Childhood Anxiety and Depression: What Parents Need to Know

Description: Are my child’s fears and worries normal or should I be concerned? In this family webinar, we will discuss the signs of anxiety and depression, how to talk to children about these big emotions, and resources available to help families navigate mental health.

Guests: Rachel Busman, PsyD, ABPP; Senior Director Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Related Disorders Program Cognitive and Behavioral Consultants

Guest Bio: Rachel Busman, PsyD, ABPP is a licensed clinical psychologist and the Senior Director of the Child & Adolescent Anxiety and Related Disorders Program at Cognitive and Behavioral Consultants (CBC). Dr. Busman has extensive experience providing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other evidenced-based treatment to children, teenagers and young adults struggling with anxiety disorders and other related mental health disorders. Dr. Busman works intensively with children who have selective mutism, and is dedicated to establishing trust and instilling a sense of hope in her patients as she helps them on their path to recovery. She also has a specific interest and expertise in the evaluation and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, separation anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder and specific phobias.

Dr. Busman has worked with children and adolescents in both inpatient and outpatient settings at a major academic medical center, where she directed a multidisciplinary team, and at a private mental health institute. She has taught and supervised psychology trainees, psychiatry residents and child psychiatry fellows, and lectured extensively on a variety of topics, including the evidence-based assessment and treatment of anxiety disorders in children and teens.

Prior to joining CBC, Dr. Busman was the senior director of the Anxiety Disorders Center and Director of the Selective Mutism Service at the Child Mind Institute, in addition to the Director of Brave Buddies, an internationally recognized intensive program for children with Selective Mutism (SM). Dr. Busman is the former president of the Selective Mutism Association, the nation’s largest network of professionals, families, and individuals with selective mutism. She is certified in PCIT-SM and is a within agency trainer. Dr. Busman is also certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in Clinical Psychology and Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.