Accommodating Anxiety

with Dr. Emily Hsu and Julia Terman

Episode 2, Season 5 | September 9, 2024

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Show Notes

In this episode, we talk with CHC experts, Dr. Emily Hsu, licensed psychologist and Julia Terman, doctoral intern at Stanford Children’s Hospital and CHC about accommodating anxiety and what it means for both parents and children. We'll explore what accommodation looks like—how parents might unknowingly reinforce their child's fears by altering routines or providing excessive reassurance. We discuss typical examples of accommodation, like allowing a child to avoid anxiety-inducing situations, and contrast these with more productive responses that encourage resilience. Hear about how you can be a supportive parent while still helping your child face their fears, fostering independence and confidence. Tune in to learn how to strike the balance between empathy and empowerment.

Guest Info

Emily Hsu, PhD

Licensed Psychologist at CHC

Dr. Hsu is a bilingual (Spanish) licensed psychologist who has experience working with individuals throughout the lifespan utilizing individual, group, and psychological testing. In pursuit of her desire to provide culturally competent and sensitive bilingual services to ethnic minority populations, she enrolled in the Diversity and Community Mental Health Proficiency Track at the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology at Palo Alto University. Dr. Hsu specializes in suicide prevention and intervention, anxiety and mood disorders, trauma recovery, and interpersonal relationships. Dr. Hsu’s research and clinical interests include decreasing mental health disparities, suicidology, and understanding how the complexities of human diversity influence emotional health and coping styles. Her therapeutic approach is integrative and strongly influenced by Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and aspects of rapport building from the humanistic tradition. Previously, Dr. Hsu completed her APA accredited internship at Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services in Culver City, California and her APA accredited postdoctoral residency at Kaiser Permanente in Redwood City, California. At present, Dr. Hsu also conducts quality management at Center for Social Dynamics.

Julia Terman, MA

Pre-Doctoral Clinical Psychology Intern

Julia Terman is a Child Psychology Intern at Children’s Hospital Stanford/CHC and a Clinical Psychology PhD Candidate at the University of Vermont. Julia strives to use a compassionate approach as she works with children and families to reach their individualized goals. Julia is trained in evidence-based assessment and treatment for a range of mental health challenges. She has conducted research on randomized controlled trials and has provided services in community mental health clinics, primary care practices, hospitals, and schools. Julia utilizes approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), exposure and response prevention (ERP), behavioral parent coaching, family-based treatment (FBT), and collaborative assessment and management of suicidality (CAMS). Julia is passionate about continuing to work with medical providers, schools, and communities to expand the reach of mental health services.