341: Building Bravery in Anxious Kids, with Melissa Giglio, Psy.D.

Bravery isn’t about being fearless. It’s about learning how to move forward with fear — slowly, gently, and with support. And for anxious kids, that kind of bravery doesn’t come from pressure or pushing harder. It grows from safety, trust, and someone steady walking beside them.

In this episode, I’m joined by child psychologist Dr. Melissa Giglio to talk about what bravery really looks like for anxious kids and how we can nurture it without overwhelming them. We unpack why confidence and capability don’t come from “just doing it,” especially for kids with anxiety, ADHD, or autism. Instead, bravery is built through validation, scaffolding, and tolerable challenges that respect each child’s nervous system.

We talk about how to support kids without enabling avoidance, why rushing and pressure backfire, and how to strike that delicate balance between comfort and challenge. Dr. Melissa shares practical ways to help kids get comfortable being uncomfortable, without flooding their nervous system or eroding trust. We also dig into how parents’ own regulation plays a powerful role, and why fairness, predictability, and follow-through matter so much for anxious kids.

If you’re wondering how to help your child try again after avoidance, how to respond when encouragement feels invalidating, or when to step back without pulling support too soon, this conversation will meet you right where you are.

This is a hopeful, grounding episode about growing brave muscles over time, for our kids and for us.

🎧 Listen now to learn how to build real, lasting bravery in anxious kids one supported step at a time.

You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com and Regulated Kids.com — because it’s not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.

Show notes and more resources at parentingadhdandautism.com/341

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You can find additional resources at parentingadhdandautism.com and Regulated Kids.com — because it’s not just about the struggles, it’s about progress, one step at a time.