Creative interventions to assess and treat school refusal

Gain practical tools to confidently assess and treat school refusal using CBT—taught by expert Liana Lowenstein.

Anxiety and school refusal are on the rise, impacting a child’s emotional well-being, academic success, social development, and family functioning. The longer school refusal continues, the more entrenched it becomes—making it harder to treat. Mental health professionals need the tools to assess and treat school refusal effectively and early.

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 CBT-based treatment interventions that are engaging and developmentally appropriate. Cognitive behavioural therapy (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: Certificate in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): Level 1 OR equivalent knowledge/training in foundational 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.

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