Anxiety Treatment for Children, Teens, and Young Adults

Anxiety in children and teens responds strongly to cognitive behavioral therapy with exposure — a structured approach in which a young person gradually and deliberately faces what they've been avoiding, with support. Reassurance and avoidance feel helpful in the moment but tend to make anxiety worse over time. EBPC provides CBT and exposure-based treatment for anxiety in Calabasas and via telehealth across California.

What anxiety looks like in children and teens

  • Frequent worry about things that haven't happened yet

  • Physical complaints — stomachaches, headaches — especially on school mornings

  • Constant reassurance-seeking

  • Avoiding activities, invitations, or situations they used to manage

  • Difficulty separating from parents

  • Trouble falling asleep because their mind won't stop

  • Perfectionism, or distress over small mistakes

  • Irritability and anger, which in children is frequently anxiety in disguise

What does treatment involve?

Understanding the pattern — how avoidance and reassurance keep anxiety going.

Building tolerance — physiological calming skills, and cognitive strategies for evaluating worried thinking realistically.

Exposure — the core of treatment. Approaching feared situations gradually and repeatedly, in a planned sequence, until they stop being threatening. Exposures are collaborative; nothing happens by surprise.

Parent work — parents often accommodate anxiety in ways that maintain it. Reducing accommodation is one of the most effective available levers, and for some families SPACE is a good fit on its own. Learn more here.

How long does treatment take?

Many young people with focused anxiety difficulties see substantial improvement within three to five months of weekly treatment. More complex or long-standing presentations take longer. We track symptoms with standardized measures so progress is visible rather than assumed.

What to Expect from Therapy at EBPC, Inc.

1.Diagnostic Evaluation: 90 Minute Initial Session

Our care always begins with a robust diagnostic intake. We use clinical interviews and empirical questionnaires to get a complete picture of your child's cognitive strengths and developmental background.

2.Collaborative Target Setting: Session 2.

Together with the client and family, we isolate precise, measurable treatment goals. We want everyone aligned on exactly what success looks like.

3.Active Skill Building: Ongoing Outpatient Care.

Therapy sessions are interactive and action-oriented. Clients practice tools in session and receive brief "between-session" challenges to try out in school and at home.

4.Progress Tracking & Transition: Graduation.

We actively monitor symptoms to see what is working. Once goals are consistently met and coping skills are automated, we gracefully taper sessions toward independent graduation.

A Note on Telehealth: In addition to welcoming families to our comfortable, private office in Calabasas, CA, our clinicians provide fully HIPAA-compliant teletherapy across California and multiple cross-licensed states.

FAQs

  • Exposure is graduated and collaborative. Distress typically rises briefly and then falls, and that falling is the mechanism of change.

  • Parent-based treatment (SPACE) is designed for this situation.

  • Related but distinct. OCD is treated with a specific form of exposure called ERP. Learn more here.

  • Yes. School refusal is usually anxiety-driven and responds to structured return plans developed with the family and school.

Take the First Step Toward Better Well-being

Don't wait for school or behavioral struggles to compound. Reach out to our Calabasas clinical team today to discuss whether individual therapy or parent training is the right fit for your family.

Book a consultation