Congratulations! You have now reached the last module of LUNA! This week, we will evaluate how far you and your child have come since beginning the program. We will also help you determine some future goals for your family to work towards.
Previously on LUNA…
For the past few weeks, you and your child have been working through supplemental modules of your choice to help with more specific issues. We hope that these modules allowed you to tailor this program to your child’s needs. Even though you have reached the end of LUNA, feel free to come back to any of these 12 modules to refresh your memory in the future!
Reviewing Progress
As you reach the end of LUNA, it’s important for you to take time to reflect and recognize all the wonderful things your child has accomplished. You can start reflecting by having an open discussion with your child about their achievements. During this discussion, make sure to focus on the positives. There will be time to talk about areas for improvement later, but first, try focusing only on how far they have come.
Then, take a moment to think back on how things were when you first started LUNA and answer the bulleted questions below (or view as PDF and complete the Reflecting on Our Progress worksheet). Pay attention to how far your child has come and focus on the progress they have made since they started. Even one tiny step forward or one positive change means that your child has made progress in LUNA!
It is also important for you to reflect on the progress YOU have made in LUNA! You have supported your child throughout this program, stayed committed to completing modules and worksheets, and helped your child complete their plans of action and exposure activities. You have remained dedicated and open to learning all this new material. That is a big accomplishment! Reflect on the ways in which you have grown as well when you complete the worksheet.
You may remember answering some reflection questions at the start of module 8 as well. It’s okay if your answers have changed since then, and it’s also okay if they are the same! The important thing is that you are thinking about the improvements you and your child have made.
- Look back at the Fears and Worries Checklist you and your child created in module 1. What fears/worries are listed? Which ones did my child work on in LUNA?
- Look back on your child’s goals. Have they made progress on their goals or achieved them? Have these achievements made things better for your child?
- Have these achievements made things better for your family as a whole? Can you or your family do things that you couldn’t do before due to your child’s anxiety?
- What things have you done to support/encourage your child that have helped them the most with their anxiety or fears?
- In what ways have you changed how you respond to your child’s anxiety?
- In what ways do you feel better prepared to help your child manage their anxiety in the future?
After reflecting, we hope you notice that the skills and habits you learned in LUNA have made it possible for you and your child to better manage fears and worries. The information you have learned and the activities you have completed are the foundation for anxiety treatment for everyone - teens, kids, and adults alike. These same skills can always be applied for new fears or worries throughout your and your child’s lifetime.
How to Keep the Conversation Positive
Sometimes, kids and teens with anxiety tend to discount their achievements and focus on the negatives while ignoring the positives. If this happens with your child, gently direct them back to focusing on their specific achievements. Here are a few examples of open-ended questions you can use to guide your child back to focusing on their progress and accomplishments:
- Have you gotten better at managing your anxiety?
- What fears and worries have you faced?
- What goals have you made progress on or accomplished?
- Tell me about something difficult you did in LUNA that you felt proud of yourself for afterwards.
- How confident are you about [insert exposure activity that they completed successfully] now compared to the start of LUNA?
- Tell me about an exposure activity you completed in LUNA that you thought you might not be able to do- but you did anyway!
- What are some things you are able to do now without feeling as anxious as you used to feel?
- What would you say to someone else who is struggling with anxiety, fears, or worries that they would like to overcome?
