Are therapists doing unmasked therapy for kids with anxiety about covid stuff yet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are in MoCo and my child's therapist hasn't worn a mask since the county dropped the mandate in the spring. If the client wears one, she wears one. If not, then she doesn't wear one. It's so nice to be able to see her face!

This is exactly how our therapist (also in MOCO) handles it. We are so thankful for her. My child absolutely can’t do virtual therapy but you could try that. Unmasked therapists are out there but they are like unicorns. Pediatric therapists in general have waitlists. A lot kids are struggling.

So sorry your child is going through this. Does she like science? So you think learning more about the biology of germs and how training your immune system would help? Not a substitute for therapy but just a thought while you are working on finding someone.

[Anonymous]

I am in MoCo. My kid therapists wear masks the whole time. One allow my kid to take off mask sometimes during speech session, one do not allow my kid to take off mask at all during OT session, and one allow my kid to take off mask completely during feeding session (feeding = unmasked).

2 out of 3 therapists that my kid seeing got covid last week. It could be personal life or could be from clients. Good thing that my kid is fine & no covid.

[Anonymous]

My kid sees a therapist in VA and a psychiatrist in DC. Neither require or wear masks (but will if requested). She started seeing the therapist a year ago and masks have not been required since that time (though I believe they were pre-vaccine). Both providers believe in person while seeing faces is ideal for therapy.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I'm curious why you think the mask was the barrier to them talking, particularly the mask on the therapist.

I'm a special educator, I work with a lot of kids with anxiety. I haven't seen a difference in how much any of my students talk to me based on whether I wear a mask. There are some kids with major articulation problems who talk less when they are masked, perhaps because they have had experiences where people can't understand them due to the mask, but my mask doesn't influence them.

Not engaging in therapy is a pretty common problem, and was before masks.

I think because the kid has specific anxiety around covid (as well as other things), that a constant reminder of covid could impede their ability to not be anxious about covid. It's pretty straightforward.

If the anxiety is around covid, then covid is going to come up in the therapy sessions. The goal isn't to go to therapy and avoid being reminded of the thing you're anxious about.

*with proper quoting this time*
If I had a fear of violent dogs, and my therapist had a violent dog barking in another room the entire time I was attempting therapy, I might not have the best success in overcoming my fear of violent dogs.

Unless it was exposure therapy. Eventually, the scary dog can be in the room with you and you won't be afraid.

+1 and for fears like OP’s daughter, it’s critical that she start having such exposures

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All learned behavior. Stop freaking out your child.

THIS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious why you think the mask was the barrier to them talking, particularly the mask on the therapist.

I'm a special educator, I work with a lot of kids with anxiety. I haven't seen a difference in how much any of my students talk to me based on whether I wear a mask. There are some kids with major articulation problems who talk less when they are masked, perhaps because they have had experiences where people can't understand them due to the mask, but my mask doesn't influence them.

Not engaging in therapy is a pretty common problem, and was before masks.

My kid with anxiety and social skills issues did MUCH better in school and therapy when masks came off. It’s just fooling yourself to deny that.

[Anonymous]

My DD sees a therapist in McLean weekly and neither of them wear a mask in the session. They are required to wear one in the building but they both take them off as soon as they are in her office/playroom.

[Anonymous]

To those of you declaring you know what's best for OP's child: Please stop. Just refrain from your judgement. There is a child that is having problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious why you think the mask was the barrier to them talking, particularly the mask on the therapist.

I'm a special educator, I work with a lot of kids with anxiety. I haven't seen a difference in how much any of my students talk to me based on whether I wear a mask. There are some kids with major articulation problems who talk less when they are masked, perhaps because they have had experiences where people can't understand them due to the mask, but my mask doesn't influence them.

Not engaging in therapy is a pretty common problem, and was before masks.

I think because the kid has specific anxiety around covid (as well as other things), that a constant reminder of covid could impede their ability to not be anxious about covid. It's pretty straightforward.

If the anxiety is around covid, then covid is going to come up in the therapy sessions. The goal isn't to go to therapy and avoid being reminded of the thing you're anxious about.

