Freddie, aged 11, lives with his mother and two sisters. He suffered from anxiety, which was being made worse by the pandemic situation. His mother was worried this was affecting his ability to take part in normal daily activities and even leaving the house for school was difficult. She wondered if things would ever change, as he was very reliant on her to rescue him from his bouts of worry.

Kids Inspire offered online art therapy, which helped Freddie to use drawing to express some of his fears and symbolically ‘put away’ other worries. He also learnt strategies to calm himself and thought about how he could be soothed and heard.

Support sessions for Freddie’s mother also provided the space to think about her own problems and looking after herself. This helped her to become a more secure ‘container’ for Freddie’s anxiety so that she could support him to manage his emotions and build his confidence. The therapist also engaged Freddie’s mother in some psycho-education to help her understand Freddie’s responses to stress and offered strategies to help him when he felt anxious.

Over time communication increased between the pair and Freddie found new ways of communicating his needs. He began to make tentative steps towards being a little more independent. Freddie said ‘I feel more in control of my feelings’ and his mother agreed that anxiety did not now dominate their lives.