Child Therapy for Anxiety, ADHD, Emotional Regulation & Behavior Challenges

Young child expressing emotions through art activities used in child therapy for anxiety, emotional regulation, and self-expression

When your child is struggling, it's easy to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or unsure what to do next. Together, we'll uncover what's driving the behavior and help your child build the skills they need to thrive.

Schedule A Free Parent Consultation

You Know Something Isn’t Quite Right

Parent and child having a supportive conversation about feelings, emotions, and challenges during childhood.
Parent and child having a supportive conversation about feelings, emotions, and challenges during childhood.

Maybe your child worries constantly. Maybe emotions seem to go from 0 -100. Maybe school has become a daily battle.

Or perhaps you're exhausted from repeating the same consequences, reminders, and conversations without seeing lasting change.

Many parents come to therapy feeling confused because the behavior they're seeing doesn't seem to match the child they know.

Often, the behavior is a signal that something deeper needs attention.

Common Reasons Parents Reach Out

Anxiety

  • Excessive worrying

  • Separation anxiety

  • School anxiety

  • Perfectionism

ADHD

  • Impulsivity

  • Focus difficulties

  • Organization struggles

  • Difficulty managing emotions

Emotional Regulation

  • Big feelings

  • Frequent meltdowns

  • Frustration tolerance

  • Self-control

Behavior Challenges

  • Defiance

  • Power struggles

  • Sibling conflict

  • School behavior concerns

Looking Beyond The Behavior

Dr. Lindsay O'Shea, child psychologist providing therapy for children, teens, and families in San Diego and throughout California.

Behavior is rarely the real problem.

Children often communicate stress, anxiety, overwhelm, frustration, or unmet needs through their actions long before they can explain what’s happening with words.

Rather than focusing only on stopping behaviors, I help children understand their emotions, develop coping skills, strengthen confidence, and build healthier ways of responding to challenges.

At the same time, I work closely with parents so everyone is moving toward the same goals.

What To Expect

Step 1

We’ll discuss your concerns, your child’s history, and what you’ve already tried.

Meet With Parents

Step 2

Understand What’s Driving The Behavior

Together, we’ll identify the patterns, stressors, and underlying factors contributing to your child’s struggles.

Step 3

Build Skills & Confidence

Your child learns practical tools while you receive guidance to support progress at home.

Schedule A Consultation 
CHILD THERAPY + PARENT SUPPORT

Parent Support Is Built Into The Process

Mother comforting her child while supporting emotional well-being, resilience, and healthy coping skills.

Lasting change doesn’t happen if parents feel blamed or left out. In parent sessions, I help you decode what your child’s behavior is communicating and practice specific responses for meltdowns, anxiety spikes, and shutdowns. The goal isn’t perfection - it’s feeling calmer, more confident, and less alone.

While therapy gives your child or teen a space to talk openly and build confidence, you'll also have opportunities for guidance, answers to questions, and practical strategies you can use at home.

Regular Parent Check-Ins. Typically every 4–8 weeks, especially early on.

Guidance For Home Support with communication, boundaries, conflict, and school concerns.

Additional Support When Needed Parents are always welcome to schedule extra sessions.

When parents feel supported, children tend to make progress faster.

Frequently Asked Questions About Child Therapy

Answers to common questions from parents seeking support for anxiety, ADHD, emotional regulation, and behavioral challenges.

  • Many parents contact me because they notice changes in their child's mood, behavior, confidence, or ability to cope with everyday challenges.

    Your child may benefit from therapy if they are experiencing:

    • Frequent anxiety or worry

    • Emotional outbursts or meltdowns

    • Difficulty managing frustration

    • School-related stress

    • Social challenges or friendship difficulties

    • Low self-esteem

    • ADHD-related struggles

    • Behavioral concerns at home or school

    You don't have to wait for a crisis to seek support. Often, the earlier we address concerns, the easier it is to help your child build healthy coping skills and confidence.

    If you’re not sure, we can talk it through together on a free parent consultation call.

  • Behavior is communication.

    When children struggle with emotional regulation, anxiety, ADHD, stress, or unmet needs, those struggles often show up through behavior.

