especially with your support.

Also, if your child is worrying about things like money, health, or safety in the world, guide them to gently give that worry back to the grown-ups:

“That’s not yours to carry. That’s for us to take care of.”

This is the heart of learning to “think differently” when it comes to anxiety—and it’s a skill that can last a lifetime.

You can help your child grow more confident, thoughtful, and resilient, one step at a time.

You play a key role in making this program effective. While the sessions provide the tools, it’s your guidance and follow-through that help those tools take root.

Helping the program work means:

• Completing the sessions at your own pace—, so there’s time to absorb and apply each skill.

• Practicing the strategies as they’re designed, such as:

  • Supporting your child in taking one step at a time on their fear ladder and sticking with that step until it becomes easier.

  • Helping your child generate at least two “O” thoughts—realistic, alternative ways of looking at each anxious thought, rather than offering reassurance.

• Staying aligned with the method, not skipping steps, rewording strategies, or moving too quickly through practice.

This isn’t about perfection or doing everything all at once. It’s about using the strategies consistently and correctly—because that’s what helps your child feel braver, more capable, and more in control.

If something feels off or progress stalls, it’s usually a sign to pause, check the steps, and make adjustments, not to give up. You don’t have to get it right every time, but your commitment to learning and applying the tools the way they’re meant to be used makes all the difference.