fbpx

Toilet Anxiety

How to understand and how to eradicate

Online course
by Dr. Baruch Kushnir

Play Video

Course Content

Lesson 1:

Introduction - SAMPLE LESSON

Lesson 2:

Toilet Anxiety – Main characteristics SAMPLE LESSON

Lesson 3:

Toilet anxiety treatment - Stage A

Lesson 4:

Lesson 4: Toilet anxiety treatment - Stage B

Lesson 5:

A long time passes - No progress!

Lesson 6:

Toilet training - how to avoid mistakes

Play Video
Play Video
Kushnir, Bedwetting, Encopresis, Potty training

Dr. Baruch Kushnir

Dr. Baruch Kushnir is considered the major authority on the treatment of encopresis, enuresis, and potty-training in Israel. He has been running a network of fifteen clinics that specialize in these subjects since 1982. By 2019, a total of about 40,000 children have been treated in his clinics. In tandem with therapeutic work, Dr. Kushnir and also his staff conduct research in collaboration with universities in Israel and the also US. In addition, in 2008 he produced his animated movie “The Magic Bowl” that’s helped thousands of children to move ahead from diapers.

Academic qualifications

  • 1970—B.A. Psychology and Sociology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
  • 1972—M.Sc. Industrial Psychology, Hull University, UK.
  • 1975—Ph.D. Medical Psychology, Hull University, UK.
  • 1977—M.Sc. Clinical Psychology, Leeds University, UK.

Publications and productions:

  • 1991, Bed Wetting—Family Guide, Dr. Baruch Kushnir, Daria Publishing (in Hebrew).
  • Cohen-Zrubavel, V, Kushnir, B, Kushnir, J, Sadeh, A. Sleep and sleepiness in children with nocturnal enuresis, Sleep, 2001, 34(2):191–194. 20.
  • 2007, Potty-Training Course, Israeli Television. — The Parents’ Channel. A three-chapter comprehensive program that relates to numerous potty-training issues.
  • 2007, Potty-Training Course, Israeli Television. —1The Parents’ Channel. A three-chapter comprehensive program that relates to numerous potty-training issues.
  • 2008, The Magic Bowl. Animated potty-training musical (in English and Hebrew on DVD and in the mobile App Store and Play Store).
  • 2011, The Magic Bowl—Potty Training Made Easy: A Parent’s Guide, Price World Publishing (included with the book is the DVD of The Magic Bowl movie).
  • 2011, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children. Therapeutic Principles, Mor, N, Mayers, Y, Marom, S., Gilboa, Schechtman, E, (editors). The chapter on Bed Wetting, Causes and Treatment by Dr. Jonathan Kushnir and Dr. Baruch Kushnir.
  • Kushnir, J, Kushnir, B, Sadeh, A Children treated for Nocturnal Enuresis.
  • Characteristics and trends over a 15-year period. Child and Youth Care Forum, 2013, 42(2), 119–129.
  • Kushnir, J, Cohen-Zrubavel, V, Kushnir, B Night diapers use and sleep in children with
  • Enuresis. Sleep Medicine, 2013, 14(10), 1013–1016.
  • 2018, Encopresis You can Beat It! Game changing solutions for toilet anxiety, soiling and constipation in children , on Amazon.

Success stories

Toilet Anxiety

boyArielle is aged three. Her parents came to the clinic on 11th June 2019. She’s still bedwetting but controls her bladder during the day. She has one or two small bowel movements, in her underpants. They occur anywhere and everywhere. This situation has been carrying on for almost a year. During that period there were two isolated incidents in which she had a bowel movement on the toilet. She can sit on the toilet but isn’t capable of pooping there. So far her parents haven’t looked for any professional help. They’ve tried again and again to persuade her, using gifts, explanations, examples, and all sorts of bribes. Occasionally she reacts with tremendous anger. Her kindergarten teacher and her grandparents are involved in the matter, and try to put pressure on Arielle. In general she functions well in various life aspects.

