Why does your usually sweet kid turn into a full-blown meltdown in the doctor’s office? In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Melissa and Sam talk with pediatric health psychologist Dr. Missy Hendricks about how to help kids manage anxiety around medical visits—from vaccines and blood draws to chronic illness and everyday checkups.
Dr. Missy shares her expertise on how to prepare kids for tough medical moments, the power of validation and honesty, and how to build coping skills that can serve them not just in the clinic—but in life. She also explains how to support older kids living with long-term health conditions, and why helping them feel seen often leads to better self-care and resilience.
Whether you're navigating your toddler’s first shots or supporting a teen through chronic illness, this episode is packed with practical tools, deep insight, and a whole lot of heart.
About Missy
Dr. Hendricks is a pediatric health psychologist with over 20-years of specialized experience, and she is owner of Cornerstone Health & Wellness, which is a private practice in AA county that offers specialized behavioral and health psychology services for individuals and families who face medical conditions, health concerns, or injury. Before transitioning to private practice, Dr. Hendricks spent 10-years at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine where she was the director of interdisciplinary clinic development and consultation-liaison psychology services to medical subspecialties, and was heavily involved in interdisciplinary care, research, and the the training of future pediatric health psychologists.
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