David Russ, PhD, Licensed Practicing Psychologist

Christopher McCarthy, MEd, Licensed Professional Counselor

 

 The Turnaround Audio Program includes:

• The Turnaround Program for your child (10 CDs).

• The Turnaround Journal, a 74-page creative workbook for your child to use with the program (see more).

• The Chill Kit CD, relaxation guide to help your child learn how to relax and release stress (1 CD). Contains 5 different relaxation exercises and exclusive music from Chad Lawson, an award-winning artist.

• The Parent Guide CDs, packed full of helpful information to support you the parent (2 CDs). Over 90-minutes of in-depth material.

•  Free Bonus Gift- The Med FAQs- Child CD- An 90-minute interview with Neuropsychiatrist, Dr. James Lee. Dr. Lee is a former professor of Child Psychiatry at Duke University. Dr. 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.

• See Benefits for more information on how Turnaround can help your child.

 

Turnaround is designed to work best for children ages 6-12 years old

"The set impressed our testers with its comprehensive scope. What also resonated with testers was that this was a system that doesn't lecture or try to instantly "fix" the issue, instead it gives children valuable tools to learn how to calm themselves, express themselves and even sleep better. If your child is suffering from any of the issues listed above, you owe it to yourself and them to explore this option."

The National Parenting Center review panel
 

Turnaround Helps Your Anxious Child:

Overcome their fears through scientifically researched techniques (CBT) and a proven delivery method.

Feel better and less alone as they hear other kids tell their stories of struggle and success.

Learn helpful techniques from the creative 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.

Feel understood by their parents as their parents learn valuable information from the Parent Guide CDs.

Children all around the world have benefited from Turnaround, including kids from Australia, Canada, China, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Vietnam, & all across the United States!  

Learn more about the benefits

 

 Understanding Child Anxiety Disorders

You child is most likely struggling from normal childhood fears that have become overwhelming for them. This program will educate your child regarding what anxiety is and how to overcome it. But, some of you have that has been struggling for a longer period of time and possibly diagnosed with an "anxiety disorder". It may be helpful to remember that a disorder is a way of organizing and describing a set of symptoms that characterize a child's experience and behavior. In order for something to be considered a disorder, the symptoms must be affecting several areas of the child's life to the point of causing significant impairment. Nevertheless, a disorder is not a "thing," it is a way of organizing and describing symptoms.

The childhood anxiety disorders covered in Turnaround include Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Separation Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Phobias and Social Anxiety Disorder. The program also covers fears related to school that are not formally classified as a disorder, like school refusal and perfectionism.

To help parents better understand the medical aspects of childhood anxiety disorders, we've included Med FAQs (Child version), a 90-minute interview with Neuropsychiatrist, Dr. James Lee. The 3 professionals, Dr. Lee, Dr. Russ, and Christopher McCarthy give a thorough explanation of anxiety and how it can be treated medically. See the Other Products page for more information regarding Med FAQs. There are 3 separate interviews covering the unique needs of children, teens, and adults. Each interview is sold separately, and the child version of Med FAQs is included with your purchase of Turnaround.

 

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"This material is absolutely awesome. Our eight-year daughter asks me EVERY day when we pick her up from school, "Can we do Turnaround tonight?" She loves the characters and identifies closely with several of them. We all have our own journals and fill them out together as a family and discuss. This material is a life changer. For our family, the results have been both immediate and measurable. Thanks for the wonderful material."

Father- Nashville, TN.

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Created by Licensed Clinicians with Over 30 Years of Combined Experience

Together, Psychologist Dr. David Russ and Licensed Professional Counselor Christopher McCarthy, spent two years creating Turnaround to treat children with anxiety. Being fathers of anxious kids, and therapists who treat anxious children, we discovered there were limited resources available for the effective treatment of child anxiety. Turnaround: Turning Fear Into Freedom™ is based upon the theory of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), 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.

