Anxiety Treatment for Children and Teens

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions affecting children and adolescents. While occasional worry is a normal part of development, anxiety becomes problematic when it begins interfering with school, friendships, family life, independence, or everyday activities.

Children with anxiety may avoid situations that feel overwhelming, seek excessive reassurance, experience frequent physical complaints such as stomachaches or headaches, or become increasingly distressed when faced with uncertainty. Fortunately, anxiety disorders are highly treatable with specialized, evidence-based care.

As a board-certified child and adolescent psychologist, Dr. Diana Bastien specializes in the assessment and treatment of pediatric anxiety disorders using evidence-based therapies that help children and teens build confidence by facing—not avoiding—their fears.

Common Anxiety Disorders

Dr. Bastien treats a wide range of anxiety disorders, including:

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

  • Social Anxiety Disorder

  • Separation Anxiety Disorder

  • Specific Phobias

  • Panic Disorder

  • Health Anxiety

  • School Avoidance related to anxiety

How Dr. Bastien Treats Anxiety

Comprehensive Evaluation

Treatment begins with a comprehensive psychological evaluation to understand your child's symptoms, identify factors contributing to anxiety, and develop an individualized treatment plan. Because anxiety can look different across children and often overlaps with other conditions, careful assessment is an essential first step.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure Therapy is the cornerstone of evidence-based treatment for most childhood anxiety disorders and is considered the gold-standard psychological treatment for anxiety.

Rather than helping children avoid anxiety, exposure teaches them how to approach feared situations gradually and safely while discovering that they are capable of handling uncertainty and distress.

Treatment is individualized to each child and may involve gradually facing feared situations such as:

  • Speaking in class

  • Sleeping independently

  • Attending school

  • Being away from parents

  • Social interactions

  • Medical procedures

  • Situations that trigger excessive worry

Through repeated practice, children learn that:

  • Anxiety naturally decreases over time.

  • Feared outcomes often do not occur.

  • Even when anxiety is present, they are capable of handling it.

As confidence grows, children become less limited by anxiety and more engaged in the activities that matter most to them.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) complements exposure-based treatment by helping children better understand the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

When appropriate, therapy may include helping children:

  • Recognize anxious thinking patterns

  • Reduce excessive rumination and "what if" thinking

  • Develop healthier ways of responding to uncertainty

  • Build problem-solving and coping skills

Rather than simply helping children feel less anxious, treatment focuses on helping them function well even when anxiety is present.

Parent Involvement

Parents play an essential role in helping children overcome anxiety. Dr. Bastien works closely with families to develop strategies that support long-term progress both in and outside of therapy.

Parent sessions often focus on:

  • Reducing reassurance and accommodation

  • Encouraging gradual independence

  • Supporting exposure practice between sessions

  • Responding consistently to anxiety-driven behaviors

  • Reinforcing brave behaviors and resilience

Helping parents respond differently to anxiety is often one of the most powerful components of treatment.

Why Early Treatment Matters

Without treatment, anxiety often becomes more restrictive over time, leading children to avoid increasingly more situations. Early intervention helps children develop confidence, improve functioning at home and school, strengthen relationships, and prevent anxiety from limiting their long-term development.

Request an Appointment

If you are concerned that your child or teen may be struggling with anxiety, specialized treatment can make a meaningful difference.

Treatment begins with a comprehensive psychological evaluation to better understand your child's symptoms and develop an individualized treatment plan based on their unique needs.

Request an appointment today to learn how evidence-based anxiety treatment can help your child build confidence and return to the activities that matter most.