Faculty members attend a training on anxiety in the classroom
On Wednesday, Jan. 3, Wesleyan welcomed Dr. Mary Danielak, Psy.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist to lead a training for all faculty members about anxiety and how it may present in the classroom. Danielak is one of the founders and CEO of The Counseling and Development Center outside of Atlanta. She has been in clinical practice since 1994 and has tested more than 1,600 children, teens, and adults. She has also trained a variety of postdoctoral fellows in the best practices of assessment and interpretation of data. Her training in assessment includes the neuropsychological assessment of executive functions for differentiating ADHD from other disorders, rather than only relying on checklists. She also provides therapy and counseling, parent training/coaching, and Cogmed Working Memory Training.
Danielak began her presentation by explaining anxiety and how it differs from an anxiety disorder. She described anxiety as a normal reaction to stress or a difficult event that has a start and end point. An anxiety disorder is marked by constant and unsubstantiated worry that causes significant distress that is ongoing. She presented research and scientific data supporting the physical and chemical reality of anxiety and anxiety disorders.
Next, Danielak described clinical types of anxiety such as general anxiety, social anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and how these disorders might affect a student’s work habits and effectiveness in the classroom. She discussed symptoms of anxiety disorders that might be seen at school:
- Excessive worry and anxiety about a variety of matters.
- Repeated seeking of teacher’s approval.
- Perfectionism.
- Fatigue.
- Frequent stomach aches and headaches.
- Restlessness, feeling “on edge,” difficulty concentrating or relaxing, or mind going blank.
- Irritability.
- Appearing oppositional.
- And/or self-criticism and low self-esteem.
She provided teachers with practical tools to implement in an effort to support students who struggle with anxiety. Some of these tools included stretching, decreasing environmental instability, and leading students in exercises to practice being in the present.
“All anxiety comes from ‘what ifs’ and fear of the future,” reflected Danielak as she explained the importance of mindfulness.
We are so thankful to Dr. Danielak and all the knowledge she shared with our faculty to equip us to love and serve all students.
