Bailey and Her "What if..." Worries

I wrote the book, Bailey and Her “What if…” Worries out of a deep desire to support children
and families as they navigate the challenges that often come with anxious and overwhelming
feelings. As a professional in clinical psychology, someone who has spent years helping children
build emotional awareness and coping skills, and as a parent myself, I have seen firsthand how
important it is for children to feel understood, supported, and empowered. The combination of
professional expertise and personal experience is what makes this project especially meaningful
to me. I wanted to create a book that is not only relatable and engaging for children, but also
genuinely helpful for the adults who care for them. Through Bailey’s story, readers are
introduced to a child they can connect with as she learns to understand her anxious feelings,
practice calming strategies, and experience the support of play therapy in a gentle, accessible
way. What’s more, readers are invited to interact right in the book alongside Bailey with
designated pages to draw, write, and share their own experiences.

This book is for children, parents, caregivers, and professionals who want a warm, interactive
resource for talking about emotions and building healthy coping tools. Readers will gain a better
understanding of anxious feelings, practical strategies for managing them, and reassurance that
they are not alone in what they experience. Children will come away with language for their
emotions, greater confidence in handling difficult moments, and creative ways to practice self-
regulation. Families will gain a supportive starting point for meaningful conversations, while
professionals may find it to be a valuable tool to introduce emotional wellness in an
approachable way.

What makes me uniquely qualified to create this book is the blend of my clinical training, my
years of direct work with children and families, and my lived experience as a parent. I bring both
evidence-informed knowledge and heartfelt understanding to the subject, which allowed me to
create a story that is therapeutic in intention while remaining playful, imaginative, and child-
friendly.

Becoming an author also helps strengthen my brand and business by expanding the ways I can
serve families. It positions me as a trusted voice in children’s emotional well-being, increases the
reach of my message, and creates opportunities for workshops, community partnerships, and
additional educational resources.

Looking ahead, my future plans as an author include continuing to write books and resources that
support children’s emotional development, such as the Feelings Flashcards Bailey uses in the
book, which are already published and available online, equip parents with practical tools, and
make mental health conversations more accessible and less intimidating. I hope this book is the
beginning of a larger body of work that helps families feel more connected, informed, and
empowered.

Key things readers can learn from this book are that anxious feelings are normal and can be
understood, that naming emotions is an important step toward managing them, as well as
knowing there are practical tools and calming strategies that can help children feel better, and
that seeking support from trusted adults or professionals is a healthy and positive part of coping.
Above all, my hope is that this book helps children feel more confident, capable, and free to
enjoy life with greater resilience, self-understanding, and joy.