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

 

"I have been absolutely amazed by the Turnaround program. As an early childhood educator since 1998, I have seen a number of children that have experienced anxiety issues, yet I have never seen a way to dealing with these issues that are specific for children. Until now. If your family is dealing with Childhood Anxiety issues, I cannot recommend this program enough. It is by far the best one I have ever seen or heard of. I give Turnaround a HUGE thumbs up!"

Review from Canadian Blogger

 

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

 

Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety is characterized by extreme and unnecessary anxiety when faced with being separated from a parent or trusted caregiver. Symptoms can include expressing fears of being alone, of something bad happening to the caregiver, or of being kidnapped. Physical symptoms include sleep issues, complaints about physical problems like headaches, stomachaches or nausea, and sometimes experience a panic attack. The child will act excessively clingy, plead to stay with the parent, attempt to bargain and negotiate, and may even erupt in rage. They will basically do anything to prevent the separation from taking place.  

Turnaround addresses separation anxiety directly, as well as other types of worry and fear. One of the main characters in Turnaround, Brianna, struggles with separation anxiety. Throughout the program, she shares her struggles with the other kids and how she overcomes them.

Sometimes kids grow out of separation anxiety on their own. Turnaround can significantly speed up that process, from months and maybe years to just days and weeks. For kids who meet the medical criteria for Separation Anxiety, treatment is essential and Turnaround was created to fill that need.

 

"I'm so excited to have found a program that is really amazing for children. It's a completely different way of reaching these (anxious) children and making them feel ok. It's a priceless program."

Maryanne Russo, Host of Coffee Klatch Special Needs Radio.

 

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 success.
• 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.

Does your anxious child have Autism? Parents of Autistic anxious children are reporting great results using Turnaround to help their children. Follow this link for more details- Help For Autistic Children.

 

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 related anxiety. 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 discusses Turnaround on Charlotte Today

 I'm so thankful to have found a program that offers solid education and hope to anxious children! I'm thrilled at how you have embedded theories and strategies of CBT into such a refreshing, ingenious inter-active program. Honest to God, I'd like to nominate you both for some kind of Humanitarian Award! I enthusiastically endorse Turnaround to all parents and therapists seeking professional help for children who struggle with anxiety!"

Kaye Kellogg, MSW, LCSW,  Columbia, MO.

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.

 

Should You Seek Professional Counseling?

As therapists with over 30 years of experience between us, we support counseling. We also know there are some limitations to counseling. Turnaround was designed by us to work either before seeking treatment or in conjunction with treatment. Turnaround offers these unique benefits:

1. From the start, Turnaround was designed for children. Research proves that children learn best from other children. In Turnaround, children are both the teachers and the students, providing the ideal format for effective learning.

2. Counseling is usually done on an individual basis between an adult and a child for one hour a week at the therapist's office. Not only must the therapist overcome the adult/child communication barrier and the limitations of only having one hour, they also must overcome the child's anxieties associated with coming to the office. Sometimes this is impossible to overcome. I (Christopher) have on several occasions had children refuse to get out the car! Thankfully I was able to offer Turnaround. After listening to just the first three days of the program, he was able to come in. I reinforced the message of Turnaround and he continued the program at home. I have found that by using Turnaround  in conjunction with therapy, the sessions are greatly reduced and the child is able to overcome their fears much more quickly.

3. Children with anxiety feel alone. Usually if someone is anxious they keep it to themselves. Children don't realize how common anxiety is with other kids (1 in 13-18 kids) and, by hearing the kids stories shared in Turnaround, they feel much better. Working to overcome their fears with other children is a significant benefit.

4. There is solid scientific evidence that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the treatment of choice for anxiety. A therapist may not know how to effectively implement the therapeutic techniques with children. Turnaround is a complete CBT program, developed by experienced therapists.  

If you are considering counseling for your anxious child, we would suggest you try Turnaround first because most kids find freedom from their fears by using it alone. If your child's anxiety is more severe and in need of further help, Turnaround will aid in their treatment and should reduce the time in treatment. There is a 90-day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the program.

 

Learn more by clicking on these links:

The Turnaround Journal     Endorsements & Testimonies    Parent Support     Program Benefits 

Other Products     About US     Cast     Order    Samples 

Illustrations by CB Canga