Anxiety Treatment for Women, Children, and Teens
Counseling for Anxiety
Anxiety can take on many forms and looks different based on age and situation. We all have different ways we cope. It is especially hard when someone you care about is experiencing anxiety and you cannot seem to help them. Maybe, your child or teen is not acting like themselves. This has you feeling worried and overwhelmed. All of a sudden they have become very avoidant and irritable. You’re not sure what’s going on, the things they used to enjoy don’t seem to interest them anymore and you’re not sure how to help them. Maybe your child has started acting out in ways they never did before, They used to be calm and polite but lately, they’re obstinate or having frequent meltdowns or tantrums. This is out of character and it leaves you wondering where your sweet and well-mannered child went.
You’ve tried to get them to open up and tell you what’s bothering you, but that’s not easy. If your child is younger they can’t verbalize why they’re upset or worried, and if you have a tween or teen then they’re likely to try and push you away so they don’t have to talk about what’s upsetting them. You know they’re hurting, but you’re not sure what’s wrong, so you’re not sure if counseling would help.
Or perhaps you’re struggling with anxiety yourself. As a mother, parent, or a person just going through a difficult season. You may feel worried, overwhelmed, or stuck. You’ve tried what feels like every coping technique, but nothing helps. Or maybe this pandemic has made your anxiety worse. You never know when you’ll work or if you’ll lose your job. You want to experience some success but nothing feels like enough. Ultimately, your anxiety is worse than its ever been. Not only are you worried, but now you worry about your teen, your family, career, school, and friends. You begin to wonder….Could online therapy in Phoenix help me get my life in order?
Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety
The signs of anxiety differ from child to child, especially depending on their age and developmental level. Sometimes, these symptoms can be very subtle and hard to identify and sort out through their poor behavior, so you may not even realize they’re struggling. But,
Common signs of anxiety in youth include:
Behavioral concerns and issues including tantrums and meltdowns
Trouble in school or refusing to go to school
Social difficulties and trouble making new friends, or low self-esteem
Fear of being separated from their trusted adults
Restlessness, nightmares, and/or bedwetting
Intense fears about their health and safety and the health and safety of their parents and loved ones or hypervigilance; always being on guard for danger
Somatic symptoms such as unexplained physical pain, headaches, or stomachaches
Changes in appetite and sleep pattern; too much or too little
Symptoms of anxiety for adults
Restlessness
Agitation
Fatigue
Difficulty concentrating
Muscle tension
Difficulty sleeping
Avoidance
Panic attacks
Irrational fears
As a person who is struggling, it can be difficult to know what the cause of your anxiety is. It can be difficult to pinpoint and you know you just want relief.
If you’re a parent, you do whatever you have to do to help your child overcome. One of the best things you can do to help your child move through their anxiety and learn to cope with the things that cause them stress and worry is to pursue anxiety treatment for children via online counseling.
Treating childhood and teenage anxiety requires a certain type of child therapist. Children and teens do not communicate their needs and pain in the same way an adult does, so the subtle signs of their anxiety can easily be missed and left untreated.
Likewise, the way adults communicate their anxious behavior does not mirror the way a child does. With adults, the signs may be more pronounced. However, when you have external pressures on yourself or your environment to stay strong, it can leave you feeling helpless and hopeless that life will get better. You may just hope it will resolve on its own if you ignore it long enough.
I have a great deal of experience helping children, tweens, teens, and adults cope with anxiety. I understand how anxiety affects a person’s life. It is important regardless of who you are, that you’re able to develop better emotional regulation. I use a variety of counseling approaches tailored to meet the individual based on your needs and developmental abilities. Anxiety treatment with me could be a powerful solution.
My approach to child anxiety treatment in Phoenix, AZ
When younger children experience anxiety they are not usually able to verbalize it. They can’t tell you when they’re feeling anxious and what’s bothering them. So it’s necessary to meet them where they are at and use therapeutic techniques that can uncover this information and teach them how to cope with the things that are triggering this anxiety.
One of the most powerful ways to do this is through play therapy. I am a licensed play therapist and skilled in using play to help children cope with a variety of mental health concerns. Play therapy allows the children to express themselves and the things that are upsetting them while they play, and in turn I help them learn coping techniques as they play. Play is the natural language of children so it’s only natural to use this to our advantage in helping them heal.
If play therapy isn’t enough, I am also trained to use EMDR, Brainspotting, and Somatic Experiencing to help you or your child uncover the things that are causing pain, verbalize the source of their stress, and heal.
