Caroline Hart

Professor Ferrara
English 1001
7 April 2023

Rethinking Treatment for Child Anxiety and OCD

Dr. Eli Lebowitz
The common role of parents is to ensure their children feel loved, protected, and safe.

Yet, anxiety is a disorder that challenges various parenting techniques. One may think the way a

parent handles their child's anxiety is beneficial when in actuality it is not. Dr. Eli Lebowitz is the

Director of the Yale Child Study Center’s Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program. The intended

audience of his TED Talk is parents of children with anxiety. He claims parents accommodate

their children's anxiety, rather than making progressive changes. He presents a new way parents

should think about treatment for children with anxiety. The simplified answer is to offer support

to their child, instead of playing into their fears.

Anxiety can be a sensitive topic to discuss. Especially, when pertaining to what it is

people have anxiety over. In his speech, Dr. Lebowitz creates a safe environment by

communicating with the audience in an informal manner. He uses humor, research, and the

appeal of emotions to get his point across. To open his talk, Dr. Lebowitz shares how a young

boy, Theo, is terrified of his impending death from a spider. Theo must check his room multiple

times to ensure there are no spiders and his father must repeatedly tell him that he loves him.

These are the only precautions to ensure Theo that a spider can not get to him. Dr. Lebowtiz

explains in a humorous way that there is no scientific proof that these precautions are what deter

a spider from causing death (Lebowitz 1:00). He further explains that this technique has more to

do with the father's role as a protector. Theo feels secure when he is told that he is loved, so he

becomes obsessed with hearing as much. This is a reflection of a pathos, which invokes an

emotional response from the audience. It is their right as parents to be the protectors of their
Caroline Hart
Professor Ferrara
English 1001
7 April 2023

children. Lebowitz restates a commonly known fact that humans are mammals and that like all

others provide protection as a part of their nature (Lebowitz 6:19). To better understand, I think

of a mother bear, whose job it is to protect her cubs until they are old enough to protect

themselves. They are only able to fend for themselves after learning by example from their

mother. As for humans, Lebowitz suggests that parents are identified as “rescuers” in the eyes of

their children (Lebowitz 8:50). That being said, when a child feels they are in danger, parents

quite literally get involved to protect them.

Keeping in mind the notion of how parents are always the rescuers, how do children learn

to rescue themselves from their anxiety? This is where logos come into the picture, using good

logic to convince the audience of Lebowitz’s new approach for treatment. The solution for how

to refrain from being their child's rescuer is to reduce the number of accommodations. For

instance, Lebowitz shares a story about a young girl who was afraid of being severely sick. She

would ask her mother to take her temperature multiple times throughout the day. He advises that

the mother should slowly reduce the temperature checks and start encouraging her daughter. This

in turn will help the mother to assure her daughter that she is more than capable to fight her fears,

despite how fearful she may be (Lebowitz 10:33).

Dr. Lebowitz's advice sounds easier said than done. For parents who are unsure of how to

support their child’s anxiety disorder, he suggests they themselves should take up therapy

sessions (Lebowitz 11:20). Rather than the children attending sessions. This is a form of ethos,

Lebowitz represents himself as someone who is trustworthy. He shares a promise that he tells

parents at the start of their sessions, “At no point in this whole treatment are you going to be
Caroline Hart
Professor Ferrara
English 1001
7 April 2023

asked to make your kid do anything. Nor will you be asked to stop them from doing anything.

But we’re going to focus on how you are responding” (Lebowitz 11:35). According to Dr.

Lebowitz is not about putting a stop to or beginning certain actions that could reduce their child’s

anxiety, but finding a way that makes the child understand they will be able to overcome their

anxiety through their own will. What this means is that children will learn from their parents that

they can cope with their anxiety because they are being taught that they are in fact strong.

However, a logical fallacy that I find detracts from the argument is that sometimes it is

useful for children to discuss their anxiety with an outside source. Perhaps, children do not feel

as though their parents completely understand what it is they are fearful of or that their fears are

irrational. When given the chance to meet with someone they are slowly beginning to trust and

whose interest is in helping them, they can be completely honest. Not only might they be able to

share more insight, but the therapist can advise strategies for coping with anxiety.

The intent of Dr. Eli Lebowitz’s TED Talk was for parents to understand that there is a

more beneficial way to help children cope and eventually overcome their anxiety disorders. It is

natural for parents to believe that their methods to aid their children's anxiety is the best and only

way. However, what becomes unnoticed to parents as time carries on is that accommodating does

not create change. Accommodating only solves the problem temporarily. Whereas asserting

themselves as a supportive figure will show their children they are able to handle their fears. Dr.

Lebowitz gained the attention of his audience by being personable. The overall environment of

his speech was a safe place, much like a therapy session should be.
Caroline Hart
Professor Ferrara
English 1001
7 April 2023

Works Cited

Lebowitz, Dr. Eli, director. Dr. Eli Lebowitz: Rethinking Treatment for Child Anxiety and

OCD | TED Talk,

https://www.ted.com/talks/dr_eli_lebowitz_rethinking_treatment_for_child_anxiety_and_o

cd?language=en. Accessed 7 Apr. 2023.