*with proper quoting this time*
If I had a fear of violent dogs, and my therapist had a violent dog barking in another room the entire time I was attempting therapy, I might not have the best success in overcoming my fear of violent dogs.

Unless it was exposure therapy. Eventually, the scary dog can be in the room with you and you won't be afraid.

+1 and for fears like OP’s daughter, it’s critical that she start having such exposures

Yes, probably her daughter should learn that she will be fine WITHOUT a mask. I believe that's likely the exposure therapy that the violent dog would entail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious why you think the mask was the barrier to them talking, particularly the mask on the therapist.

I'm a special educator, I work with a lot of kids with anxiety. I haven't seen a difference in how much any of my students talk to me based on whether I wear a mask. There are some kids with major articulation problems who talk less when they are masked, perhaps because they have had experiences where people can't understand them due to the mask, but my mask doesn't influence them.

Not engaging in therapy is a pretty common problem, and was before masks.

I think because the kid has specific anxiety around covid (as well as other things), that a constant reminder of covid could impede their ability to not be anxious about covid. It's pretty straightforward.

If the anxiety is around covid, then covid is going to come up in the therapy sessions. The goal isn't to go to therapy and avoid being reminded of the thing you're anxious about.

*with proper quoting this time*
If I had a fear of violent dogs, and my therapist had a violent dog barking in another room the entire time I was attempting therapy, I might not have the best success in overcoming my fear of violent dogs.

Unless it was exposure therapy. Eventually, the scary dog can be in the room with you and you won't be afraid.

+1 and for fears like OP’s daughter, it’s critical that she start having such exposures

Yes, probably her daughter should learn that she will be fine WITHOUT a mask. I believe that's likely the exposure therapy that the violent dog would entail.

Agree! The longer kids (or really most people ) wear a mask, the more they think they are essential for survival or doing something useful. Those of us who stopped as soon as the law allowed have known that they aren't essential for either and life is much better without them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious why you think the mask was the barrier to them talking, particularly the mask on the therapist.

I'm a special educator, I work with a lot of kids with anxiety. I haven't seen a difference in how much any of my students talk to me based on whether I wear a mask. There are some kids with major articulation problems who talk less when they are masked, perhaps because they have had experiences where people can't understand them due to the mask, but my mask doesn't influence them.

Not engaging in therapy is a pretty common problem, and was before masks.

I think because the kid has specific anxiety around covid (as well as other things), that a constant reminder of covid could impede their ability to not be anxious about covid. It's pretty straightforward.

If the anxiety is around covid, then covid is going to come up in the therapy sessions. The goal isn't to go to therapy and avoid being reminded of the thing you're anxious about.

*with proper quoting this time*
If I had a fear of violent dogs, and my therapist had a violent dog barking in another room the entire time I was attempting therapy, I might not have the best success in overcoming my fear of violent dogs.

Unless it was exposure therapy. Eventually, the scary dog can be in the room with you and you won't be afraid.

+1 Exposure therapy and building distress tolerance are essential to treating anxiety. I think more therapists are mask free than not at this point, likely more so if they are in private practice. Those working out of clinics may be following facility-wide masking rules. My kid does zoom therapy, now due to convenience not covid and it actually works well for her. She also had covid reentry anxiety. I started doing outings every weekend to places she found anxiety-provoking but also had something she wanted. For example: extended target trip but she gets to pick a toy at the end, busy ice cream shop, lunch at a restaurant of her choosing.

[Anonymous]

Good luck when your kid actually gets COVID from unmasked therapy.

How about outside unmasked?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To those of you declaring you know what's best for OP's child: Please stop. Just refrain from your judgement. There is a child that is having problems.

There are standard evidence-based treatments for anxiety.

[Anonymous]

I’m another poster who firmly believes that young kids with covid phobia - particularly mask phobia - have only their parents to blame. Parents are projecting their own feelings and misgivings about masks onto their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good luck when your kid actually gets COVID from unmasked therapy.

How about outside unmasked?

That might actually help! I know my concerns about Covid significantly lessened when I got it and realized that, in my situation, it was not a significant medical event.

But your response wasn’t meant to help OP find the care she needs, was it?