My approach to tween anxiety treatment:
So much development and change occurs in the pre-tween years (8-12). Your child is not quite a kid, but they’re not quite a teenager either. This middle ground can often cause them to feel off-balance and confused. Many times, they want the independence and thrill of being a teen which is not something they’re quite emotionally or developmentally ready to handle. Perhaps, they’ve started acting out or having trouble in school. This seems out of character, but you’re not really sure if that’s just a normal part of their development or something bigger. After all, no parent wants to think that their child is struggling with mental health issues. However, anxiety during this time is incredibly normal and common.
During tween anxiety treatment, I typically meet with just the child, however, I will meet with you and/or your spouse to better understand what’s going on and discuss the right way to go about treatment. Then, I will meet with your child and work with them to help them feel comfortable expressing the things that are causing them distress. Then. I will help them learn positive ways to cope with their anxiety and ways they can calm themselves when they’re feeling anxious. We will also talk about ways they can be kinder to themselves so their self-esteem improves and they can face trying times with confidence.
My approach to teen anxiety treatment in Phoenix, AZ
Ahhh teenagers, what can I say?! They’re challenging. Their emotions and hormones are raging and they’re dealing with the pending demands of independence and adulthood while trying to manage their academic responsibilities, and manage their social life, and participate in extracurricular activities. Woah, that’s a lot! So, it’s no wonder they deal with anxiety at an alarmingly high rate. However, they’re still young, and they still don’t have the skills to express this in a prosocial way and cope with it in a healthy manner. Furthermore, mental health issues are, unfortunately, stigmatized. So, it’s very hard for them to admit they’re struggling and ask for help.
During this stage of life, they fiercely crave independence and frequently distance themselves from their parents and reject their attempts at connection. Because you love your child, this can be extraordinarily frustrating and upsetting, you want to help, but you’re not sure how.
During teen therapy via in-person, or online therapy in Phoenix, I exclusively meet with your child. Although I am happy to listen to your concerns, I feel strongly that it’s important to respect their privacy. Therefore, I will not disclose the information they share with me unless there’s an imminent threat to their safety or other’s safety.
In addition to traditional talk therapy, I use somatic experiencing, EMDR, Brainspotting, and DBT to help your child not only identify the source of their stress but help them learn new ways to cope with it in a positive and prosocial way. Every teen is unique, therefore the approach we take in therapy will also be unique and tailored to meet their needs to create lasting and positive change in their life.
My approach to anxiety treatment for parents and adults
Being a parent and raising a child can leave even the strongest adult feeling worried, stressed, and anxious. This is especially true when your child is struggling without explanation and not allowing you to help them.
I work with both parents and children to overcome these feelings of helplessness and anxiety so you can thrive and live the best life possible. Regular talk therapy can be very effective in treating anxiety, however, if this isn’t enough, then we may use somatic experiencing, brainspotting, or EMDR.
No matter who you’re whether the parent of a struggling child, or a person who is struggling with anxiety, therapy is individualized to you and your needs. Therapy doesn’t always look the way Hollywood portrays, some moments we’ll laugh and others may be heavier. Regardless, I follow the lead of you, the child, or the teen. We’ll talk about the day to day and the hard parts. But the important thing is that I’m learning how best to help you and in the process, you are learning how to rely on yourself. It is a reflective and collaborative approach to anxiety treatment in Phoenix, AZ.
Relief is here with help for anxiety, for your child, family, and you.
If you’re struggling to feel peace and calm right now either because you or your child are struggling with anxiety know that you don’t need to keep suffering. Adults, children, and teens who receive counseling can develop tools to cope, learn how to better express their emotions, and become more confident in their day to day life. In addition, you or your child will receive coping mechanisms to help you continue to weather the storms that may come your way. My Phoenix, Arizona online counseling practice offers several types of highly effective therapeutic modalities (available from anywhere in the state) for relief and sustainable change. To begin anxiety treatment in Phoenix, AZ, follow these simple steps:
Schedule a consult with Tahirih, a skilled, and caring anxiety therapist
Start taking back your life from the stress anxiety puts on you!
Other Counseling specialties Tahirih Herrera, LCSW provides:
Anxiety treatment isn’t the only service I offer in my Phoenix, AZ practice. Other areas of focus and mental health services Tahirih Herrera, LCSW Counseling provides include therapy for children, grief and loss therapy, pre-teen therapy, EMDR, trauma, and therapy for teens. All these services are available via online therapy in Arizona. I am excited to help get you relief. Begin your journey for you or your child today to begin feeling more confident and in control.
“If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got.”
– Steven Hayes