05/17/2026
Hello MWA families!
We want to say thank you to everyone who participated in our Spring Groups. It has been a fantastic experience filled with learning, community, connection, and real-life skill building. We are so grateful for everyone who showed up, participated, and helped make these groups meaningful.
Spring Groups have officially ended, and we will transition to our Summer Groups beginning on Saturday, June 6. This summer, we will have four groups running weekly on Saturdays. We are keeping some favorites, including Run Club and Soccer Mentals, and we are adding two new groups: School Refusal Camp for Parents and How to Be an Emotionally Mature Parent.
Our groups give kids, teens, and families the opportunity to practice skills, build confidence, connect with others, and work on goals in a different group setting.
We’re excited for another great season of groups and another opportunity to keep doing mental health differently. For more information about the groups and to register, please visit midwestanxiety.com/groups
RUN CLUB
Saturdays, June 6 – August 2
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM
We’ll walk, jog, or run for about an hour. Everyone moves at their own pace. Some people will walk the whole time. Some will jog. Some might push themselves to run a little farther than they did the week before. It doesn’t matter how you do it — what matters is that you show up and keep moving.
Afterwards, we like to hang out for a bit. Sometimes the kids play in the park. Sometimes families grab something to eat at the Market. It’s relaxed, unstructured time where people can catch their breath, laugh a little, and enjoy being together.
What makes Run Club special is the community that forms around it. Parents get the chance to meet other parents who understand what it’s like raising kids who struggle with anxiety or big emotions. Conversations happen naturally while walking the trail or sitting together afterwards. Encouragement gets shared. Ideas get exchanged. And over time, real friendships begin to grow.
SOCCER MENTALS
Saturdays, June 6 – August 2
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Soccer Mentals is designed to train the mental side of the game just as intentionally as the physical side. In this group, players will learn how their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors impact their performance on the field. Using principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and mental performance training, athletes will develop practical skills that help them stay calm, confident, and focused during competition.
Players will participate in high-pressure drills, competitive exercises, and game-like scenarios that intentionally challenge their mindset. These training moments allow players to practice managing frustration, recovering from mistakes, and maintaining focus while their bodies are tired and emotions are running high.
Soccer Mentals is not just about playing soccer. It is about building the mindset that allows players to compete with confidence, discipline, and emotional control- both on and off the field.
SCHOOL REFUSAL CAMP FOR PARENTS
Saturdays, June 6 – August 2
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Every school morning, you wake up hoping, maybe today will be a good day. Maybe today your child will get up, get ready, and go to school without a fight.
But for parents of kids who struggle with school refusal, mornings often feel anything but calm. The entire tone of your day can depend on how your child wakes up. If your child is doing okay, you feel okay. If your child wakes up anxious, angry, refusing, or completely shut down, your whole morning can unravel in minutes. When school refusal has taken over your mornings, it can leave you feeling stuck, frustrated, exhausted, and alone. You may feel like nothing is working, and every day becomes a battle you do not know how to win.
School refusal parents, you need help — and you do not have to figure this out on your own.
Join us for School Refusal Camp, an 8-week class designed specifically for parents navigating the stress and chaos of school refusal behaviors. This class will help you step back, better understand the reasons behind your child’s refusal, and develop a practical, step-by-step parenting plan to respond more effectively.
HOW TO BE AN EMOTIONALLY MATURE PARENT
Saturdays, June 6 – August 2
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Children do not get to choose their parents. Unfortunately, many children grow up in homes where their emotional needs are not fully understood or supported. When parents struggle with emotional maturity—difficulty recognizing emotions, avoiding vulnerability, reacting defensively, or prioritizing their own needs over connection—it can lead to a form of harm known as emotional neglect.
Emotional neglect is not always loud or obvious. It often happens quietly over time when children’s feelings are dismissed, ignored, minimized, or misunderstood. While a child’s physical needs may be met, their emotional world may go unseen. Over time, this can create a deep sense of emotional loneliness. Many children raised in these environments grow into adults who struggle with self-doubt, people-pleasing, difficulty setting boundaries, or confusion in relationships and intimacy.
The good news is that emotional maturity can be learned.
Join us and other parents for this 8-week step-by-step journey to learn how to become a more emotionally mature parent. This group is designed to help parents better understand how emotional patterns are passed from one generation to the next—and how those patterns can be changed.
