Michael Hawton has spent much of his career working with parents and their children. He has been training family services workers and educational leaders in the area of behavior management for over 17 years, and has developed parent education programs that have been taught to over 150,000 parents and professionals since 2006.
A psychologist, published author, former schoolteacher and father of two, Michael brings a practical, no-nonsense approach to guide parents through an effective parent-led method for resolving child anxiety.

With the right information, parents can help children to overcome their anxiety, guiding any child to lessen their worrying and reduce their avoidance of challenging tasks.

Childhood anxiety is much more prevalent these days, and parents and carers need to be able to help their kids to prevent dangerous escalation. With 18 years of expert, qualified experience, the author shows how to help children and tweens build up the necessary brain architecture and perspective, and create the emotional reserves and balance needed throughout life.

Parent-led strategies for managing child anxiety based in cognitive behavioral approaches are vital for the successful treatment of mild to moderate levels of child anxiety. Parents, carers and grandparents are on the spot when a child is behaving anxiously and simple interventions by them can be used across time as an effective treatment for child anxiety.

User-friendly features in this book include:

• Case studies of a family who have successfully tackled their children’s anxious behavior.
• Worksheets outlining the methodical steps parents should take.
• Advice on how to manage a child’s digital world.
• Tips to help worried parents deal with their own anxious thoughts and feelings.

You’re the one who’s in your child’s life for the long run — it’s important that you know what to do when anxious moments arise.

Australian Women’s Weekly
“Michael Hawton, author of The Anxiety Coach (Exisle Publishing, 2023) says around 30 percent of children with anxiety are born with an anxious temperament, but for the majority it’s learned behaviour (so it can be unlearned too).” 

Blue Wolf Reviews
 “A first rate guide for parents and the understanding it engenders needs to be available as your child grows. Certainly, the structures put in place need to begin from a very early age.” Click here to read

Library Journal
“Filled with practical ideas, this will prove an ideal guide for the parents and children who struggle with anxiety.” Click here to read

The Australian.
“More than 20000 students and their parents from 58 schools will be coached to cope in lessons developed by child psychologist Michael Hawton, the author of .. The Anxiety Coach. “Mum and Dad need to take a step back and help children…parents think they are doing the right thing but if they jump in every time to fix things, they are not teaching them the life skills to manage stresses and challenges”

6PR bx
“Children are catastrophizing more in an effort to get their parents to step in. If you can teach kids how to be the boss of their anxiety you are also teaching your kids to be resilient”

Sunday Telegraph, Brisbane Sun Mail and The Chronical
“ Hawton’s brilliant new book, The Anxiety Coach, effectively teaches parents how to help their children manage anxious feelings.”.

Click here to read Angela’s opinion