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EBSA Support

This course includes 20 x 30-min sessions

For children who are struggling to attend school due to anxiety, distress or emotional overwhelm in the classroom and beyond.

Book EBSA Support
Headstuff ADHD Therapy - Children's ADHD Services - EBSA Support

Specialist support for children who can’t face school

EBSA (Emotionally Based School Anxiety) is not about a child being unwilling to go to school – it’s about a child who cannot attend because they feel too unsafe, too overwhelmed or too distressed. If your child is in this situation, you’re likely feeling stuck, blamed or unsure what to do next. EBSA Support is designed to help you understand what’s really going on and rebuild your child’s confidence at a pace they can manage.

Who this course is for?

EBSA Support is for children whose anxiety around school has become unmanageable, and for the families trying to support them. It’s often the right fit for families whose child:

●   Experiences high anxiety around school, especially in the mornings
●   Becomes distressed, tearful or overwhelmed when school is mentioned
●   Struggles with attendance or is completely unable to attend
●   Complains of physical symptoms (headaches, stomach aches) linked to anxiety
●   Masks their difficulties at school and then collapses at home

This course recognises that pushing a child into school without addressing the underlying distress can increase anxiety and make the situation worse.

What you’ll take away

Across 20 x 30-minute sessions (typically held twice weekly for steady momentum), the programme works at your child’s pace, focusing on safety, trust and rebuilding confidence:

●   A clearer understanding of the underlying causes of your child’s school-related anxiety
●   Reduced pressure and a stronger sense of safety for your child
●   Improved emotional regulation and resilience
●   A gradual, child-led approach to re-engagement with education
●   Exploration of alternative or flexible approaches where needed
●   Realistic, supportive plans for reintegration developed with you and the school
●   Better communication between home and school, with your child’s needs properly understood

Ready to book?

If EBSA Support feels like the right next step for your child, you can book and pay securely below. Once booked, we’ll be in touch to arrange a convenient time for the first session.

Once you have made your booking, we will be in touch within 24 working hours to arrange a mutually convenient appointment.

Frequently asked questions

What happens during the sessions

The course runs across 20 x 30-minute sessions, typically held twice weekly. We work at your child’s pace, building safety and trust before going deeper, and recognising that progress with EBSA is rarely linear.

What we focus on with your child

  • Understanding the underlying causes of school-related anxiety
  • Reducing pressure and creating a sense of safety
  • Supporting emotional regulation and resilience
  • Developing a gradual, child-led approach to re-engagement
  • Exploring alternative or flexible approaches where needed

What we focus on with you and the school

  • Creating realistic, supportive plans for reintegration
  • Improving communication between home and school
  • Ensuring your child’s needs are understood and appropriately supported
What is EBSA?
EBSA stands for Emotionally Based School Anxiety. It describes a situation where a child is unable to attend school because of overwhelming anxiety, distress or emotional overwhelm – not because they are choosing not to go. EBSA often comes with physical symptoms such as headaches and stomach aches, and is frequently misunderstood as defiance or school refusal. The right support recognises the distress underneath and works with it, not against it.
Is EBSA the same as school refusal?
No, and the difference matters. “School refusal” implies a choice – that the child is unwilling. EBSA recognises that the child is unable, because the anxiety is too overwhelming. Treating EBSA as refusal usually makes things worse. Treating it as a genuine emotional crisis is what allows children to recover.
My child masks at school and falls apart at home. Is this EBSA?
Often, yes. Many children with EBSA hold themselves together throughout the school day and then collapse emotionally at home. Parents are sometimes told by school that “everything is fine” while at home the picture is very different. Masking is exhausting, and over time it tends to push children towards becoming unable to attend at all. The programme addresses both the masking and the underlying distress.
Will you work with my child's school?
Yes. Working with the school is a core part of EBSA Support, because reintegration depends on home and school working from the same understanding. We help create realistic, supportive plans, improve communication and ensure your child’s needs are recognised. If the school relationship is currently difficult, we can help with that too.
How often are the sessions held?
Sessions are typically held twice weekly. This frequency helps build momentum and trust, which matters with EBSA where progress can be slow and non-linear. Once booked, we’ll talk through scheduling that fits around your situation.
What happens after I book?
Once your booking is confirmed, we’ll contact you within one working day to arrange the first session. We’ll also send a short pre-session form to help us understand your child’s situation and prepare properly.
Are sessions online or face-to-face?
All sessions are held online. This makes it easy to fit around family life, school runs and work, with no travel involved. It also means your child can attend from a place where they feel safe, which matters particularly with EBSA. We’ll send you a secure video link once your booking is confirmed.

Take the next step for your child

If your child is struggling to attend school and you’re not sure what to do next, EBSA Support can help. If you’d like to see your other options first, you can explore all our children’s ADHD services.

Book EBSA Support