School anxiety

School anxiety is when a child or young person feels overwhelmed by the thought of going to school, often because of stress, worry or past experiences that feel hard to manage. It can show up as emotional distress anger, sadness,  physical symptoms, tummy aches , headaches, refusal to attend, behaviour changes, or a sudden drop in confidence. 

For some children, the anxiety is linked to friendships, learning pressures, sensory overload, identity worries, separation worries from parents, or simply feeling unsafe or misunderstood in the school environment.

Counselling offers a calm, supportive space to help them understand what’s happening, explore the feelings behind the anxiety, and develop steadier ways to cope. Working together, we look at what’s driving the worry, build confidence and emotional regulation skills, and support families to create consistent, compassionate strategies at home and school.