I explained to Arielle’s parents that this is a question of a powerful anxiety that has taken control of the child. In fact there are two anxiety factors at work here. The primary anxiety was having a bowel movement on the toilet bowl. Following reactions from people around her, the lack of understanding that anxiety is the problem here, and the demands placed on her to poop on the toilet, another form of anxiety developed – about pooping in the toilet bowl. It’s expressed in small, partial bowel movements that reveal she’s withholding and trying to prevent any bowel movements at all.

I outlined to her parents the rules of treating toilet anxiety and they left the clinic with a clear, detailed action plan.

On 19 June (five days after the clinic meeting) I phoned her mother, Hodaya. She related that they’d started applying the approach, Arielle was cooperative about sitting on the toilet bowl after having soiled her underpants. She had started announcing, after dropping poo into the toilet, that she’s got more poo, and asked to continue sitting, without underpants, on the toilet bowl. Her mother was astounded to see that Arielle was doing it – of her accord – in the toilet, but that’s what happened. Arielle was so delighted and asked to phone her father and her kindergarten teacher and tell them the news.

This is the letter I received from her mother, after that phone call:

Our story started ten months ago. We started toilet-training Arielle following urinary tract infections caused by diapers. Arielle wasn’t so ready but we had to take that step. In terms of peeing, Arielle started to pee in the toilet but not pooping… She stubbornly refused to poop on the toilet, only in her underpants. We tried everything: we encourages, promised gifts, we were angry, we read stories absolutely everything, but nothing helped. That’s how we’ve spent the past ten months, and as parents we experienced immense frustration. As a result, Arielle grew frustrated too, and disappointed in herself. We came to Dr Kushnir totally unoptimistic, but he gave us hope – asked questions about Arielle’s problems, and finally the problem got a name – toilet anxiety. He said we shouldn’t talk to Ariel any more about the bathroom and the toilet bowl, and every time that she soils her underpants we should say “Great – the main thing is that you pooped.” He said as well that we should change her when she sits on the toilet bowl, pull aside her panties and let the poop fall in; we should laugh at the splash! created by the falling poop, and get rid of her anxiety that way. In addition he said that if it happens and she does poop in the toilet, we shouldn’t be too thrilled, just say words of reinforcement and that’s it. I was surprised when he said not to involve the kindergarten staff because I’m a kindergarten teacher, but he told us that this was so that Arielle will feel comfortable at home and not so much in the kindergarten. As we left the meeting, we started implementing the method, and then once there was soiling in her underpants we did as he said. Arielle was entertained by the splash when we changed her on the toilet. The second time we changed her she continued pooping in the toilet, and said to us “I’ve got more” … we were in shock, but only inside, we didn’t reveal how delighted we were. We remembered that Dr Kushnir said to curb our enthusiasm, so all we said was “Way to go, Arielle!” Later she pooped a little more in her underpants and then went onto the toilet bowl. And today I could have almost screamed with joy… Arielle came to me and said “Mom I need to poop.” I asked her “And where do you want to poop?” She said in the toilet. I took her hand and she sat on the toilet bowl and suddenly there it was – poop. At that moment I wanted to burst with happiness but again remembered to be restrained, and said “Well done, Arielle, you’re a champion!” She looked at me and wanted me to be more overjoyed and then she said “Mom I’ve pooped in the toilet!” I reacted by just saying “Yup, you’re a champ.” She said “I deserve a present, Mom, and I want you to phone Dad and the kindergarten teacher and tell them I pooped on the toilet.” I phoned them, and Arielle shared the news with them. She got encouragement from her teacher, who promised that the next day she’d  get a medal from her. I phoned Dr Kushnir to let him know and asked his advice what we should about the gifts she’s expecting and – more than this – how to continue. Dr Kushnir said to tell Arielle that the biggest gift is that she successfully pooped in the toilet, but she’ll get a gift because she asked to poop of her own initiative. And he also said we should still restrain our enthusiasm with her, when she poops again in the toilet, and to give her reinforcements. Even if she does it again in the toilet we should say “The main thing is that you did a poo,” but not to remind her about the toilet.

From here on we’re continuing the process… and there’s no doubt we’re totally thrilled.

Dr Kushnir, thank you so much for everything, we’ll let you know what happens ahead.

