WHAT WE TREAT
Anxiety, OCD, and the pressures of adolescence
Adolescence has never been easy. But today's teenagers are navigating a world that feels particularly overwhelming — social media, group chats that never turn off, academic pressure that starts earlier than ever — often without the tools to manage it.
For many teens, this is when anxiety shows up in a serious way for the first time. What starts as nerves before a test or shyness in social situations can quietly grow into something that gets in the way of school, friendships, and everyday life.
As a parent, it can be hard to know what's typical adolescence and what isn't. When to push and when to back off. How to reach a teen who shuts down or blows up when you try.
We see a lot of teens who are holding it together at school and falling apart at home. And a lot of parents who are trying everything and still feeling lost.
Things we hear a lot
She shuts down when things feel like too much.
He's so hard on himself. Nothing ever feels good enough.
I don't know how to help without making it worse.
1 in 3
adolescents will meet criteria for an anxiety disorder by the time they reach adulthood, and most never receive treatment.
Merikangas et al., 2010 — National Comorbidity Survey
HOW WE WORK
Evidence-based Treatment, and a space your teen wants to come back to
We use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), which have the strongest research support for anxiety and OCD in adolescents. In practice that means concrete strategies teens can actually use, practice with the situations driving their anxiety, and tracking what changes over time.
Teenagers don't open up just because an adult asks them to. Dr. Hoffman and Dr. Bond know that, and they work hard to earn a teen's trust. Sessions are warm, direct, and real. We meet teens where they are before we ask them to go anywhere uncomfortable.​
Parents are part of the process too, with parent sessions focused on improving communication, how to respond when anxiety shows up at home, and boundary setting. We also coordinate with schools and outside providers when helpful.​​​