Understanding Anxiety in Children and Teens

All children feel worried or scared sometimes, and a certain amount of anxiety is a normal, even helpful, part of growing up. Anxiety becomes a concern when worries are intense, last a long time, and start getting in the way of school, friendships, sleep, or family life.

Anxiety in young people doesn’t always look like worry. Younger children often feel it in their bodies, with stomachaches, headaches, or trouble sleeping, and may show it through clinginess, tears, or meltdowns. Teens may become irritable, withdrawn, or perfectionistic, or start avoiding school, activities, and social plans. Because anxious kids are often well-behaved and eager to please, their struggles can be easy to miss.

Anxiety can take several forms. Some children worry about many everyday things, such as school, health, family, or the future. Others have intense fears about being apart from their parents, specific fears of things like the dark, animals, or getting sick, or sudden waves of panic. Anxiety also frequently overlaps with other concerns, including ADHD, OCD, depression, and learning differences, which is why a careful evaluation matters.

Common experiences include:

• Frequent worries or "what if" questions that are hard to reassure away

• Stomachaches, headaches, or nausea, especially before school or new situations

• Trouble falling asleep, nightmares, or needing a parent nearby at night

• Difficulty separating from parents, at drop-off, sleepovers, or camp

• Avoiding school, activities, or situations that feel scary

• Perfectionism, fear of making mistakes, or spending hours redoing work

• Irritability, tears, or meltdowns when anxious or when routines change

• Needing a lot of reassurance or wanting to know every detail of the plan in advance

• In teens: panic attacks, constant worry about grades or the future, or pulling away from friends

Anxiety also tends to pull families in. Parents often find themselves answering the same questions again and again, adjusting plans, or stepping in to help a child avoid what scares them. This is a completely natural response, and it’s an important part of what we work on together.

My Approach to Anxiety Treatment

Anxiety is one of the most treatable concerns in children and teens. I take a family-centered, comprehensive approach that may include:

Thorough Evaluation: I’ll take time to understand what your child worries about, how anxiety shows up at home and at school, how it developed, and what helps or makes it worse. I’ll also look carefully for co-occurring concerns such as ADHD, OCD, depression, sleep problems, or learning differences.

Evidence-Based Therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps children understand their worries and gradually face feared situations in small, manageable steps, is the most well-studied treatment for anxiety in young people. I often work alongside therapists who specialize in treating children and teens with this approach.

Parent Guidance: Parents are powerful partners in helping anxious kids. I’ll help you understand your child’s anxiety, respond with warmth and confidence, and gradually step back from reassurance and accommodation in ways that support your child’s bravery. Parent-focused approaches can be especially helpful when a child is reluctant to engage in therapy themselves.

Medication Management: For moderate to severe anxiety, or when therapy alone isn’t enough, medication can meaningfully reduce symptoms and make it easier for a child to engage in therapy and daily life. I’ll walk you through the options and the evidence for their use in young people, start carefully, and monitor closely.

Building Coping Skills and Confidence: Treatment helps children learn that anxious feelings are uncomfortable but not dangerous, and that they are capable of handling hard things. Over time, kids build confidence through experience, not just reassurance.

School Coordination: When anxiety affects attendance, participation, or performance, I can help you think through accommodations and communicate with your child’s school when appropriate.

What to Expect

The intake for children and adolescents is completed in three parts:

Part 1: Parent Session (60 minutes)
We’ll meet without your child to talk through your concerns, your child’s developmental, medical, and school history, and your family’s goals.

Part 2: Child Session (60 minutes)
I’ll meet with your child or teen to get to know them directly: how they see things, what feels hard, and what’s going well.

Part 3: Feedback Session (30 minutes)
About one week later, we’ll meet again to go over my impressions and talk through treatment options together.

Between sessions, I’ll review any records you share, such as report cards, prior testing, or treatment records, and, with your permission, speak with outside providers involved in your child’s care.

From there, we’ll develop a treatment plan tailored to your child. Regular follow-up appointments let us track progress and adjust as needed. I know that meeting a new doctor can itself feel stressful for an anxious child, so I’ll go at your child’s pace and work to make our sessions feel as comfortable as possible.

Who I Work With

I work with children, adolescents, and their families in New York City. Whether your young child struggles to separate at school drop-off, your middle schooler can’t stop worrying, or your teen is dealing with panic, perfectionism, or school avoidance, I’m here to help your family make sense of it.

Getting Started

If worry or fear is getting in the way of your child’s life, or your family’s, you don’t have to manage it alone. With the right support, children and teens with anxiety can feel calmer, braver, and more like themselves.