Last, Cynthia G.

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Last, Cynthia G.

PERSONAL:

Female. Education: Earned Ph.D.

ADDRESSES:

Office—110 S.E. 4th Ave., Ste. 106, Delray Beach, FL 33483. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Clinical psychologist. Past director of child and adolescent anxiety disorder programs at theUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, and Nova Southeastern University,Fort Lauderdale, FL.

WRITINGS:

(Editor, with Michel Hersen) Behavior Therapy Casebook,Springer Publishing (New York, NY), 1985.

(Editor, with Michel Hersen) Issues in Diagnostic Research, Plenum Press (New York, NY), 1987.

(Editor, with Michel Hersen) Child Behavior Therapy Casebook, Plenum Press (New York, NY), 1988.

(Editor, with Michel Hersen) Handbook of Anxiety Disorders, Pergamon Press (New York, NY), 1988.

(Editor, with Michel Hersen) Handbook of Child Psychiatric Diagnosis, Wiley (New York, NY), 1989.

(With Rachel G. Klein) Anxiety Disorders in Children,Sage Publications (Newbury Park, CA), 1989.

(Editor, with Michel Hersen) Handbook of Child and Adult Psychopathology: A Longitudinal Perspective,Pergamon Press (New York, NY), 1990.

(Editor) Anxiety across the Lifespan: A Developmental Perspective, Springer Publishing (New York, NY), 1993.

(Editor, with Robert T. Ammerman and Michel Hersen) Handbook of Prescriptive Treatments for Children and Adolescents, Allyn & Bacon (Boston, MA) 1993, 2nd edition, 1999.

(Editor, with Michel Hersen) Adult Behavior Therapy Casebook, Plenum Press (New York, NY), 1994.

The 5 Reasons Why We Overeat: How to Develop a Long-term Weight-Control Plan That's Right for You, Carol Publishing Group (Secaucus, NJ), 1999.

Help for Worried Kids: How Your Child Can Conquer Anxiety and Fear, Guilford Press (New York, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Clinical psychologist Cynthia G. Last specializes in cognitive-behavioral treatment of anxiety disorders. Her books include several that focus on young people and include Help for Worried Kids: How Your Child Can Conquer Anxiety and Fear. Last differentiates between common childhood fears and those that are more serious and based on psychological problems. She uses case histories to explain anxiety disorders, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and phobias, pointing out the physical symptoms, such as stomach pains and headaches, that often indicate the presence of these conditions. She writes that anxiety can be intensified by the presence of a medical condition, including allergies, diabetes, and asthma. Last further comments on the effects that sugar, caffeine, and environmental toxins can have on children and studies the differences between anxiety in children and ADHD. Last also instructs parents on how to prevent episodes, ways to control them, and relaxation and coping techniques they can teach the child. A Publishers Weekly reviewer observed: "Concerned parents will find plenty of useful advice here for quelling their children's fears."