Elizabeth Hartford, a social worker who lives in Woodstock, has written “The Bear and the Chair,” a fun book for children to learn coping skills. She is on a mission to help children manage stress.

Based on a real-life bear and chair, this sweet book teaches early readers a “Bear Skill” for handling anxiety. The book is aimed at children 4-7 years old but is well-suited for all ages. Adults and children can practice settling nerves reading about Isabelle and her friends.

Hartford is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a certified yoga instructor. During twenty-three years as an outpatient therapist, she watched anxiety disorders grow out of control, only to be magnified by the pandemic. She says, “My goal is to remind people to use their bodies to gain control over troubling thoughts and fears. This is the first in a series of books to come – designed to teach life lessons while being enjoyable for children to read.”

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