If your child has started having panic attacks, refusing school, or spiraling into worries they can't talk themselves out of — you're not imagining it, and you're not alone. Anxiety in children and teens looks different than it does in adults, and it can escalate quickly when left unaddressed. At Luminous Psychotherapy, we specialize in anxiety treatment for children, teens, and college students in Annapolis, Maryland, using approaches that are grounded in evidence and built around your child specifically."
What Anxiety Actually Looks Like in Kids and Teens
Anxiety doesn't always look like worry. In younger children, it often shows up as stomachaches before school, separation struggles, or meltdowns that seem out of proportion to what happened. In tweens and teens, it can look like avoidance skipping activities they used to love, withdrawing from friends, or finding reasons not to go to school. In older teens and college students, it often surfaces as perfectionism, people-pleasing, or panic attacks that seem to come out of nowhere.
What all of these have in common: your child isn't choosing this, and it tends to get worse without support. The longer anxiety goes unaddressed, the more it shapes how a child moves through the world.
What Anxiety Treatment at Luminous Actually Looks Like
"We primarily use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), one of the most well-researched approaches for childhood and adolescent anxiety. CBT helps kids and teens understand the connection between their thoughts, physical feelings, and behaviors and gradually build confidence doing the things anxiety has been telling them to avoid.
Sessions feel like a conversation, not a lecture. We work at your child's pace, and most kids even the reluctant ones settle in faster than their parents expect.
We also keep parents closely in the loop. You'll understand what we're working on and how to reinforce it at home, because what happens between sessions matters just as much as what happens in them."
Schedule an Appointment Today
At Luminous Psychotherapy, our goal is simple: to help your child feel calmer, more confident, and better equipped to handle life’s challenges—with the support of a therapist who truly understands them. With flexible scheduling, in-person and virtual options, and specialized therapists, we make it easier for your child to get the support they need.
If your child is struggling with anxiety, earlier support makes a real difference. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation we'll help you figure out whether Luminous Psychotherapy is the right fit for your family.