    Rather than focusing only on stopping the behavior, therapy helps uncover what's driving it so we can address the root cause and create lasting change.

  • I provide child therapy for a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and developmental concerns, including:

    • Child anxiety

    • ADHD

    • Emotional regulation difficulties

    • Behavioral challenges

    • School stress

    • Perfectionism

    • Social anxiety

    • Friendship struggles

    • Low self-esteem

    • Parent-child conflict

    • Life transitions and family changes

    My goal is to help children understand their emotions, develop practical coping skills, and feel more successful at home, school, and in relationships.

  • Child therapy looks different from therapy for adults.

    Children often communicate through play, activities, conversation, creative expression, and age-appropriate therapeutic interventions rather than simply sitting and talking.

    Sessions are designed to help children:

    • Understand their emotions

    • Improve self-regulation

    • Build coping skills

    • Strengthen confidence

    • Practice problem-solving

    • Develop healthier ways to express feelings

    Therapy is tailored to your child's age, personality, strengths, and specific challenges.

  • Yes.

    Parents play an important role in the therapeutic process.

    While the exact level of involvement depends on your child's age and needs, I regularly collaborate with parents to:

    • Share observations and progress

    • Discuss effective strategies

    • Improve communication

    • Support skill-building at home

    • Strengthen the parent-child relationship

    Many parents find that gaining a deeper understanding of what's driving their child's behavior can be just as valuable as the work their child does in session.

  • Many parents come to therapy feeling exhausted, frustrated, or disconnected from their child.

    Therapy can help improve communication, reduce conflict, strengthen trust, and create a more positive parent-child relationship. As children gain emotional skills and parents gain a deeper understanding of what's driving behavior, family interactions often become calmer and more connected.

  • Absolutely.

    Child anxiety often shows up as excessive worry, perfectionism, irritability, avoidance, difficulty sleeping, physical complaints, or emotional outbursts.

    Therapy helps children learn:

    • How anxiety works

    • How to manage worried thoughts

    • Emotional regulation skills

    • Coping strategies for stressful situations

    • Confidence in handling challenges independently

    The goal isn't to eliminate anxiety completely - it's to help your child feel capable of managing it successfully.

  • Yes.

    Many children with ADHD struggle with more than attention and focus. They may also experience emotional dysregulation, frustration, low self-esteem, impulsivity, and challenges in relationships.

    Therapy can help children with ADHD:

    • Develop emotional regulation skills

    • Improve frustration tolerance

    • Strengthen problem-solving abilities

    • Build confidence

    • Learn practical coping strategies

    • Improve communication and social skills

    I also work closely with parents to identify strategies that support success at home and school.

  • provide therapy for children throughout California via secure telehealth sessions and offer in-person services in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, San Diego. I also offer Child Therapy to those in Utah and Colorado.

    Telehealth can be a highly effective option for many children and families, offering convenience and flexibility while still providing meaningful therapeutic support.

  • The first step is scheduling a free parent consultation.

    We'll discuss:

    • Your concerns

    • Your child's challenges

    • What you've tried so far

    • Whether therapy feels like the right fit

    By the end of the conversation, you'll have a clearer understanding of what's going on and the next steps available to support your child.

    Schedule Your Free Parent Consultation Today →

Let's Figure Out What’s Really Going On

Dr. Lindsay O'Shea, Child, Teen, and Parent Psychologist in North County, San Diego

Dr. Lindsay O'Shea, PhD
Licensed Psychologist

✓ Child Therapy
✓ Teen Therapy
✓ Parent Coaching

You don’t have to keep guessing, second-guessing, or handling this along.

Whether your child is struggling with anxiety, ADHD, emotional regulation, or challenging behaviors, we’ll work together to understand what’s beneath the behavior and create a path forward.

Schedule A Free Parent Consultation

Confidential & Safe Your privacy is always respected and protected.

Evidenced-Based Strategies backed by research that work.

Whole-Family Focused We support the entire family system. ‍ ‍

Collaborative We’ll work together towards your goals.

Virtual & Convenient Coaching from the comfort of your own home.