Childhood anxiety rarely announces itself as anxiety. It arrives as stomach aches on school mornings, meltdowns over homework, refusal to sleep alone, or a teenager who has quietly stopped doing things they used to do.
Your child doesn’t need to stop feeling anxious. They need to learn that anxiety doesn’t get to decide what they do.
That is a skill, and it is teachable. Children and teenagers learn it by doing the hard thing in graded steps, with success built in early and the adults around them holding steady.
Your child learns what anxiety is doing in their body and their brain, in language that fits their age.
They practice skills for handling anxious thoughts and feelings, and try them out between sessions.
They face feared situations gradually, so confidence grows out of experience rather than reassurance.
Parents are active participants in treatment, particularly with younger children. Sessions typically include parent time, and there is practice to carry into the week.
Sometimes the things we do to help our children feel better in the moment can accidentally keep anxiety going. We’ll help you understand what’s happening and learn how to respond differently.
My husband and I were very lucky to find Dr. Rhule when our son was struggling with anxiety as a toddler. With her help, our son learned to manage his anxiety, adjusted to school, and eventually thrived both academically and socially.
Child, Adolescent & Family Psychologist
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy · Parent coaching · Anxiety and selective mutism · Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) · Classroom consultation and teacher coaching · LGBTQ+ topics
Accepting new clients
Very, especially with younger children. Sessions typically include parent time, and there is between-session practice at home.
Structured anxiety treatment for children is usually a defined course of twelve to twenty sessions rather than open-ended therapy.
Yes. Adolescents get their own confidential space, with clear agreements about what is shared with parents and what is not.
Tell us what anxiety is costing your child at the moment, and we will tell you honestly what treatment would involve and where to start.