Would CBT be the right approach for DS15?

[BaconAndAvocado]

Well, after many many weeks of worrying about DS’s physical health (palpitations, nausea) it transpires that these feelings are brought on, in the main, by a certain situation- sitting in class at school. He couldn’t tell me how it started but I’ve got a feeling it goes back to an incident when he felt felt physically sick in class and was worrying about asking to leave the classroom?
He’s fine at playtimes, is a bright, popular boy who often sees friends at the weekends .
He opened up this morning after I’d picked him up from school. Everything physically serious has been ruled out by the GP, paediatricians and cardiologists.

I’m incredibly relieved that we’ve finally got to the bottom of it but don’t really know how to proceed, other than thinking that CBT might be a good idea as (I think) it trains the brain to deal with uncomfortable situations.

If I’m right, does anyone know of any good resources online to tackle this problem?

I’m a therapist.

How old is he? CBT is absolutely fine for something like this, but I would hugely recommend you all do it as a household - you can get workbooks if you aren’t ready for your own therapy. Because CBT is about thinking differently it’s really hard for kids to learn how to do that if the adults around them aren’t also talking and thinking in the same way.

Hypnosis would be another option. I recently helped someone who suffered from travel sickness which dated back to him being sick (and subsequently ridiculed) on a school trip when he was 11. His mind had associated the vomiting and the embarrassment and shame and linked it (wrongly) to the bus which then expanded to all forms of travel. Once that subconscious link was broken, the travel sickness stopped immediately. I don't work with under 18's but I have colleagues who specialise in working with children.

Yes, CBT would be appropriate in this situation.