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Brave Steps: A Child's Guide to Facing Fears

Learning to challenge scary thoughts and take courageous action

AnxietyInfographicFree ResourceLast reviewed April 2026

Brave Steps: A Child's Guide to Facing Fears

Learning to challenge scary thoughts and take courageous action

Brave Steps: A Child's Guide to Facing Fears

Learning to challenge scary thoughts and take courageous action

When something feels scary, it is natural to want to avoid it. But avoidance actually makes fears grow bigger over time. Facing fears a little at a time (called exposure) is the core of cognitive behavioral therapy for anxious children (Kendall & Hedtke, 2006), and a meta-analysis found that therapy programs with more in-session exposure worked better (Whiteside et al., 2020). This guide walks through the steps of understanding fears, challenging worried thoughts, and taking brave action one small step at a time.

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Step 1: Name Your Fear
Everyone is afraid of something, and that is completely normal. The first step is figuring out exactly what scares you and what you do to avoid it. For example, you might be afraid of dogs, so you cross the street whenever you see one. Or you might be worried about making mistakes, so you avoid trying new things.
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Step 2: Notice Your 'What If' Thoughts
When you feel scared, your brain starts asking 'what if' questions about all the bad things that could happen. These thoughts feel very real and very convincing, but they are usually about things that are unlikely to actually happen. Write down the worried thoughts that go through your mind when you think about facing your fear.
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Step 3: Flip Your 'What Ifs'
Your brain is very good at imagining bad outcomes, but you can train it to imagine good ones too. For every scary 'what if' thought, come up with a positive 'what if' thought. Instead of 'What if everyone laughs at me?' try 'What if I do a great job and feel really proud?'
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Step 4: Build a Bravery Ladder
You do not have to face your biggest fear all at once. Break it into small steps, from the least scary to the most scary, like rungs on a ladder. Start at the bottom and work your way up. Each step you complete builds your confidence for the next one.
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Step 5: Celebrate Your Courage
Every time you take a brave step, even a tiny one, you are rewiring your brain to feel less afraid. Notice how you feel after facing a fear. Most kids discover that the thing they were scared of was not as bad as they imagined. Celebrate your bravery and be proud of yourself.
Being brave does not mean you are not scared. It means you do the thing anyway, while the scared feeling is still there.
Tip: Start with the easiest step on your bravery ladder. Once that feels okay, move to the next one.

References

  • Kendall, P. C., & Hedtke, K. A. (2006). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxious children: Therapist manual (3rd ed.). Workbook Publishing.
  • Whiteside, S. P. H., Sim, L. A., Morrow, A. S., Farah, W. H., Hilliker, D. R., Murad, M. H., & Wang, Z. (2020). A meta-analysis to guide the enhancement of CBT for childhood anxiety: Exposure over anxiety management. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 23(1), 102-121. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-019-00303-2

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See also

Understanding Obsessive-Compulsive DisorderBuilding Your Exposure LadderBuild Your Fear LadderGraded Exposure: A Step-by-Step Guide to Facing FearFacing Feared Body Sensations (Interoceptive Exposure)How Exposure Actually Works (The Inhibitory-Learning Model)Integrative Clinical Case Formulation Guide

Clinical guides that use this worksheet

How to Build an Exposure Hierarchy (Fear Ladder), Step by Step

Common Questions

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When something feels scary, it is natural to want to avoid it. But avoidance actually makes fears grow bigger over time.

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Review this visual guide to understand the concept. Use it as a quick reference during sessions. Consider printing this and keeping it somewhere visible as a daily reminder.

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