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 School Reconnection Framework, which is a structured four-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: Steady
Overwhelm → Confidence
When your teen is struggling, it's easy to become caught in a cycle of worry, second-guessing, and emotional exhaustion.
In this phase, we focus on helping you feel calmer, clearer, and more confident so you can respond in a way that supports both you and your teen.
You'll learn how to:
✔ Stay calm during difficult mornings and emotional moments
✔ Stop second-guessing yourself and feel more confident in your decisions
✔ Reduce worry, guilt, and overwhelm so you can respond more effectively
By the end of this phase, you'll feel less reactive, more confident in your approach, and better equipped to support your teen without carrying the weight of the situation alone.
Phase 2: Connect
Conflict → Understanding
School avoidance often becomes less confusing when we understand what's driving it. Together, we'll explore your teen's experience, strengthen communication, and help you respond in ways that build trust and reduce resistance.
You'll learn how to:
✔ Identify the push and pull factors behind your teen's school avoidance
✔ Have conversations that reduce resistance and strengthen connection
✔ Understand what your teen's behaviour may be communicating underneath the surface
By the end of this phase, you'll have a much clearer understanding of what's keeping the school avoidance going and feel more connected to your teen, even during difficult moments.
Phase 3: Collaborate
Alone → Supported
Many parents feel they're carrying the responsibility alone. In this phase, you'll learn how to work more effectively with school and other professionals so everyone is moving in the same direction.
You'll learn how to:
✔ Navigate school meetings with more confidence and clarity
✔ Advocate for the support your teen genuinely needs
✔ Build a joined-up support plan between home, school, and other professionals
By the end of this phase, you'll feel more supported, more prepared for school conversations, and clearer on the practical steps needed to help your teen move forward.
Phase 4: Reintergration
Stuck → Back at School
Once the foundations are in place, we focus on helping your teen move forward at a pace that feels realistic and sustainable. The goal is to rebuild confidence and create a pathway back into education that works for your family.
You'll learn how to:
✔ Create a realistic reintegration plan that works for your teen
✔ Build confidence through manageable steps rather than pressure
✔ Navigate setbacks without losing momentum
By the end of this phase, you'll have a clear plan, greater confidence in handling setbacks, and a realistic pathway towards re-engagement with education.
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.
Happy Families
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