This archive report was first published on 29 June 2019.
Conquering More Than the Usual Worries at Summer Camp ¶
Published on June 29, 2019
For many children, summer camp is a time for adventure and fun in the sun. But for 8-year-old Ella Maners, the experience was about more than just playing games and making new friends. At the Fear Facers Summer Camp in Gainesville, Florida, Ella and other children with obsessive-compulsive and anxiety disorders learned to face their fears in a safe and supportive environment.
The camp, hosted by the Center for O.C.D., Anxiety and Related Disorders at the University of Florida, combines one-on-one therapy and counseling with traditional camp activities to help children overcome their fears. According to Dr. Carol Mathews, the camp's medical director and director of the center, the goal of the camp is to challenge children's fears and show them that they are not alone in their struggles.
