Julie Cox, LCSW

06/04/2026

Worried about the next PANS/PANDAS flare?

That makes sense.

Many PANS/PANDAS parents expect that as their child's symptoms improve, they will finally be able to relax.

But even when things are better, many parents find themselves still watching for symptoms, worrying about setbacks, and feeling unable to fully let their guard down.

After months or years of navigating uncertainty, treatment decisions, school struggles, and the ups and downs of PANS/PANDAS, it's understandable that your nervous system may still be operating as though the crisis is ongoing.

In my newest blog, I explore:

✔️ Why some PANS/PANDAS parents stay on high alert even when things are improving

✔️ Why this experience is so common

✔️ How approaches such as EMDR and Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy can help parents recover from chronic stress

If this sounds familiar, I hope you'll find the article helpful.

🔗 https://www.juliecox.org/blogs/why-some-pandas-pans-parents-stay-on-high-alert

Many PANS/PANDAS parents remain on high alert even when their child's symptoms improve. Learn why chronic stress and hypervigilance can persist, and how EMDR and Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy may help.

05/15/2026

Parenting a child, teen, or young adult with PANS/PANDAS often changes over time.

What families need during the early crisis stage is often very different from what they need later on during stabilization or recovery.

In my newest blog, I explore the 3 common phases of PANS/PANDAS parenting:

• Crisis, diagnosis, and survival mode
• Stabilization, flares, and ongoing management
• Recovery, processing, and rebuilding

I also discuss the kinds of therapy, parenting approaches, and emotional support that often help families during each phase.

Many parents tell me it helps to finally have language for what they’ve been experiencing.

You can read the full blog here:
https://www.juliecox.org/blogs/3-phases-pans-pandas-parenting

Parenting a child or teen with PANS/PANDAS often changes over time. Learn about the 3 common phases of PANS/PANDAS parenting, including crisis, stabilization, recovery, and the types of support families often need along the way.

05/08/2026

Many PANS/PANDAS parents feel enormous guilt about becoming frustrated with their child or teen.

Part of them understands:
“My child is struggling because of PANS/PANDAS.”

And another part thinks:
“Here we go again.”

In my newest blog, I share 4 practical Internal Family Systems (IFS)-informed shifts that can help parents approach these moments with more self-compassion and awareness.

Read the full blog here:

Feeling frustrated with your PANS/PANDAS child or teen can bring enormous guilt for many parents. Learn 4 helpful strategies inspired by Internal Family Systems (IFS) to reduce reactivity, increase self-compassion, and navigate difficult moments with more steadiness.

04/26/2026

There is a deep pain that many PANS/PANDAS parents carry.

It’s watching your child struggle in ways that don’t make sense.
Sometimes it’s sudden changes.
Other times, it’s a longer, ongoing pattern of symptoms that come and go.

At times, you may not recognize your child—and you may not be able to reach them in the ways you used to.

It’s trying to hold things together on the outside, while inside you’re carrying fear, confusion, and the constant question of what to do next.

And it doesn’t happen just once.

It happens over and over again.

For many parents, this becomes a quiet, constant weight they carry every day.

If this is something you’re going through, I want you to know you’re not alone in it.

I wrote more about this here, and ways to begin finding support within it:
https://bit.ly/4cQQTfC

04/12/2026

If you’ve been trying Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy for your PANS or PANDAS child or teen's OCD and it’s not working, you’re not alone.

I hear this from parents all the time:

“My child refuses to do exposures.”
“They get more upset when we try.”
“I don’t understand why this isn’t helping.”

ERP can be incredibly effective for OCD—but in PANS/PANDAS, it’s often not the first step.

When there is inflammation in the brain, kids may have a much harder time with flexibility, emotional regulation, and tolerating distress. That can make ERP feel overwhelming or even impossible.

In this blog, I talk about:
✔ Why ERP may not be working right now
✔ What can help first (including medical treatment and family support)
✔ How to support your child or teen during this phase
✔ How to know when your child may be ready for ERP

If ERP hasn’t been working, it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. It may just mean your child needs a different starting point.

You can read more here:
https://www.juliecox.org/blogs//erp-not-working-pans-pandas-child-teen

03/29/2026

Struggling with anger in your PANS PANDAS child or teen? It might be OCD

Is your child’s anger related to PANS or PANDAS? It may be OCD. Learn how OCD shows up and how to respond more effectively as a parent.

03/29/2026

What looks like anger in your PANS or PANDAS child…
may actually be OCD.

When something doesn’t feel “right” internally—and that distress can’t resolve—it often comes out as frustration or emotional outbursts.

In my newest blog, I explain what’s really happening underneath—and how this understanding can change how you respond.

You’re not alone in navigating this 💛

👉 Read more here:

Is your child’s anger related to PANS or PANDAS? It may be OCD. Learn how OCD shows up and how to respond more effectively as a parent.

03/14/2026

If you're parenting a child, teen or young adult with PANS or PANDAS, I hope this feels supportive.

Parenting a child with PANS or PANDAS can place enormous strain on a parent’s nervous system.

Many parents find themselves constantly scanning for signs of the next flare — noticing small changes in mood, anxiety, sleep, or behavior and wondering what might come next.

Over time, this level of vigilance can lead to parent burnout.

In my newest blog, I explore why this happens and share several practical strategies that can help parents restore energy and support their nervous system while navigating the ups and downs of PANS/PANDAS.

You can read the full article here:
https://www.juliecox.org/blogs/pans-pandas-parent-burnout

Parent burnout is common when raising a child with PANS or PANDAS. Learn how caregiving stress affects your nervous system and discover practical ways to restore energy.

02/20/2026

Do you find yourself overthinking texts, replaying conversations, or panicking when someone seems distant? 😔

These patterns often come from attachment styles — ways our early experiences teach us to connect and protect ourselves.

In my latest blog, I explain how anxious, avoidant, and disorganized attachment show up in adult relationships — and how therapy like EMDR, IFS, CBT, and DBT can help you feel safer and more secure.

💡 Healing is possible — you don’t have to navigate this alone.



Read the blog here:

Learn how attachment styles shape adult relationships and anxiety — and how therapy like EMDR, IFS, CBT, and DBT can help you feel secure.

01/16/2026

Trying to be perfect can feel exhausting.
You may find yourself always striving, overthinking, or wondering if you’re doing enough.
And still, the anxiety never really eases.

You might not realize how closely perfectionism and anxiety are connected, or how often these patterns begin early in life—sometimes shaped by high expectations, fear of mistakes, or the belief that you had to “get it right” to feel safe or accepted.

In my latest blog, I explore why perfectionism can take such a toll on your well-being and how therapy, including EMDR, can help soften anxiety and untangle the deeper roots of these patterns.

If this resonates, you’re not alone—and change is possible.
Read the blog here: https://www.juliecox.org/blogs/perfectionism-anxiety-emdr-therapy

If you’d like support, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out today: https://www.juliecox.org/contact