School refusal: Creative interventions for assessment and treatment

Gain creative, practical CBT-based strategies to assess and treat school refusal in children using engaging, developmentally appropriate approaches.

Anxiety and school refusal are on the rise and these issues impact the emotional, academic, social, and family functioning of a child. The longer a child avoids or misses school, the more likely it will become entrenched and more difficult to treat. It is important to assess the reasons underlying the child’s school refusal so that you can implement an effective treatment plan.

This training presents creative, practical strategies to assess and treat school refusal in children aged 4 to 12. You’ll explore innovative assessment methods and Cognitive behavioural therapy-based treatment interventions that are engaging and developmentally appropriate. CBT is the most evidence-based approach for addressing school refusal, and this training will show you how to adapt it using play-based and experiential techniques that improve child participation and treatment outcomes.

Through hands-on activities, case examples, and demonstrations, participants will gain actionable tools to better support young clients struggling with anxiety-driven school avoidance. You’ll also learn how to foster treatment readiness, collaborate with families, and implement gradual exposure plans that are practical and effective.

While this session offers insights for educators it specifically targets mental health professionals with foundational CBT knowledge.

Learning objectives:

• List the most common factors underlying school refusal
• Implement techniques to assess school refusal 
• Describe methods for fostering treatment readiness in anxious children
• Implement a gradual exposure plan to treat school refusal
• Discuss effective strategies for use by parents and teachers

Prerequisite: Knowledge/training in foundational CBT.

Please note: Although teachers might find this webinar interesting, the content targets mental health professionals with foundational knowledge of CBT.

Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your toolkit and gain evidence-based strategies to confidently assess and treat school refusal. Register now and help children return to learning environments with greater confidence and reduced anxiety.

Back to ‘Our Courses’