Anxiety therapy for teens and young adults
I work with people who are figuring out who they are, where they’re going, and how to manage everything that comes with growing up and becoming your own person. If anxiety is crowding out school, work, sleep, or time with other people, we can talk through what’s happening and what feels hardest right now.
What people bring me
People often come in feeling on edge all the time, stuck in their head, or worn out from trying to keep it together. It can show up as trouble starting tasks, trouble settling at night, or feeling tense before ordinary things like class, plans, or messages. Sometimes the bigger problem is how much energy it takes just to get through the day while acting fine. They may know something feels off, but not have words for it yet.
- I can’t shut my brain off at night.
- I keep bracing for something bad to happen.
- I’m exhausted from pretending I’m fine.
- Even small things feel bigger than they should.
We’ll look at what’s feeding the worry and what helps you steady yourself.
How I work with it
I use CBT, DBT, and Psychodynamic approaches to understand what’s happening and work with it in a practical way. That might mean noticing patterns in your thoughts and reactions, finding skills that help you slow things down, or making sense of older experiences that still show up in the present. I keep the work collaborative and down-to-earth, so we can pay attention to both what you feel and what actually happens in your day.
- CBT
- With CBT, we look at the thoughts and habits that make anxiety spiral. I help you notice the pattern as it shows up in real situations, then we work with it in plain language.
- DBT
- DBT brings in coping tools for the moments when anxiety feels intense or hard to calm. We focus on staying with the feeling without getting swept away by it.
- Psychodynamic
- Psychodynamic work helps us look at where your anxiety may connect to older experiences, relationships, or expectations you carry. That can give the worry more context instead of just treating it like a random alarm.
What the first sessions look like
The first sessions are about getting a clear picture of what your anxiety looks like in daily life and what you want help with. We talk about the situations, thoughts, and habits that seem to keep it going, and you do not need to have the right words ready before you come in.
Questions people ask
How do anxiety therapy sessions usually start?
We usually start with what your anxiety looks like day to day and what situations make it louder. From there, we decide together what feels most important to pay attention to first.
What if I can’t explain why I feel this way?
That’s okay. A lot of people come in with a feeling before they have a clear explanation, and we can start there.
Do you work with anxiety help for teens and young adults?
Yes, I work with teens and young adults. The work is shaped around what this stage of life is asking of you, not a one-size-fits-all checklist.
Will you just tell me to calm down?
No. We talk about what’s happening underneath the worry and what actually helps in the moment.
About Katie McHugh Psychotherapy
Katie McHugh offers therapy for teens in New York for anxiety, self-doubt, relationship stress, and life changes. My first session starts with what brings you in.
Katie McHughLCSW
Talk it through with Katie
Tell us what has been going on and we will take it from there.