Good night and loads of thanks.

Sincerely,

Hodaya

Raphael, 2.9 years​

boyRaphael still has a diaper at night. During the day he restrains himself for long hours – both peeing and bowel movements. He’s just terrified about having a bowel movement. For the past two days consecutively he hasn’t had a bowel movement. Finally it escaped and soiled his underwear. Everything began a week ago when his mother removed the diaper of her own initiative. The boy himself showed no sign he’s interested in going diaper-free. Immediately he started releasing urine and feces in his underwear. His reaction was hysterical when he felt he needed a bowel movement, and when he asked for a diaper his mother refused. The situation is going from bad to worse. He holds it in for entire days, at home and in kindergarten, both bladder and bowels: he’s in tremendous psychological distress and has also resumed using his pacifier. His mother, Sharon, told us that although he’s very aware that she’s a single mother and lives peacefully with this situation, he’s now starting to constantly demand a father (who of course doesn’t exist in his life). In view of his tremendous misery, his mother asked for a Skype session with me on a Friday before the weekend began, in order not to wait a few more days for a meeting at the clinic. In general she described him as a well-developed joyful, a sportive boy, active, full of self-confidence, who functions well in all aspects of his life.

I provided Sharon with the usual instructions about getting rid of the anxiety for good.

Three days later, on Sunday, June 16, his mother told me that she’d carried out all the instructions and was expecting a significant reduction of mental stress in the boy, who resumed pooping in the diaper.

A few days later, on June 20, Sharon called me again to report that her son is completely free of mental of anxiety now. He’s pooping in a diaper without holding it back. He asks when he needs to go, and has also started peeing freely in the toilet – at home and in kindergarten. We agreed that we’ll let the situation stabilize over the next two weeks and then gradually start introducing other activities to eradicate his toilet anxiety.

boyAline controls her bladder completely, both night and day. She poops in her underpants. She tends to restrain herself for several days then develops serious constipation. She’s incapable of sitting on the toilet bowl. During the day there are several incidents of escaped feces pellets in her underwear. She’s never had a bowel movement on the toilet. She also suffered prolonged bouts of constipation in early infancy, and was once diagnosed with a fissure (a fissure is a sort of bleeding from the anus when large and very hard feces passes through – which happens after prolonged withholding). The situation described today has been like this for two years ever since they removed her diaper. To date, the parents haven’t sought professional advice. Both her parents and the kindergarten teacher remind Aline time after time to poop in the toilet and after she poops in her underpants everyone makes a point of asking her repetitively if she knows where she should poop. Sometimes they have outbursts of anger.

In general she’s described as a cheerful girl, naughty, sunny-tempered, intelligent, with rich language. She is very stubborn and opinionated, sociable, and loves music and dancing.

I gave the parents advice how to implement a moderate treatment moderate form of treatment.

On 20th February in a phone call with her mother, Victoria, she shared that Aline is pooping much more freely now, and has no constipation attacks. She even asks now and then to poop in the toilet though she doesn’t actually do much. There were also cases of wetting.

On March 6th (around three weeks after the clinic meeting), I spoke with Victoria about the implementing the principles of the moderate approach. At home, there were two occasions when she pooped on the toilet at her own initiative. In kindergarten they decided to give her a diaper since she soils several times a day and this also draws insults from the other children. At home she wears underpants and does large bowel movements and with a higher frequency than before the moderate treatment began.

We decided together to continue with the same method.

There were cases of soiling, and ups and downs.

9 April (two months after treatment started) Aline’s mom reported that she’d managed to poop in the toilet of her own initiative, twice that day.

On 10th of June (four months after treatment began) her mother again reported that Aline had pooped in the toilet of her own initiative, twice that day.

In view of this further progress in the matter, we decided last Friday, June 20, in coordination with the kindergarten teacher, that Aline would wear underpants to kindergarten.

Her teacher told Victoria that she’d done three poops in the toilet, all of which she initiated.

