‘Taming Worry Dragons’ program Sept. 12 – Oct. 17

By Heather Cameron
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Family and Community Support Services in the M.D. of Taber will be offering a ‘Taming Worry Dragons’ program on Thursdays from 6 to 7 p.m. from September 12 to October 17.

“Worry dragons are a metaphorical way to externalize anxiety to help children trap and tame these worries,” Timothy Krahn, Canadian Certified Counselor. “Worry Dragons equals anxiety. The program uses hands on activates, art, and play to encourage children to be creative when dealing with worries.”

Krahn says that during the program, children weekly one-hour sessions where they learn about worries/anxiety and learn to represent those worries in the form of dragons. Krahn says that parents/caregivers attend their sessions at the same time as the children and they learn about anxiety, how it manifests within their families, and learn strategies on helping their children better manage anxiety. 

“When children learn to identify their own worries they can respond more positively to them,” said Krahn. “Externalizing the worries as “dragons” helps them to learn that they are not broken but rather they are being pestered by an external worry dragon. Children will learn through art and play about their own worries. Adults will learn through writing activities and group discussion about anxiety, their children, and their own worries. Parents learn how to create a more positive environment at home that helps their whole family.”

The adult portion of the program, Krahn says, will be taught by himself, while the children’s portion, which is open to children ages 9 to 11 of the program will be taught by Tanie Reid-Walker, a full-time counsellor with FCSS.

Krahn says that those who wish to register for the course can do so online at fcss.ca or they can contact himself at 587-370-4802 or tim.krahn@fcss.ca or they can contact Walker-Reid at 587-370-0215 or tanie.walker@fcss.ca. The course, Krahn says, is free of charge to residents within FCSS’s service area.

“This program is important as anxiety has increased over the years, with an increase of social media and as a result of children’s brains being developed during the upsetting times of the pandemic,” said Walker-Reid. “It is vital to address mental health at the beginning stages to help reduce the future impacts of mental health challenges. It is difficult to learn and grow when experiencing anxiety.”