Anxiety Treatment
Anxiety Treatment
Helping Children and Families Navigate Anxiety
Anxiety is one of the most common reasons families seek therapy at Coherence. It is also one of the conditions that is often misunderstood, especially in children and adolescents. Anxiety does not always look like obvious fear or worry. For many young people, it appears in ways that are easier to misinterpret.
A child who is anxious may become irritable, argumentative, or overwhelmed by situations that seem small to others. Some children experience frequent physical complaints, such as stomachaches or headaches, even when medical concerns have been ruled out. Others may avoid activities, struggle with changes in routine, need things to feel “just right,” or appear uninterested when the underlying issue is actually fear or uncertainty.
Teenagers may hide anxiety in different ways. Some withdraw socially, become highly self-critical, procrastinate on tasks that feel overwhelming, or appear exhausted from trying to manage expectations. Anxiety can also affect school performance, friendships, family relationships, and confidence. Understanding what is driving the behavior is an important part of determining what type of support will actually help.
At Coherence, anxiety treatment for children and adolescents is provided by Jennifer Linton Reesman, PhD, ABPP and Dr. Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP. Treatment is based on the individual’s age, developmental level, specific concerns, and the ways anxiety is affecting daily life. Approaches may include cognitive behavioral strategies, skill-building, and family support to help children and caregivers better understand and respond to anxiety.
For families working specifically on anxiety-related parenting patterns, Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP also provides SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), an approach focused on helping parents respond to anxiety in ways that support a child’s growth and independence.
The goal of anxiety treatment is not to remove every uncomfortable feeling. Anxiety is a normal human experience. Instead, therapy focuses on helping children and adolescents understand their anxiety, develop effective coping skills, face challenges more confidently, and build greater flexibility in everyday life.
How we work
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), particularly when it includes gradual exposure work, is one of the most well-supported approaches for treating anxiety in children and adolescents. This approach is based on an important understanding of how anxiety often works: avoiding situations that feel frightening or overwhelming may provide short-term relief, but it can also make fears stronger over time. With support and careful pacing, children can learn that they are capable of handling situations that previously felt impossible.
At Coherence, anxiety treatment draws from CBT principles while being adapted to the individual child or adolescent. Therapy is not a one-size-fits-all process. The approach may look different depending on the child’s age, developmental level, personality, specific fears, family environment, and the ways anxiety is affecting daily life.
For some children, anxiety is closely connected to patterns within the family system, and involving parents more directly can be an important part of treatment. SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), provided by Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP, is a parent-focused approach that helps caregivers learn how to respond to anxiety in ways that encourage confidence and independence.
Other children may benefit from individual therapy focused on understanding anxious thoughts, building coping skills, practicing new behaviors, and gradually increasing comfort with challenging situations. In many cases, the most effective approach involves a combination of strategies that addresses both the child’s experiences and the support they receive from the people around them.
At Coherence, Jennifer Linton Reesman, PhD, ABPP and Dr. Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP provide anxiety treatment that considers the full clinical picture. The goal is to help children and families understand anxiety, reduce the ways it interferes with daily life, and develop skills that support greater confidence and flexibility over time.
Our Process
Family Accommodation and the Anxiety Cycle
Many families of children with anxiety find themselves making adjustments to daily life in order to reduce distress. These changes usually come from a place of care and a desire to help a child feel safe. A parent may provide repeated reassurance before an event, allow a child to avoid situations that feel overwhelming, change routines to prevent distress, or step in quickly when anxiety rises.
These responses often make sense in the moment because they bring immediate relief. When a child is upset, helping them escape a difficult situation can feel like the natural thing to do. Over time, however, frequent avoidance and reassurance can sometimes make it harder for children to learn that they are capable of handling uncomfortable feelings and challenging situations.
Understanding the role of family responses is an important part of anxiety treatment. At Coherence, Jennifer Linton Reesman, PhD, ABPP and Dr. Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP work with families to identify patterns that may be unintentionally reinforcing anxiety and develop new ways to provide support. The goal is not to remove comfort or expect children to manage everything independently. It is to find a balance between being supportive and helping children build confidence in their own abilities.
For families participating in SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) with Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP, treatment focuses specifically on helping parents respond to anxiety in ways that encourage independence while maintaining a strong, supportive relationship.
Changing these patterns takes time and often feels unfamiliar at first. With guidance and practice, families can learn approaches that help children become more comfortable facing challenges and more confident navigating everyday experiences.
Please note that contacting this practice does not establish a patient provider relationship.
When Anxiety Points to Something More
Anxiety in children and adolescents can sometimes be the main concern, but it can also occur alongside other developmental, learning, or emotional factors. Understanding the full picture is an important part of determining what type of support will be most helpful.
For some children, anxiety may be connected with challenges related to ADHD, learning differences, autism spectrum presentations, executive functioning, or other areas of development. A child who feels overwhelmed by school demands, struggles with organization, has difficulty interpreting social situations, or experiences repeated frustration may begin to develop anxiety around those experiences. In these situations, addressing only the anxiety may not fully address the factors contributing to the child’s distress.
At Coherence, Jennifer Linton Reesman, PhD, ABPP and Dr. Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP consider the broader context when working with children and adolescents experiencing anxiety. Therapy focuses on understanding how anxiety is affecting daily life while also considering whether additional questions about learning, attention, development, or cognitive functioning may need further evaluation.
When therapy raises questions that a neuropsychological evaluation could help clarify, clinicians at Coherence can collaborate to better understand the child’s strengths, challenges, and support needs. With appropriate authorization, information can be shared between clinicians so that recommendations are connected and informed by the full clinical picture.
The goal is not simply to reduce anxiety symptoms. It is to understand why anxiety is occurring, what factors may be contributing, and what combination of supports will help the child function more comfortably and confidently in everyday life.
Reach Out About Anxiety Treatment
To inquire about anxiety treatment at Coherence, or to discuss whether SPACE might be the right approach for your family, contact us.
coherence and Evaluations
Both Clinicians Support Anxiety at Coherence
Anxiety is addressed across Coherence’s clinical services. Jennifer Linton Reesman, PhD, ABPP and Dr. Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP provide therapy and support for children and adolescents experiencing anxiety, using approaches that are adapted to the individual’s age, developmental level, and specific concerns. Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP also provides SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), a parent-focused approach designed to help families respond to childhood anxiety in ways that encourage confidence and independence.
Anxiety is also an important consideration during neuropsychological evaluation. Both Jennifer Linton Reesman, PhD, ABPP and Dr. Korrie Allen, PsyD, ABSNP consider emotional factors such as anxiety when interpreting evaluation results, understanding daily functioning, and developing recommendations. Anxiety can affect attention, learning, performance, motivation, and behavior, making it important to understand how it fits within the broader clinical picture.
For some children, anxiety may be connected with other factors such as learning differences, ADHD, autism spectrum presentations, or executive functioning challenges. When additional questions arise, the combination of therapy and neuropsychological evaluation within the same practice allows clinicians to collaborate with appropriate authorization and consider the child’s needs from multiple perspectives.
At Coherence, the goal is to understand not only that anxiety is present, but how it is affecting the individual and what factors may be contributing to it. This broader understanding helps guide recommendations and support that are more closely aligned with the child’s actual experiences.