A child and her Fears

So in my post a few days ago I mentioned a fear of the basement that my children (mainly Brooke) seem to be experiencing. I am not quite understanding were it is coming from though because the child use to have NO problems going into the basement by herself, shoot sometimes we wouldn't even know that she was down there because she just decided to go into the basement and play, but as of late (try about 4 month or more) she has all of a sudden developed a fear of just about everything! She is afraid to sleep in her own bed (or even her room). The kids have bunk beds and Brookies was on bottom bunk so we thought maybe it was the fear because she was on the bottom, so we had the kids make a switch and now she has the top bunk and she still is afraid. Sometimes she does okay if Devin is in the bed with her but other times, she freaks out even if Devin is in the bed with her. She gets so upset when she finds out that its time for bed because of this fear she has about going into her room. We've given her night lights left the door open and other such things and yet the fear continues. We've explained to her that there are no monsters or ghost or other such scary things in her room or the basement and she continues to be afraid. I'm certainly at a loss at how to fix this problem I am not quite sure what the solution is. Not Only is it a fear of the dark, monsters, ghost or whatever else she is mentally dealing with (this kid has a very active imagination and that just may be our downfall) but she is so extra sensitive as well! No matter what is going on if you tell the kid no she cries! Oh and did I mention the seperation anxiety that she is experiencing too? No matter who it is in our house (me, the hubby, my mother or father) if anyone of us leave she freaks out and cries! I'm just not sure what exactly is causing this extra sensitivity to the world, or the fears that she is experiencing, and I don't know how to help it either! Is it that she is going through a phase at the age of 4 or is there something more to it all that we are just not picking up on? Should we have her see a therapist to find out were these fears are coming from or should we just try to an fix the situation ourselves? Were do we start? I hope that its all a phase. I just want her to be the happy little girl I know she is with out being afraid of the world........


Have a Great Day!!
Catrina