Volume_5_Issue_2_Digest

12 TPC Digest Fear is a normal aspect of human development; however, the increase in adversities during the past decade such as terrorist attacks, war, hurricanes and school shootings, warrants a renewed focus in the counseling profession on children’s fears and the promotion of resilience. The inability to cope with fear-related issues can have devastating effects on healthy childhood development, and a lack of effective coping skills in childhood is an identified precursor to adult psychopathology and mental illness. Knowledge about children’s fears and coping mechanisms can help professional counselors meet children’s health, educational and developmental needs. Research supports cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of fear- related disorders in children, but it is effective for only 60–70% of children. It is believed that the missing link in helping the remaining 30–40% of children cope with their fears is affect regulation. Affect regulation is the intentional process that an individual employs to modify emotional states in order to achieve desirable social and individual goals. New research points to a relationship between the inability to regulate emotion and heightened levels of negative emotions such as fear or anxiety. Conversely, resilient people, those who successfully bounce back from adversity, seem to demonstrate greater positive emotionality. Resilient individuals possess a positive attitude toward life and are curious and open to new experiences. The key to affect regulation is emotional awareness. Emotional awareness includes psychoeducation on positive (e.g., joy, gratitude, hope, serenity, interest and inspiration) as well as negative emotions (e.g., fear, worry and anxiety). Thus, fearful children must learn to become aware of their internal emotional states and then express or discuss their emotions effectively. Professional counselors can help accomplish these goals by using feelings charts, stories or vignettes to help children understand specific emotions; normalizing the experience of emotions; and modeling effective communication about emotions. Learning to correctly identify emotions helps children and adolescents gain a sense of control over their emotions and self-efficacy to change their emotional state. Greater understanding of the full range of emotions and affect regulation may serve as a buffer against mental health problems in children. Interventions should include teaching skills to generate positive emotions as a means of building internal and social resources. New research in the area of positive emotions and positive psychology provides a rich assortment of techniques for building strengths and resilience. Monica Leppma, NCC is an Assistant Professor at West Virginia University. Judit Szente is an Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida. Matthew J. Brosch is a master’s student at West Virginia University. Correspondence can be addressed to: Monica Leppma, Allen Hall 502-F, PO Box 6122, Morgantown, WV 26506, monica.leppma@mail.wvu.edu . Read full article and references: Leppma, M., Szente, J., & Brosch, M. J. (2015). Advancements in addressing children’s fears: A review and recommendations. The Professional Counselor , 5 , 261–272. doi: 10.15241/ml.5.2.261 Monica Leppma, Judit Szente, Matthew J. Brosch Advancements in Addressing Children’s Fears A Review and Recommendations