CHILD ANXIETY THERAPY | SAN DIEGOWhen Worry Starts Taking Over Childhood
Watching your child struggle with anxiety can be heartbreaking.
The good news? Anxiety is highly treatable, and with the right support, children can learn to feel more confident, capable, and resilient.
Does Any Of This Sound Familiar?
✓ Worries constantly
✓ Needs frequent reassurance
✓ Struggles with separation from parents
✓ Avoids new situations
✓ Gets overwhelmed by mistakes
✓ Has difficulty sleeping
✓ Complains of stomachaches or headaches
✓ Seems fearful of things other children handle easily
✓ Has become less confident over time
If you're nodding your head right now, you're not alone.
Therapy gives kids the tools to manage anxiety for their entire lives while giving you a roadmap for how to help.
Child Anxiety Doesn’t Always Look Like Anxiety
Irritability
Anxiety often shows up as frustration, anger, or moodiness.
Perfectionism
A fear of mistakes and overly high expectations.
Avoidance
Avoiding school, social situations, or new experiences.
Emotional Outbursts
Big emotions are often a child’s way of communicating overwhelm.
Many children with anxiety struggle with perfectionism, self-criticism, and fear of failure. Explore our guide to Anxiety and Perfectionism in Kids to better understand the connection.
Physical Symptoms
Stomachaches, headaches, nausea, fatigue, or trouble sleeping.
Child Anxiety Often Hides Behind Behaviors
At School
Difficulty concentrating
Perfectionism
School refusal
Fear of making mistakes
At Home
Meltdowns
Constant reassurance seeking
Difficulty sleeping
Irritability
With Friends
Fear of embarrassment
Avoiding activities
Difficulty making friends
Worry about fitting in
How Therapy Helps Children With Anxiety
✓ Understand their worries
✓ Build confidence
✓ Learn coping skills
✓ Face fears gradually
✓ Calm their body in the moment
✓ Manage overwhelming feelings
✓ Strengthen emotional regulation
✓ Feel more independent
The goal isn't to eliminate anxiety completely.
The goal is helping your child learn they can handle difficult feelings and challenges.
CHILD AND TEEN THERAPY + PARENT SUPPORTParent Support Is Built Into The Process
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 & teens tend to make progress faster.
Looking Beyond The Behavior
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.
Resources For Parents
Looking for practical parenting strategies? Explore articles on ADHD, anxiety, emotional regulation, school challenges, and raising resilient children and teens.
Questions You Might Have
If your question isn’t answered here, you’re always welcome to book a free parent consultation - no question is too big or too small, and we’ll figure out together what your child needs.
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Therapy teaches kids practical skills to calm their body, manage worried thoughts, and face fears gradually instead of avoiding them.
Parents also learn how to respond in ways that reduce anxiety long-term rather than accidentally feeding it. Most kids see improvement within 8-12 sessions.
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Anxiety shows up as meltdowns, school refusal, stomachaches, trouble sleeping, constant reassurance-seeking, perfectionism, or avoiding activities they used to enjoy. It can also look like irritability, clinginess, or anger. If anxiety is affecting school, friendships, or daily routines, support can help.
You can learn more about signs of anxiety in kids and teens here.
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Most families see meaningful progress in 10-15 sessions, though this varies based on severity and consistency. Therapy isn't about 'fixing' anxiety forever - it's about building skills your child can use for life. Some families continue periodically for check-ins and skill-building as new challenges arise.
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Yes, both. I offer in-person child, teen, and parent anxiety therapy in Cardiff-by-the-Sea (Encinitas, San Diego area) and virtual therapy for families throughout California, Colorado, and Utah. Many families choose virtual therapy for convenience and consistency.
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Most kids warm up once they realize therapy isn't scary or 'getting in trouble.' I use age-appropriate approaches - not just talking. Younger kids might use play, drawing, or games. Teens often open up more when therapy feels collaborative, not judgmental. Hesitation at first is completely normal.
You can learn more about my approach here.
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Normal worry is temporary and doesn't interfere with daily life. Anxiety sticks around, gets worse over time, and leads to avoidance - like refusing school, quitting activities, or needing constant reassurance. If worry is causing distress or limiting your child's life, it's worth getting support.
I wrote an article for parents about how to spot anxiety signs in your child. Read it here.
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Anxiety rarely goes away on its own - it typically gets worse without intervention because avoidance feeds the cycle. Therapy gives kids tools to manage anxiety for life. Research shows that early treatment prevents anxiety from becoming more severe in adolescence and adulthood.
I wrote a blog for parents to share some strategies that may help. You can read it here.
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Many children with anxiety experience mistakes as much bigger than they actually are. A missed homework question, a poor test grade, or a small error during sports can trigger intense emotions, self-criticism, or worry. When anxiety and perfectionism are present, children often believe they must perform perfectly to feel successful or accepted. Therapy can help children develop resilience, manage anxious thoughts, and build confidence even when things don't go as planned.
Explore my guide to Anxiety and Perfectionism in Kids to better understand the connection.
Let's Figure Out What’s Really Going On
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.
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.
