your child freedom formula - has anyone tried it?

[lu9months]

ive seen adverts for this on fb. they claim to be able to cure anxiety in young people. im suspicious - and nowhere does it tell you the cost. however im fairly desperate since my 16 year old is very disabled by anxiety. thanks

The FAQ's sections shows exactly how much bullshit they're peddling.

From Big Pharma, labelling(but advertising the cure for those labels) to the very single child is cured, well two weren't but that's the parent's fault anyways.

£5k could buy you a private assessment with a psychiatrist and lots of therapy.
I've seen this advert too, it's tempting because parents facing a year's wait for CAMHS help are desperate.

So by the looks of it the qualification is NCFE level 4 which is equivalent to a certificate in HE? And from a brief google it’s based on the linden method which is controversial anyway (I don’t know anything about it personally)

To anyone with an anxious child or teen - another option to consider is a private OT to see if any of the anxiety is stemming from sensory issues. Not a magic cure and to many it will be irrelevant, but if there are clues like noise sensitivity, being “fussy” about clothing and food, seeking out movement like swings etc it might indicate a sensory processing problem. It’s easy to miss and can often come out as extreme anxiety.

Private OTs are expensive but you could have an assessment and still have plenty left over from £5.5k.

I have just started this programme with my daughter and I can only go off my experience so far. They are very passionate about helping children get better and so far I am very hopeful. It includes way more than 4 20 minute sessions per week as that is just for your children, the parents get 3 sessions with mentor per week too and 3 daily zoom sessions you can join everyday to ask any questions. We have been assigned a mentor who we can contact whenever we want to via text or email. I have only been doing it for a week and it has already opened my eyes to what anxiety actually is and it is not a mental health condition. You have to have commitment doing this but to me so far it all makes perfect sense and gives me hope. Obviously its early days and everyone will have there own opinions. All I can do is give you mine.

@emmamccabe01

I have just started this programme with my daughter and I can only go off my experience so far. They are very passionate about helping children get better and so far I am very hopeful. It includes way more than 4 20 minute sessions per week as that is just for your children, the parents get 3 sessions with mentor per week too and 3 daily zoom sessions you can join everyday to ask any questions. We have been assigned a mentor who we can contact whenever we want to via text or email. I have only been doing it for a week and it has already opened my eyes to what anxiety actually is and it is not a mental health condition. You have to have commitment doing this but to me so far it all makes perfect sense and gives me hope. Obviously its early days and everyone will have there own opinions. All I can do is give you mine.

Yeah I'd believe you more if it didn't look like you signed up just to post on this thread.

I have been a member of mumsnet for a long time and it was pure coincidence that I saw someone has commented about this at the same time I signed up. Like loads of mums I've been desperate to help my daughter and this was last resort. If I can help any other parents feeling like me I would.

i asked them about their safe guarding policies ( ' mentors ' as young as 18 helping kids of 13+ ) and they stopped returning my calls/emails
ive noted that the link to the seminar ( that u have to watch to proceed) is :
teenageanxietyfreedom.com/webinar/indoctrination/76072ec0bcddb1e70c9c7f5d72df10f91b2 - note the word indoctrination

and there is no qualification -the website talks about mentors equivalent to ncfe- but actually there is no training, you just need to have done the programme. i was offered half price access if we became mentors, before we had agreed to proceed let alone if it had helped us.

@lu9months

and there is no qualification -the website talks about mentors equivalent to ncfe- but actually there is no training, you just need to have done the programme. i was offered half price access if we became mentors, before we had agreed to proceed let alone if it had helped us.

It gets worse and worse! Did they give you the hard sell? I watched one of their "free" videos they sent the other day, it ended with them basically saying if you dont' do this for your child things will get worse

@emmamccabe01

I have just started this programme with my daughter and I can only go off my experience so far. They are very passionate about helping children get better and so far I am very hopeful. It includes way more than 4 20 minute sessions per week as that is just for your children, the parents get 3 sessions with mentor per week too and 3 daily zoom sessions you can join everyday to ask any questions. We have been assigned a mentor who we can contact whenever we want to via text or email. I have only been doing it for a week and it has already opened my eyes to what anxiety actually is and it is not a mental health condition. You have to have commitment doing this but to me so far it all makes perfect sense and gives me hope. Obviously its early days and everyone will have there own opinions. All I can do is give you mine.

What would you say anxiety is if not a mental health condition?

Anxiety is a fear disorder caused by too much adrenaline in your body.

@emmamccabe01

Anxiety is a fear disorder caused by too much adrenaline in your body.

Bollocks.

If it isn't true then I will see for myself at the end of it won't i but i can tell you one thing talking therapies and our CAHMS don't work either.

So pleased I found this conversation been looking into this programme will continue to read about it. Need more information thank you.

@emmamccabe01

If it isn't true then I will see for myself at the end of it won't i but i can tell you one thing talking therapies and our CAHMS don't work either.