On the morning of June 23, 2019 Victoria emailed me:

After we’d tried all sorts of methods – prizes, gifts, a potty – nothing worked and we looked for professional advice. Dr Baruch Kushnir gave us instructions to cease all pressure on the kid and to give her legitimacy to poop when and where she wants. The main thing is that she poops. I have to admit that it was a very tough task for us, her parents. Because of course changing clothes five or six times a day is really heavy, but slowly we learnt we need to let go, not to put pressure on her. Everything has to come from her own understanding. We tried not to talk about it at home and if sometimes there were small successes, we didn’t hand out prizes or celebrate, we try to keep a regular routine.

It took quite a long time because the whole question of pooping is very traumatic for us and we knew it’s a process that needs a lot of patience – we didn’t want to use the option of enemas.

After three or four months suddenly she decided that she was going to the toilet and she pooped there even without asking. She just sat down on the toilet and it started – once a week, twice a week – until ultimately with the instructions from Dr Kushnir, we sent her on a Friday to kindergarten with underpants. In fact it was the kindergarten teacher who told us she’d pooped three times in the toilet. I have to note that the kindergarten didn’t collaborate with us and pressured Aline to wear diapers, because the staff were fed up with changing her. It was only at home that the whole issue was handled. In the kindergarten, the behavior was very different. And nonetheless we managed to give her the confidence to poop in the toilet – not in diapers, not in underpants. It’s very clear to us that there may be cases of regression but overall I see that she has the understanding – and that’s what we wanted to achieve.

boyAlex’s parents came to the clinic on September 6, 2018. They told me that Alex is still sleeping at night with a diaper. During the day he almost completely controls his bladder. They constantly remind him to go and poop in the toilet. He restrains himself and has bouts of constipation lasting three days: then when there’s no other choice, he poops in his underpants. In most cases it’s a full bowel movement. Soiling happens everywhere and generally he doesn’t bother to announce it and continues walking around with it.

That situation has continued for some four months, since we stopped giving him diapers. The kindergarten teacher and his grandparents are also involved in the problem and constantly try to persuade him to sit on the toilet. His father thinks they should resume full use of diapers, and postpone the whole issue of training. The mother thinks otherwise. The mother is the one who changes his clothes generally and she sometimes has angry outbursts. So far they haven’t contacted professional people. He is described as a very smart child, with rich language, who adores music. He’s a little clumsy in motor terms. He has been diagnosed with extreme sensory sensitivity.

I gave the parents directions about implementing moderate treatment.

On September 30, 2018 (three weeks since the clinic meeting) Alex’s mother reported a significant improvement in his bowel movements which became more frequent, with less constipation, and less stress. He’s collaborating cheerfully with dropping the poop into the toilet.

November 1, 2011 (two months after the first meeting at the clinic) his mother reported another major improvement and this is what she wrote:

Since our meeting at the clinic two months ago there has been a super significant change for the better! Unbelievable! We thank you so much! From a child who would soil his pants often two or three times a day, with constipation of 2 to 3 days consecutively, he’s is now sitting on the toilet every day. And it’s all his initiative and under his for control, today (and in the past month) he soils himself maybe once a week only, the cases of constipation are few and far between and it’s all his full initiative. It’s a brilliant method that gives parents a well-structured format, totally practical and super professional. Our Alex is 3.3 years old and it’s hard to believe where we were just two months ago Huge thanks to you, from the bottom of our hearts.

Toilet Anxiety

How to understand and how to eradicate online, step-by-step, digital course for parents

Children who suffer from toilet anxiety are not at all able to poop on the toilet bowl.
Some cannot even sit on it. Some of them can sit on it for long periods of time but eventually poop only in their pants.
Toilet anxiety is a common phenomenon. Its treatment can be quite simple.

What is required here is:

  1. A basic understanding of the problem and
  2. The implementation of simple guidelines both regarding deeds (what to do and what not to do) and regarding speech (what to say and what not to say).


In this course Dr. Baruch Kushnir is teaching you, step by step, how toilet anxiety develops, how to identify it, how to control it, how to eradicate it and finally how to navigate your child to normal use of the toilet.

Contact Us

Toilet Anxiety​ Course

$95

$65

Buy now!

  • Toilet Anxiety Course

    $65.00     Add to cart