Therapy for Kids & Teens
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is considered the treatment for anxiety and OCD. ERP is supported by a large body of research and studies show that most people with OCD respond favorably to this type of treatment. Exposure is a main component of ERP and involves approaching the thoughts, images, objects and situations that incite anxiety and trigger obsessions. While exposure can initially produce distress, the key to ERP that makes this treatment more manageable is the structured difficulty levels of the exposures.
Our Austin child psychologists provide compassionate, evidence-based individual therapy for children and adolescents in Round Rock and Austin, Texas
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Our Austin child psychologists provide compassionate, evidence-based individual therapy for children and adolescents in Round Rock and Austin, Texas •
Many children exhibit some level of preoccupation and ritualistic behavior; young children can become fixated on small details and engage in repetitively routinized behaviors. However, the difference between these developmentally normative experiences and clinically diagnosable symptoms is the level of distress and impairment in functioning. Furthermore, if these preoccupations and rituals are excessive or persist beyond developmentally appropriate periods, the thoughts and behaviors could be indicative of OCD.
While exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the treatment of choice for children and adolescents with OCD, there are some important treatment considerations when addressing pediatric OCD. Children often struggle more than adults to understand the potential benefit of exposing themselves to feared situations without the relief of ritualistic behavior. The therapist will help the child get past the discomfort of giving up rituals that seem protective by using a time sensitive approach. Specifically, with child OCD treatment, more time is spent ensuring readiness for ERP treatment.
ERP is a collaborative treatment approach, with the therapist, parents, and child working together as a team to overcome OCD symptoms. To properly cultivate this collaborative effort, other issues may need to be addressed first prior to engaging in ERP. For instance, significant family conflict may need to be treated before a child can engage in OCD-specific treatment. A trained therapist will assess for potential barriers to ERP treatment and address them, as needed, prior to initiating OCD-specific treatment.
Our diagnostic specialties include:
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Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by chronic, persistent anxiety and worry that is not associated with any one event or situation. Common worries include fear of: losing control, not being able to cope, failure, rejection or abandonment, illness and death. In children and adolescents, the focus of worry is often on school and athletic performance. We all experience anxiety from time to time; however, for those with generalized anxiety disorder, the worry is excessive and out of proportion to the reality of the situation. With generalized anxiety disorder, there is a tendency to overestimate the likelihood of something bad happening and underestimate the ability to cope if that situation does, in fact, occur. Generalized anxiety disorder is common and can develop at any age.
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Panic disorder is characterized by recurrent unexpected panic attacks, or episodes of acute, overwhelming fear or discomfort, as well as resulting worry and/or changes in behavior due to these panic attacks. While panic attacks peak, or are at their worst, within minutes (typically within 10 minutes), the episodes can have a lasting impact on a person’s thoughts and behaviors. As seen in panic disorder, panic attacks can lead to increased worry about having additional attacks or fear of the consequences of these episodes (e.g., fear that the symptoms are indicators of dying or “going crazy”). Many individuals with panic disorder even begin to develop a baseline level of worry about their health, with a hyperawareness of mild changes in bodily functions (e.g., noticing slight changes in heartbeat and fearing acute cardiovascular illness). This hyperawareness, as well as panic attacks, in general, often leads to frequent medical visits if not properly identified and treated.
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Specific phobias, which are defined as an intense, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation, are the most common type of anxiety disorder. Specific phobias typically develop in childhood or adolescence and are twice as common in females than males. Common phobias include: insects, animals, thunder, medical procedures, flying, heights, and elevators. While it may temporarily reduce anxiety, avoidance maintains anxiety over time.
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Social Anxiety Disorder is characterized by fear of embarrassment associated with performance or exposure to evaluation by others. While we all feel a degree of nervousness in certain social situations, for those with social anxiety disorder, the anxiety is often so severe that it leads to avoidance of these situations altogether. A common concern among people with social anxiety disorder is that they will say or do something that will cause others to view them as weak, anxious, or crazy. This concern is typically out of proportion to the situation. Our Austin Anxiety Therapists can help.
Children and adolescents with social anxiety may avoid recess or gym, using the school restroom, or eating in the cafeteria. They may have difficulty raising a hand in class, giving a presentation, or asking a question that would bring unwanted attention.
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Selective Mutism is a childhood anxiety disorder characterized by a child’s failure to speak in specific social situations (such as school) despite speaking comfortably in other situations (such as the home). The child’s failure to speak is not due to a lack of knowledge of, or comfort with, the spoken language. Selective Mutism is identified in more girls than boys and is not as rare as once thought.Children and adolescents with social anxiety may avoid recess or gym, using the school restroom, or eating in the cafeteria. They may have difficulty raising a hand in class, giving a presentation, or asking a question that would bring unwanted attention.
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Defined as distress associated with separation from one’s parent or caregiver, separation anxiety is developmentally appropriate among infants and toddlers between the ages of 6 and 18 months. However, Separation Anxiety Disorder is characterized by excessive, persistent worry when separation from home or attachment figures occurs or is anticipated.
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Among pediatric populations, compulsions are usually more easily identifiable than obsessions because young children may not be able to articulate the reasons for their repetitive behaviors or mental acts. Furthermore, unlike obsessions, compulsions are often observable by others. However, just because a child cannot articulate the obsessions, does not mean obsessions are not present. In fact, research suggests that most children experience both obsessions and compulsions.
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Trichotillomania (trick-o-till-o-may-nee-uh) refers to the repetitive pulling out of one’s own hair. Affecting approximately one to two in 50 people in their lifetime, trichotillomania generally begins during late childhood or early adolescence (around age 11 or 12). In adulthood, trichotillomania affects significantly more women than men. Hair is pulled from eyelashes, eyebrows, beard, arm hair, hair on the scalp, etc). Without proper treatment, trichotillomania generally becomes a chronic condition.
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Affecting approximately 2-5% of people in the United States, excoriation disorder refers to the excessive picking of one’s own skin (e.g., cuticles, acne, moles, scabs, etc.). Skin picking usually occurs in an effort to improve perceived imperfections; however, it often leads to scarring, discoloration and/or damage to the tissue. Onset of symptoms generally begins during adolescence (around age 14 or 15); however, it can begin much earlier. Skin picking tends to affect more women than men. Without proper treatment, excoriation disorder tends to develop into a chronic condition.
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It is common to experience distressing memories, difficulty sleeping, and restlessness following a tragedy; however, for most people these reactions tend to improve with time. If improvement does not occur or if the reactions worsen, it may be an indicator of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is characterized by four symptom clusters: Persistent mood disturbances, hypervigilance, re-experiencing, and avoidance. Not everyone who experiences a traumatic event will develop PTSD. About 60% of women and 50% of men experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime, and most will never develop PTSD. PTSD affects approximately 1 in 15 children, 1 in 9 adult women, and 1 in 18 adult men in the United States.
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Affecting approximately 1 in 160 children in the United States, Tourette Syndrome is known as a tic disorder. Tics are characterised by involuntary, repetitive movements (such as shrugging, jerking, or blinking) and/or vocalizations (such as humming, coughing, sniffing, or clearing the throat).
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Affecting approximately 1 in 33 children, 1 in 8 adolescents, and 1 in 15 adults, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most common behavioral health disorders in the United States. MDD is a mood disorder characterized by a persistent and pervasive low mood accompanied by several symptoms that impact daily functioning.
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