The EBSA Support Programme
Specialist support for families navigating anxiety-based school avoidance.
A clear path through anxiety-based school avoidance
Families in the programme move through The Connection-First Approach, which is a structured three-phase process over three months.
Each phase is designed to reduce anxiety, restore stability at home, and help families move toward a sustainable path forward.
Phase 1: Calm
Reducing the Overwhelm
We begin by helping you feel calmer and more grounded.
When everything feels intense, it’s very hard to know what to do next. This phase is about creating space—so you can think more clearly, feel more in control, and stop the situation from escalating at home.
We focus on connection over attendance in this phase, in order to stabilise things.
In this phase, you will:
• feel less overwhelmed day-to-day
• reduce pressure around school (without forcing anything)
• understand why things feel so intense right now
• feel more supported, reassured, and less alone
Phase 2: Clarity
Understanding Anxiety & Knowing What To Do
Once things feel calmer, we shift into curiosity.
Instead of trying to fix or change your teenager, you’ll begin to understand what’s really going on beneath the surface.
This is where things start to make sense.
From this place, you’re no longer reacting or second-guessing—you’re responding with more clarity, calm, and confidence.
In this phase, you will:
• stop second-guessing yourself
• feel more confident in how to respond in the moment
• understand what’s driving your child’s school anxiety
• know how to communicate with school in a calm, clear, and constructive way
Phase 3: Moving Forward
Supporting Your Teenager & Creating a Plan
As pressure reduces and understanding grows, connection begins to rebuild.
From this place, we gently focus on moving forward.
There’s no pressure or one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, we look at what feels right for your child and your family—and create a clear, realistic path ahead.
By now, many parents notice their teenager feeling safer, more open, and more capable again.
In this phase, you will:
• feel more confident supporting your teenager
• see your child begin to feel more capable and less anxious
• have a clear, realistic plan for school or alternative options
• feel more hopeful, steady, and stable as a family
How I support you & your teenager
Families in the programme receive a combination of structured learning and personal support.
Assessment
Track how you & your teen are progressing
Online or in person sessions taken individually (for teens or parents) or together as a family
1:1 Support
Personal 1:1 support for both parent & teenager
Online or in person sessions taken individually (for teens or parents) or together as a family
Online Learning
Understand what's driving anxiety & EBSA
Videos, audios and exercises designed to support mental health, confidence, and communication
School Communication
Clear and practical guidance for meetings and decisions.
Reach out via email for ongoing support between sessions, as needed
Who This Programme Is For
Many parents arrive at this programme feeling exhausted and unsure what to do next.
You may recognise some of the following:
• Your teenager becomes highly anxious when school is mentioned
• Mornings are increasingly stressful or overwhelming
• Attendance has dropped or stopped completely
• You feel caught between supporting your child and pressure from school
• Advice from others doesn’t seem to be helping
• You worry about the long-term impact on your teenager’s wellbeing and education
Many thoughtful, caring families find themselves in this situation.
When anxiety begins to drive school avoidance, it can quickly become confusing and overwhelming for everyone involved.
The good news is that with the right understanding and early support, families can begin to stabilise the situation and find a way forward.
TESTIMONIALS
Happy families
"She's back 5 days a week"
"Sophie had just begun to struggle with school for about a term. I'm so glad we found Jo when we did.
After Easter things began to change slowly, and by the summer she was back at school. She did 3 days a week to start and she is back 5 days now.
I feel so relieved. Sophie nicknamed Jo as Mary Poppins and she really is."
-Marianne, Mother of 12-year-old Sophie
"Highly recommend Jo"
"I wasn't sleeping to be honest, I was so worried. I wasn't coping with mornings very well. I had no idea how to support my daughter.
Jo's approach is quite unique. She teaches you all about your mind and I realised how much pressure I was putting on myself.
Once I felt calmer, I was better at talking with Chloe and she actually opened up to me for the first time about school.
I highly recommend Jo, her programme was just what we needed."
-Lisa, Mother of 14-year-old Chloe
"Jo has changed everything"
"Working with Jo has changed everything for me. She has such a warm, empathetic
approach, magic happens in our sessions.
It’s amazing how in the last few months the shift in me has been enormous.
She helped me talk to the school, which I was so anxious about. My daughter is back at school, on a reduced timetable. I'm so relieved.
I’ve learnt to not be so reactive to my daughter. I realised that less is more, and parenting is easier than I thought."
-Paula, mother of 12-year-old Maddy
"75% reduced anxiety around school"
“I found working with Jo to be really amazing, life changing actually.
My son had been struggling with anxiety for a while and after the program it felt like I got my son back.
Jo has a gift with teenagers, my son opened up to her really quickly.”
-Emma, Mother of 15-year-old Connor
The Changes Families Often Experience
Parents begin to notice meaningful shifts as the programme progresses.
Families often experience:
• calmer mornings and less conflict at home
• a deeper understanding of their teenager’s anxiety
• greater confidence in how to respond as a parent
• a teenager who feels less overwhelmed by anxious thinking
• renewed clarity and hope about the path forward
For many families, the greatest shift is simply feeling calmer, more supported, and no longer alone in navigating the situation. Please find a handful of testimonials above.
Apply to work together
Because of the level of personal support involved, I work with a limited number of families at any one time.
If you feel this programme may be right for your family, get in touch.
Simply complete the short form on the Apply Page, and I will personally respond to learn a little more about your situation and discuss whether the programme may be the right support for your family.
Testimonials
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