Podcast : 5 top tips for parents supporting a child/teen through the Emetophobia-Free Programme
Caitriona’s daughter, Cara, started showing signs of Emetophobia when she was just 8 years old. After trying multiple different therapies they came across the Emetophobia-Free Programme. Caitriona got fully involved in her daughter's recovery, completing the programme alongside her so that she would support as much as possible.
Caitriona was so blown away with the transformation in Cara she wanted to reach out to other parents currently supporting their child to offer advice and guidance on their journey to helping their young person overcome Emetophobia...
5 top tips for parents supporting a child through the programme.
1. Understand the Thrive Programme and how it works Understanding the programme and how it works is vital. Cara’s whole family took the time to understand the programme fully and the skills were learned and applied by the whole family which enabled them to resonate with the entire process and model effectively for Cara.
2. Reassure your child that they are not alone, and that they have your full support Emetophobe’s often feel isolated as a result of their phobia. Reassure your child/teen that their phobia will get better, and that they will return to/create a 'normal' life once she overcame it.
3. Be patient and understanding Emetophobe’s are often perfectionists with a number of unhelpful thinking styles. Cara was continuously reassured by her parents that overcoming this phobia wouldn’t happen overnight. She was reminded that repetition and consistency was key. If Cara became concerned that the process wouldn’t work for her, she was reminded that so many people had previously been in her situation, yet they were now Thriving!
4. Use the correct language Before going through the programme, the language used by Caitriona was unintentionally unhelpful to Cara. Fortunately, she was able to learn how to best approach Cara due to her own experience with the Programme! Her family were able to encourage Cara by saying things such as ‘You know you’ll be okay, and you can cope even if you are sick!’ In Caitriona’s words, ’Learning the language was the one of most important parts of the programme’
5. Praise your child and acknowledge their progress, reminding them that they have done this themselves Cara was consistently reminded of the effort she was putting in and the progress she had made. Her parents reminded Cara to process the positives, despite not necessarily feeling much achievement in herself. Every small step achieved by Cara was acknowledged by her parents, and they continue to do so to this day!
Caitriona has now trained to be an Emetophobia-Free programme coach herself and is passionate about helping families support their young people to overcome their Emetophobia.
Have you watched our other Emetophobia Podcasts?