“I want to go to school… but I just can’t.”
If you’ve worked with, or are the parent of a teen experiencing Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), this may be all too familiar.
These young people often desperately want to attend school but find it overwhelming, exhausting, or emotionally unsafe. It’s rarely about not wanting to learn. More often, it’s about surviving each day without their nervous system tipping into shutdown.
If you’re the kind of parent who reflects deeply, loves fiercely, and is doing everything you can to support your struggling teen — yet still finds yourself lying awake thinking, “Am I getting this wrong?” — you’re not alone.
Parental guilt is incredibly common, especially when you’re supporting an anxious or neurodivergent child. But that doesn’t mean it’s always telling the truth.
Let’s explore what guilt might really be about — and how to meet it with kindness, not criticism.
If you’re parenting a child or teenager who struggles with anxiety, school attendance, or emotional overwhelm, chances are your own nervous system is stretched too. Maybe you find yourself snappy and irritable one moment, numb and detached the next. Maybe you can’t switch off, even when nothing is “happening.”
If you're considering an autism assessment for your child, you might feel unsure about the process. It's natural to wonder what exactly will happen and how it will help your child. In this post, I'll walk you through what an autism assessment looks like here at Percuro Psychology, helping you feel clear, supported, and prepared.
If you're parenting an autistic teen who seems constantly overwhelmed, irritable, or quick to shut down, it can feel confusing and exhausting. You might find yourself wondering:
“Why are they so sensitive?”
“Why does the smallest thing set them off?”
“Why do they seem fine one minute, and totally unreachable the next?”
School leavers’ day is a big moment across the UK.
Shirts are being signed, photos are being posted, and proud families are celebrating their teens’ final day of school.
But for some families, this week doesn’t feel like a celebration.
Parenting an anxious teen can sometimes feel like walking on a tightrope—carefully trying to balance support and boundaries, only to find yourself tipping into tension, conflict, or emotional overwhelm. And if you’ve ever walked away from an interaction thinking, “That didn’t go how I wanted it to,”—you’re far from alone.
"Mum, Emily left me on read!"
If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of this panic-filled statement, you know exactly how quickly a teen’s social anxiety can spiral. One moment, they’re casually texting their best friend, and the next, they’re convinced their entire friendship is over—just because of a delayed response.
Raising a teenager comes with a unique set of challenges, but when your teen struggles with anxiety, the push-pull of independence can feel even more intense. One moment, they need you; the next, they’re shutting you out. It’s a confusing and sometimes heartbreaking process.
If you’re waking up every morning to tears, battles, and overwhelming guilt as you try to get your teen to school, you’re not alone. Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) is a growing challenge for many families, leaving parents feeling helpless, judged, and exhausted.
Parenting an anxious teen is an emotional rollercoaster. You want to support them, ease their worries, and be their safe place. But at the same time, you know they need to build confidence, independence, and resilience to face life’s challenges. Finding that balance—between helping and letting go—can feel impossible some days.
This month, I’ve shared posts about three key strategies for supporting an anxious teen:
Are you feeling distant from your teenage child and hoping that Christmas might give you an opportunity to reconnect, but you are unsure how? This article will provide you with 5 actionable tips to help you.
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