Fear and false alarms
This worksheet introduces children to the concept of phobias by comparing fear responses to a sensitive “false alarm.” It explains how sometimes, just like a smoke alarm that goes off when there’s no fire, our “fight or flight” response can be triggered without any real danger.
It is designed to help practitioners and clients explore situations that feel frightening but aren’t truly harmful, and encourages them to describe or illustrate their own experiences.
References and Further Reading
- Steimer, T. (2002). The biology of fear- and anxiety-related behaviors. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 4(3), 231-249.
- Keifer Jr., O. P., Hurt, R. C., Ressler, K. J., & Marvar, P. J. (2015). The physiology of fear: Reconceptualizing the role of the central amygdala in fear learning. Physiology, 30(5), 389-409.










