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School Avoidance

For many families, school avoidance can become all-consuming affecting work, relationships, and the emotional climate of the entire home. Parents often feel trapped between compassion and desperation, unsure whether to push harder or back off completely.

School avoidance is rarely about laziness, defiance, or a child simply “not wanting” to go to school. More often, it is driven by underlying anxiety, depression, OCD, social fears, panic, perfectionism, or emotional overwhelm. Avoidance may bring short-term relief, but over time it strengthens fear, isolation, and loss of confidence.

At CYMH, we use evidence-based approaches to help children and teens gradually return to school while supporting parents with practical tools to reduce accommodation, increase resilience, and rebuild healthy routines. We collaborate closely with families, schools, and outside providers to create individualized plans that help students reconnect socially, emotionally, and academically

Our team helps families understand the cycle of anxiety and avoidance while providing structured, supportive strategies that restore functioning without shame or blame.

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School Avoidance Articles

Here you can explore articles from Dr. Lori Butterworth’s blog. Several of these have been published by Times Publishing Group and offer practical, evidence-based guidance for school avoidance issues.

How Can We Help?

If you have questions or would like to make an appointment, please complete this form, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. You can also email kerri@cymh.org or call our SLO Center at (805) 996-0535 or our Santa Cruz Center at (831) 222-0052.

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Resources We Recommend

These resources are carefully vetted and align with the evidence-based treatments we provide at the Center for Youth Mental Health.

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