He came to me because of his relationship with his son.

Conflict, all the time. Distance. He loved his son deeply, but every conversation ended in frustration. Underneath it all, I could feel his grief — and soon, we named something else: shame.

Shame that he was a bad parent. Shame that he couldn’t connect. Shame that something had gone wrong, and he didn’t know how to fix it.

As we continued, I realized something. The core issue wasn’t insight. It wasn’t communication. It was dysregulation — his own.

It was a Friday afternoon, and my schedule was clear — a rare chance to catch up on charting and return phone calls. I was typing quietly in my office when I heard a knock. Not at the front desk — at my door.

I opened it to find a woman I’d never met before.

She asked if I was Dr. Gimbel. I said yes. She introduced herself and explained that her physician had recommended she come see me — so she came right over. But she wasn’t sure why she was there.

Anxiety is part of being human. It’s fear — and we’re all wired to feel it.

Sometimes our minds and bodies respond appropriately to a real threat.

Other times, they misfire.

As adults, we struggle with this distinction all the time.

Imagine how much harder it is for our children — still growing, still learning, without the experience we’ve gained.

This guide is for the moments when your child is struggling and you’re not sure what to do.