How to Overcome Exam Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Bed-Wetting & School Refusal & Fear: Natural Help for Children, Teenagers and Adults in Ireland ONLINE, and in-person therapy in Limerick, Cork and Waterford locations
Claire Russell MSc. BSc. DipNT, MNTOI, Cl. M. Hyp., Cl.Hyp, GQHP, RTT, Adv RTT, GHR, GHSC, MICIP, IHR Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist, Clinical Medical Hypnotherapist, Registered Nutritionist & Functional Medicine, Kidz Matters Practitioner, Mind Coaching, Counselling, Psychotherapy, RTT, Advanced RTT ( RTT 2016 and Advanced RTT personally trained by Marisa Peer – qualified in 2018)
Struggling with School Stress, Exam Anxiety or Bed-Wetting? You’re Not Alone.
Every year in Ireland, children, teenagers, and adults struggle silently with overwhelming stress, Exam-related Anxiety, Panic attacks, bed-wetting, General Anxiety Disorder (GAD), School Anxiety, Social Anxiety and school refusal. These problems affect our mental health, daily life, confidence, family life, relationships, and our physical health and wellbeing. At Claire Russell Therapy & Counselling Experts, I provide a powerful combination of therapeutic and evidence-based support tailored to help clients of all ages overcome these challenges and thrive.
Whether it’s your child afraid of school, a teen overwhelmed by the Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate, or you as an adult reliving exam trauma from your school years, or for your child, you are not alone — and you do not have to navigate this alone.
The Irish Mental Health Crisis Around State Exams
In Ireland, state exams such as the Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate often trigger severe emotional responses in young people, parents and their families. Anxiety, perfectionism, fear of failure, and panic attacks are on the rise. According to research, exam-related stress is now one of the most common mental health concerns reported by Irish teenagers.
Symptoms Often Linked to Exam Stress:
- Sleep disruption, insomnia, inability to sleep
- Nightmares and bed-wetting
- Headaches or stomach pains with no medical cause
- Panic attacks, shallow breathing, dizziness
- Mood swings, irritability, low self-esteem
- School refusal, disengagement from study
Many families don’t realise that these symptoms can stem from deep-rooted subconscious fears, and that they can be addressed with the right support.
Teenagers & State Exam Anxiety: Junior & Leaving Cert Pressure
For teenagers, exam stress can be overwhelming. I work with teens who feel:
- Incapable of coping under pressure
- Consumed by fear of disappointing parents or teachers
- Physically ill before oral exams, CBA’s or practicals
- Emotionally exhausted by perfectionism and fear of failure
At Claire Russell Therapy, we use a powerful combination of techniques to resolve exam anxiety and restore calm.
Services for Teens:
- Counselling & Psychotherapy to explore emotional triggers, fear of failure, or trauma from school experiences.
- Clinical Hypnotherapy to reduce exam panic, increase focus, and prepare for high-pressure situations.
- Hypnoanalysis to address deeply buried subconscious roots of anxiety.
- RTT (Rapid Transformational Therapy) to shift core beliefs such as “I’m not good enough” or “I always fail.”
- Functional Medicine & Nutrition to reduce brain fog, improve sleep, stabilise mood and energy through targeted dietary support.
Combining these services leads to powerful, lasting change — not just short-term stress relief, but long-term emotional resilience.
Children with Anxiety Fears, Phobias & Bed-Wetting
Is your child, teen or loved one experiencing:
- Bed-wetting (enuresis) beyond age 6, 7, 8, 9?
- Fear of the toilet or being alone at night?
- School refusal or excessive clinging?
- Unexplained physical pains, health issues and complaints?
These symptoms often reflect a subconscious fear pattern. Punishment or behavioural interventions often fail because they don’t address the emotional root cause.
How I Help Children:
- Hypnotherapy: gentle, age-appropriate methods that make anxiety manageable and fun to overcome.
- Hypnopsychotherapy: integrated emotional healing that addresses early fears.
- Counselling & Play-Based Therapy: creating a safe space to express fear and resolve trauma.
- Nutritional Therapy: identifying any underlying nutrient deficiencies or gut issues contributing to mood and behaviour.
- Functional Medicine: holistic analysis of your child’s biological, psychological and emotional health.
This integrative approach helps children sleep better, feel safer, gain confidence, and reduce accidents — often in just a few sessions.
Adults with Panic, Exam Trauma, or Fear of Performance
Do you still carry emotional baggage from your school years? Many adults suffer in silence from:
- Fear of exams and assessments
- Panic before driving tests, interviews or presentations
- Shame or trauma linked to academic failure
- Avoidance of career opportunities due to performance anxiety
I help adults break free from these emotional blocks using a layered approach:
Services for Adults:
- Psychotherapy: to uncover how past schooling or parental pressure shaped your current mindset.
- Hypnotherapy & RTT: to clear subconscious fear loops and restore self-worth.
- Hypnoanalysis: to release deeply held beliefs or suppressed memories.
- Nutrition & Functional Medicine: to reduce inflammation, balance neurotransmitters, and support healthy nervous system function naturally.
Together, we rebuild confidence, calm your nervous system, and allow you to step into life with greater freedom.
What Makes Claire Russell Therapy at Counselling Experts.ie Different?
I bring together:
- Counselling & Psychotherapy for emotional insight and mental health
- Hypnotherapy, Clinical Hypntherapy Hypnopsychotherapy & Hypnoanalysis for subconscious transformation
- Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT), and Advanced RTT Qualified for fast results and belief change
- Registered Nutritionist and Registered Nutritional Therapy to support brain and emotional health from within
- Functional Medicine to assess biological drivers of anxiety, stress or mood imbalance
This integrated full mind-body approach offers results where traditional therapy alone often falls short.
Proven Results Across All Ages
“My daughter went from wetting the bed nightly to confidently sleeping through after just two sessions. She’s now back in school and smiling again. Cant begin to explain the effect it had on our entire family”
“Before coming to Claire’s therapy, I couldn’t sleep, overwhelming anxiety, pains panic breathing during mock exams. I passed the Leaving Cert with confidence and got into my dream course! Thank you Claire!”
“I failed my driving test 5 times due to panic, and total stress. With Claire, I passed and now drive every day with calm and confidence!”
These stories are common — and they can be yours.
Book Your Free Call with Claire Russell Therapy at Counselling Experts.ie
If you or your child are struggling with:
- Exam anxiety or panic attacks
- Bed-wetting, fears, or phobias
- School refusal, anxiety or performance stress
- Public Speaking anxiety and stress
📞 Book your free 15-minute call now
📩 Or email Claire at clairerusselltherapy@gmail.com
