David Russ, PhD, Licensed Practicing Psychologist

Christopher McCarthy, MEd, Licensed Professional Counselor

 

 The Turnaround Audio Program includes:

• Turnaround Program for kids (10 CDs) Each lesson is about 20 minutes long.

• Turnaround Journal, a 74-page workbook for kids (see more).

• Chill Kit, relaxation guide for kids (1 CD). Contains 4 different relaxation exercises and exclusive music from Chad Lawson, an award winning artist.

• Parent Guide, packed full of helpful information and techniques to support parents (2 CDs). Over 90-minutes of in-depth material.

•  Free Bonus Gift- Med FAQs- Child - An 80-minute interview with Neuropsychiatrist, Dr. James Lee. Dr. Lee is a former professor of Child Psychiatry at Duke. David Russ and Christopher McCarthy interview Dr. Lee and cover issues related to child anxiety, including the use of medications, factors leading to anxiety, types of childhood anxiety, and how to seek the right kind of help.

 Turnaround Helps Your Child:

Overcome their fears through scientifically researched techniques (CBT).

Feel normal as they hear other kids tell their stories of fear & freedom.

Enjoy completing the diverse exercises in the 74-page Turnaround Journal.

Calm themselves through relaxation exercises found on Chill Kit CD.

Sleep better and go to sleep faster.

Express their thoughts and feelings with you through a new shared language.

Resume normal activities, such as school, sports, & social events.

Turnaround works! Read the Testimonies of fears overcome. We stand this promise with a 90-day guarantee.

Learn more about the benefits

Created by Licensed Clinicians with Over 30 Years of Combined Experience

Together, we- Psychologist Dr. David Russ and Licensed Professional Counselor Christopher McCarthy- spent two years creating this audio program just for kids. Being fathers of anxious kids, and therapists who treat anxious children, we discovered there were limited quality resources available. Turnaround: Turning Fear Into Freedom™ is based upon cognitive-behavioral therapy, which research has shown to be the most effective treatment for depression and anxiety. What makes Turnaround truly unique and without rival is the priority of making the material professional AND child friendly. In Turnaround you will have the confidence of knowing the program was developed by experienced clinicians, using scientifically proven theory and techniques, and designed to not only educate your child, but keep them engaged in the process. Your child will want to listen to it again and again.

New Article just in time for summer from Turnaround Co-Creator Christopher McCarthy! Tell Fear to Take a Hike- 5 Strategies to Help Anxious Children Embrace Summer Activities equips parents with effective strategies to help their child make the most of summertime fun.

For more articles by Dr. David Russ and Christopher McCarthy, see the Parental Support page.

Turnaround successfully treats the most common types of child anxiety, such as- general worry and fear (or Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)), Separation Anxiety, School Phobias, Social Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Panic Attacks. We feature a few of them below-  

 Understanding Childhood Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors and/or thoughts used by the child to relieve the anxious thoughts (compulsions). 
• Performing compulsions, or "rituals" can provide temporary relief. Compulsions can be behaviors like hand washing, organizing, checking, or mental acts like ritualized praying, counting, repeating words silently.
• Turnaround:Turning Fear Into Freedom addresses childhood Obsessive-compulsive disorder directly. One of the 6 campers on the journey, Matt, struggles with OCD and through the 10-day adventure he learns how to overcome his anxious struggle. Additionally, Mario, a teen mentor who struggled with OCD in the past, joins the campers on days 8 and 9 and shares his story of struggle and successs.
• In the Parent Guide, we cover obsessive-compulsive disorder in detail. You will learn how to recognize it and how to effectively help your child overcome it. 

To learn more about OCD, follow this link to the article, "Understanding Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder" by Christopher McCarthy. You can find the same article on the Parental Support page titled, The ABC's of OCD.

Want more information on OCD? See our exclusive page dedicated to understanding OCD- OCD Page.

School Phobia

Many children struggle with anxieties related to school. Common school based anxieties are Separation Anxiety, Panic/Anxiety Attacks, Social Anxiety, Perfectionism, and other general school-based fears. These fears can surface when the child has to attend certain classes, eat in the cafeteria, be with feared teachers, or attending field trips to name a few. Turnaround addresses many of these fears directly. Three of the children on the imaginary trip, Madison, Cedric, and Brianna, have school based anxieties. Madison is perfectionist with school work. She's bound up in her fears of failure and getting grades less than A's. Cedric fears social situations and his shyness keeps him from experiencing the joys of friendships and, the fun of social gatherings. Brianna fears separation from her parents. She sometimes refuses school or attending athletic practices due to being separated from her mom. Through each day of the Turnaround journey, the children face their fears and learn ways to overcome them. Additionally, other child actors illustrate ways to overcome other school-based fears. Turnaround is an excellent resource to free your child from worries and anxieties related to school.

Click on these links to hear some simple ideas about how to help your child with separation anxiety associated with the start of school. Turnaround provides more extensive help, but these provide some good ideas to get started.

Christopher McCarthy on Charlotte Today

Michele Borba on The Today Show

 Panic Attacks

A Personal Word From Dr. Russ

“I had a child with panic disorder. She's free of anxiety now but I remember well what it was like when she was in the midst of panic episodes. It was terrifying for her and agonizing for her mom and I. I searched extensively for professional materials designed to address kids directly. Other than a few books, I was astonished by the complete absence of good, quality materials! Most of what is available is for parents, who in turn are asked to essentially become the therapist for their children. Well, I am a parent and a psychologist and that gives me a terrific advantage, but a parent really can't be a therapist. The few audio programs were lectures for at least an hour each and designed for adults. One program claiming to be a child program was patronizing and painfully boring. The format and content was contrary to both the science and practice of treating child anxiety. If the delivery system is flawed then no matter how helpful the information, healing can't take place. For these reasons, for my child and your child, Chris and I committed ourselves to create a program that works for kids- that is based on solid research and kid friendly to hold their attention and make the experience something they want to do." 

Want more information on Panic and Anxiety Attacks? Click here see our exclusive page dedicated to the understanding of Panic Attack Disorder.

General Fears & Worries Resulting From Parental Separation & Divorce

A Personal Word From Turnaround Creator, Christopher McCarthy

I am a child of divorce. My parents separated/divorced when I was six years old. I remember well the fears I had, fears of being alone, of bad people breaking in and hurting me, of leaving my mom to visit my dad, and of worrying about my mom's safety. I wish I had had a resource like Turnaround! I think it would have helped me tremendously. In Turnaround, your child will learn why they feel what they feel, and how to master their anxious thoughts and feelings. Turnaround was created with the child of separation and divorce in mind.

On the first day of the program, your child will meet Ashley, one of the six children on this adventure trying to get free from their fears. She tells her story of how her fears started when her parents were fighting. She struggles with worries now that she never had and wishes she could just be like she use to be. There's also Brianna, who struggles with separation anxiety, and Madison who's a perfectionist. Boys will relate to either Jordan who experiences panic attacks, Cedric who is shy and fearful of social situations, or Matthew, who in his fear tries to control his chaotic world through obsessive-compulsive routines. I know what your child is feeling. I've been there and have helped many similar children in my practice as a child therapist. I'm confident Turnaround can equip them with powerful information that will build their confidence and practical techniques to help them master their fears.

Learn more by clicking on these links:

The Turnaround Journal     Endorsements & Testimonies    Parent Support     Program Benefits     Other Products     About US     Cast     Order    

Illustrations by CB Canga