Visualization: a useful tool.

Dear Bob,

How do you deal with a camper who is afraid to get on a bus or van? An eleven-year-old girl who attended our camp for the first time this summer was afraid that she would become extremely sick and be unable to continue on the trip. (Her parents drove her to camp, so her anxiety did not surface until later in the season.)

Campers in this girl's group go on a special trip near the end of the summer. The more she worried about the potential problem, the more her fears escalated to include a fear of being stranded and not being able to get back to camp. As the trip approached, she became even more anxious. We later discovered that she had had this fear several years ago but had outgrown it before coming to camp. This was her first venture into overnight camp.

Sincerely, Perplexed in Pennsylvania

Dear Perplexed,

Old fears often arise for children during their first foray into resident camp. They often display some minor regression in behavior due to the stress that going away to camp sometimes brings. Regression is a temporary setback in behavior that has previously been mastered. While the girl you describe seemed to have mastered her fear in another arena, she was clearly uncertain about succeeding at camp.

Communicate with the Parents

Before you address the problem with the camper, make sure you establish strong, positive communication with her parents. You do this for several reasons. The parents should know the challenges their child is facing. Parents can help provide what might become crucial details, such as what worked a few years ago, what the extenuating circumstances were, and how they participated in the previous victory. They can also encourage and support their daughter as you help her master her fear at camp.

Support the Camper

With the child, begin by acknowledging her fear, taking care to point out that you know that, in her experience, the fear is very real. Tell her that you think the two of you together can beat her worries about the bus. Point out that she was successful once before and that there is no reason she cannot be successful at camp. Be clear about letting her know that she did it before and she can do it again. Go further to let her know that you have spoken with her parents and that they are 100 percent behind the two of you.

Next, ask the girl more about her particular worry. Is it her fear of getting sick, of having an accident, of being in an enclosed space - what exactly is it about the thought of riding on the bus that worries her? Let her tell you more specifically about the problem since this may give you additional clues for a solution.

The next step would be to arrange some short trial runs before she is to take the longer trip. Going out of camp to play another camp in a competition or taking a shorter trip to go hiking or rafting would provide an ideal opportunity to prepare and practice for a longer bus ride. Confer with your nurse and the girl's parents to see if administering some motion sickness medication would be appropriate. Using a good luck charm supplied by you (or some other adult at camp the child trusts and cares for) might also help keep the camper thinking positively about her connection to people who care about her.

Practice Visualization 

Visualizing is another technique that can be highly effective with children. Visualizing is a form of positive thinking. For example, you might begin by having the camper think of some place at camp where she feels safe and happy. Have her close her eyes and picture this place. Have her describe it to you. Next, have her picture herself at camp doing something she really enjoys, something that makes her happy or makes her feel good about herself. Again, have her picture herself in this scene and have her describe it to you. Have her practice conjuring up this image. Tell her to picture this scene at night when she's on her bunk, in the morning when she wakes up, and at rest hour. Check in with her from time to time to have her repeat the image to you.

After a few days, take the next step in visualizing, which is to pair the strong, positive image with her scary thought. In this case, have her begin by picturing herself doing something at camp she is very good at, such as swimming, making friends, playing volleyball, or making jewelry. Then have her picture herself on the bus, feeling happy, feeling strong, having just finished doing something that makes her feel good about herself. The idea is to have her slowly picture herself being successful on the bus as she gets ready for her shorter trip. If you can practice this with her several times before her first, short trial run, chances are she will be prepared and will experience success. She is then ready for the next test, which is the longer bus trip.

Visualization is a safe, practical technique that is useful in other camp situations. Children who are homesick at night can use it to think about soothing or calming moments. Athletes can use it to enhance their mental toughness by picturing themselves performing at their best. Counselors can use it to create an image of themselves working successfully with a group of challenging campers. All in all, visualization is a method that fits well with the tremendous potential for social and emotional growth that is present at camp every day.

Keys to Visualizing with Children

The keys to visualizing with children are four-fold:

* Motivation. The child has to want to master her fears or worries. In this case, the camper you describe needs to want to go on the trip, avoid the pain of her worry and fear, and experience the relief of mastery.

* Ownership. The motivation must come from the child and be supported by you and her parents. Specifically, she needs to know that she is not required to go on the trip, but you think she would feel sad, left out, and defeated if she did not try. Besides, her struggle is not about the trip; it is about growing up and feeling great about herself for being able to master her fears.

* Focus. Visualization works best when you keep the targeted behaviors to a minimum rather than try to take on too much. Keep it simple!

* Age-appropriateness. Visualization works with children who can picture things in their minds and are able to describe them to you. It is most effective with children ages eight to twelve. Eight-year-olds, whose play is often tinged with fantasy, are often more than willing to participate. Older children can benefit from visualizing, too, but they must buy into the technique. If a teen is resistant to adults knowing much of what he or she is thinking, the technique will probably be less effective.

Bob Ditter is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in child and adolescent treatment. Camp directors are invited to write to: Bob Ditter, "In the Trenches," 93 Union St., Ste. 307, Newton, MA 02159 or fax [phone]. Letters should be signed, although requests for confidentiality will be honored. "In the Trenches" is sponsored by American Income Life Insurance.