175: A Game-Changing Toolkit to Help Kids Conquer Worry and Build Courage

The Best of You

Dr. Alison Cook

Mental Health, Health & Fitness

4.9 • 959 Ratings

🗓️ 11 September 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The world has changed, and raising kids now requires a new kind of courage. In this encouraging, yet practical episode, Dr. Alison is joined by counselors and best-selling authors Sissy Goff and David Thomas of Daystar Counseling in Nashville. Together, they discuss why anxiety is showing up earlier and more intensely in children, and how parents can respond with both empathy and practical tools. Sissy and David share practical & creative ways they’re helping kids build courage, resilience, self-control, and perspective. From therapy dogs and illustrated children’s books, to powerful stories from their counseling practice, Sissy and David deliver hopeful reminders that your calm matters, and practical strategies can help your kids step into the world with more confidence. This episode explores: Why childhood anxiety is rising, and how it looks different in boys and girls The surprising ways technology impacts emotional health The unintended consequence of overprotective parenting Practical tools that help kids develop resilience, risk-taking, and healthy coping When to seek counseling for your child This episode is a hopeful reminder: Kids don’t need a perfect parent. They need a present one who believes in their courage and helps them practice it. For More from David and Sissy: Check out their website, https://www.raisingboysandgirls.com and pre-order the DayStar Dogs books here: 📚Pippa Learns to Share the Spotlight: A Lesson About Jealousy 📚Happy Finds Her Calm: A Lesson in Self-Control 📥 Grab your 3 free Boundaries For Your Soul resources here: 📥 Download Alison’s free printable with the five boundary tools when you sign up for her weekly email. Here are some other episodes you might like : Episode 65: Vulnerability, Parenting, and Letting Go of Control Episode 85: The Goal of a Healthy Family & 6 Roles We Take On In Dysfunction 📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here 💬 Got a question? Call 307-429-2525 and leave a message for a future episode. Thanks to our Sponsors! Go to ⁠Quince.com/bestofyou⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Better sleep starts today! Get a birch mattress and test it out for 100 nights risk-free PLUS a discount for being a listener by visiting birchliving.com/BESTOFYOU. If you’re looking for a Bible that helps you live the Word, not just read it, then grab this beautiful one I’m currently using at NIVapplicationbible.com. Give online therapy a try and see how it can help you become more present, more aware, and more connected to the life you want to live. Visit BetterHelp.com/BESTOFYOU. For 20% off your order, head to Reliefband.com and use code BESTOFYOU While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍ © 2025 Alison Cook. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Please do not copy or share the contents of this webpage or transcript without permission from the author. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey everyone, I'm Dr. Allison, and I'm so glad you're here to discover what brings out the best of you.
0:11.7	This podcast is all about breaking free from painful patterns, mending the past and discovering our true selves in God.
0:19.7	I can't wait to get started as we learn together
0:22.0	how to become the best version of who we are with God's help.
0:28.6	Hey everyone, and welcome back to this week's episode of The Best of You. Today, we're diving
0:34.1	into a topic I know so many of you are navigating, how to help our kids develop
0:38.6	real courage and resilience in what feels like an increasingly anxious world. We touched on this
0:44.8	theme last week with counselor Trey Tucker, who works primarily with Gen Z young adults, and today
0:50.9	we're going to look at the same concern a little earlier in life through the lens of children and families.
0:57.4	In this conversation, you'll hear a simple way to become the calm your child can catch, even when you're stressed.
1:04.7	Why anxiety and kids often looks like anger, control, or distraction, and what to do in the moment?
1:10.7	How to decide when it's time to
1:12.0	consult a professional and how to frame counseling as part of your child's care team? And two
1:17.6	kid-friendly tools you can try to night to right-size big feelings and build brave muscles
1:22.5	over time. We'll also talk about an amazing new resource for kids that uses stories to teach emotional
1:28.9	skills in a playful, shame-free way. It's creative, evidenced-based, and honestly, really fun.
1:35.4	I'm thrilled to bring you today's conversation. Let's dive in.
1:42.1	This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Sometimes we turn to funny places for support. We find
1:48.3	ourselves confiding in a hairdresser or suddenly downloading on our neighbor at the mailbox.
1:52.8	It's helpful to chat with trusted people, but when it comes to real issues, complicated
1:56.8	challenges that we face in our lives, sometimes we need more than casual advice.
2:01.7	We need to talk with someone who is trained to help us, and that's where BetterHelp comes in.
	...

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