Practice Specialties
Anxiety
Children, adolescents, and young adults with anxiety disorders may have excessive worry, a specific phobia, difficulty separating from a parent, or struggle in social situations. They may struggle with perfectionism, show an intolerance for uncertainty, or have physical symptoms like stomachaches or headaches. Anxiety becomes a problem that benefits from treatment when it significantly interferes with daily life—such as school, relationships, or sleep—or causes distress and avoidance behaviors.
How we can help
At Riverstone, we use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients recognize and challenge anxious thoughts, gradually face feared situations through exposure exercises, and learn coping skills. For teens and young adults, we often incorporate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help them accept difficult thoughts and feelings, stay grounded through mindfulness, and choose actions aligned with their values—even in the presence of anxiety.
For younger children with anxiety—or in situations where a child or teen does not want to engage in individual treatment—we help by working with parents using Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE). Through SPACE treatment, parents learn how to reduce accommodations of their child’s anxiety and respond in a supportive way that empowers their child to face fears and build coping skills. In SPACE treatment, parents attend sessions without their child present, but the child remains the focus of care, with the goal of helping them feel less anxious and better able to face challenges.
OCD
People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) experience intrusive and unwanted thoughts, urges, or images (obsessions) that cause significant distress or anxiety, and perform rituals (compulsions) to reduce that distress. Common obsessions include fears of contamination or harming others, a need for order or a “just right” feeling, worries about morality, or taboo thoughts. Compulsions can be behaviors (e.g., excessive washing, checking, or ordering) or mental rituals (e.g., neutralizing a “bad” thought with a “good” one, reviewing memories, or silently counting) and vary greatly. Unfortunately, performing rituals only provides temporary relief, and maintains the obsession-compulsion cycle of OCD.
How we can help
At Riverstone, we use Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)—the gold-standard treatment for OCD—to break the obsession-compulsion cycle and reduce symptoms. Treatment begins by identifying a client’s unique obsessions and compulsions. Through ERP, we then support clients as they gradually face feared thoughts or situations (exposure) while refraining from performing rituals or compulsive behaviors (response prevention). This process teaches that anxiety naturally decreases without compulsions and that feared outcomes are unlikely or manageable. Over time, clients reduce reliance on rituals, build tolerance for uncertainty, and develop skills that support long-term recovery.
In a well-intentioned effort to relieve their child’s distress, parents often accommodate their child’s OCD in ways that end up helping maintain OCD symptoms. This can happen when parents provide repeated reassurance, change family routines to avoid OCD triggers, or perform tasks for their child like touching doorknobs or rewashing dishes. Because accommodation from family members is the norm (not the exception) when youth have OCD, we work closely with families throughout treatment to provide support and guidance to gradually reduce accommodations that may be maintaining the cycle of OCD.
Whether you’re a parent seeking guidance or a young person needing support, we’re here to listen.
Want to learn more about how we can support you or your child? Reach out to schedule a free 15‑minute consultation.