But what's wrong with it being a mental health condition? Nothing! It feels like saying that anxiety is not is just a way to stigmatise mental health even more and justify why people without any kind of qualifications are able to 'treat' it. Despite the fact that some anxiety disorders - such as PTSD - can often be made worse by inappropriate treatment.

@emmamccabe01

Anxiety is a fear disorder caused by too much adrenaline in your body.

Has that been confirmed with blood tests? Any studies?

@emmamccabe01

Anxiety is a fear disorder caused by too much adrenaline in your body.

I think you need to educate yourself on what anxiety actually is. www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/about-anxiety/ What you’re saying it is explains the normal response to a situation - causing a flight, fight or freeze response which in turn releases the hormones that then have a physical effect in your body. The hormones are released because of the anxiety, ie are a symptom, not the cause. Anxiety that has a significant impact on your day to day life absolutely IS a mental health illness. Ignoring this fact is dangerous. The website of this charlatan talks about ‘curing’ things like anorexia. This is an extremely dangerous claim to make and absolutely preys on desperate parents. If you believe that talking to a teenage mentor 3 times a week will ‘cure’ you of serious mental health illnesses then you’re being very naive. You’re wasting your money and what’s worse is that you’re putting your child in a situation whereby her illness could spiral as they are not receiving professional help.

It sounds like an MLM. I’d be very concerned about signing up to something that is not only so expensive but then also tries to recruit you to be a mentor. Also, do you get to choose who your mentor is? For example, if you don’t click, can you get a new one. With private counselling you often get a free intro session to meet the counsellor. What professional body are the mentors registered with? It really sounds dodgy. Have a look at the counselling directory instead and find some private counselling with someone who specialises in anxiety. Also, like someone else said, with counselling you can just stop if you don’t like it. There’s no minimum cost.

I can totally understand what everyone is saying and there is nothing wrong with anxiety being a mental health issue. I have been going through this hell with my daughter for 3 years. I have been to CAHMS , she has had CBT and therapy sessions. It has not made her better. I have seen people that have enrolled in this program that this has worked for and it is by the way allot more than 3 sessions per week with a teenager. There is way more to it. I'm just giving it ago as nothing else has helped and there is nothing else like this out there to help children other than CAHMS whoare totally useless. If in 2 months time it hasn't helped us then fair enough I will come on and hold my hands up and say but until then I am reserving judgement.

@emmamccabe01

I can totally understand what everyone is saying and there is nothing wrong with anxiety being a mental health issue. I have been going through this hell with my daughter for 3 years. I have been to CAHMS , she has had CBT and therapy sessions. It has not made her better. I have seen people that have enrolled in this program that this has worked for and it is by the way allot more than 3 sessions per week with a teenager. There is way more to it. I'm just giving it ago as nothing else has helped and there is nothing else like this out there to help children other than CAHMS whoare totally useless. If in 2 months time it hasn't helped us then fair enough I will come on and hold my hands up and say but until then I am reserving judgement.

But CAMHS is not the only option. For the money that you have spent on the course, you could see a private psychiatrist/therapist.

@emmamccabe01

I can totally understand what everyone is saying and there is nothing wrong with anxiety being a mental health issue. I have been going through this hell with my daughter for 3 years. I have been to CAHMS , she has had CBT and therapy sessions. It has not made her better. I have seen people that have enrolled in this program that this has worked for and it is by the way allot more than 3 sessions per week with a teenager. There is way more to it. I'm just giving it ago as nothing else has helped and there is nothing else like this out there to help children other than CAHMS whoare totally useless. If in 2 months time it hasn't helped us then fair enough I will come on and hold my hands up and say but until then I am reserving judgement.

Why didn't you attempt private therapist / psychologist first/OT first?

This group are not the only option besides CAMHS , especially if you are willing to pay?

In the last 150 clients we have had 2 examples of less than satisfactory results. Both these have been entirely due to a lack of motivation and commitment from the child's guardians

This is from their website. Mental health problems in children, cost the nhs millions each year. If there was a course that ‘only’ cost £5k but was 100% proven to work, don’t you think the nhs would use it? Why on earth wouldn’t the nhs prescribe it?

@SwanShaped

In the last 150 clients we have had 2 examples of less than satisfactory results. Both these have been entirely due to a lack of motivation and commitment from the child's guardians

This is from their website. Mental health problems in children, cost the nhs millions each year. If there was a course that ‘only’ cost £5k but was 100% proven to work, don’t you think the nhs would use it? Why on earth wouldn’t the nhs prescribe it?

They answer that too. Big pharma, they just don't understand and are behind the times.

Very easily - we can GUARANTEE this as we NEVER let a child go until they are recovered.

This also from website. Doesn’t say what their drop our rate is. Also, they spell mums and dads with apostrophes in and also they have no safeguarding policy on their website. And why would a scheme that is not a scam, have to have a question explaining why they’re not a scam.

How much do the mentors get paid I wonder.