Anxiety Treatment · Ages 5 and up
Anxiety is one of the most common reasons people reach out, and one of the most treatable.
When worry, racing thoughts, or physical tension start to run the show, it can feel like you're white-knuckling your way through the day. You don't have to. Effective, evidence-based support is available, and it works.
What it looks like
How anxiety can show up
Anxiety takes a different shape for everyone. Often it shows up as some mix of the following.
- Constant worry and racing thoughts
- Restlessness and a sense of being on edge
- Trouble sleeping and daytime fatigue
- Irritability that seems to come from nowhere
- Avoiding the situations that trigger the fear
- Physical symptoms like a racing heart and tight chest
Practical tools to quiet the worry and reclaim your life
Whatever shape anxiety takes for you, it's not a character flaw or something you should simply push through alone. Our clinicians use evidence-based approaches proven to work for anxiety, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and, where appropriate, mindfulness-based skills.
Together, you'll build practical tools to quiet the physical symptoms, challenge anxious thinking, and gradually reclaim the situations anxiety has narrowed. Anxiety often travels alongside panic disorder, social anxiety, phobias, OCD, and the effects of trauma, and we treat the full picture.
We treat anxiety in children (ages 5 and up), teens, and adults, tailoring our approach to each stage of life.
Our approach
How anxiety therapy works at LodeStone
A whole-picture, coordinated path, not a one-size-fits-all plan.
Understand the whole picture
We start by learning how anxiety shows up for you, what sets it off, and what matters most, so the plan fits your life, not a template.
Build evidence-based skills
Drawing from CBT, mindfulness-based therapies, DBT, and other therapy modalities, you'll learn to quiet the physical symptoms and challenge anxious thinking.
Coordinate the care
When psychiatric medication management helps, therapy and prescribing work in step. Because both live under one roof here, that coordination is seamless.
Not sure where to start? Get answers and we will match you with the right clinician.
We provide this care in person at our Hinsdale and Woodstock offices, and by telehealth across Illinois. We are in-network with BCBS PPO, Blue Choice, Aetna, Medicare, and United Behavioral Health, and we verify your benefits before your first visit.
A closer look
Understanding anxiety, and when it's time to reach out
Anxiety is the body's built-in alarm system, and a certain amount of it is useful. It sharpens focus before a presentation and keeps us careful in real danger. The trouble starts when the alarm keeps ringing after the danger has passed, or rings for things that never arrive. Over time the mind learns to treat everyday situations as threats, and life quietly starts to shrink around the worry.
When worry becomes a barrier
Everyone worries. It may be time to reach out when the worry is there more days than not, when it has lasted months rather than moments, or when it starts making decisions for you: the invitations you decline, the calls you put off, the sleep you lose. You don't need to wait for a crisis, and you don't need a diagnosis in hand to start. If anxiety is costing you things you care about, that's reason enough.
Anxiety at every age
In children, anxiety often hides in plain sight as stomachaches, school refusal, meltdowns at drop-off, or endless requests for reassurance. Teens may show it as irritability, perfectionism, or pulling away from friends. Adults tend to carry it as tension, sleeplessness, and a mind that won't switch off. Our clinicians work with all of these ages, starting as young as five, and shape the approach to each stage of life.
Your first steps
What to expect when you start
Three honest answers to the question everyone brings to a first appointment: what actually happens next?
Before your first visit
Start with the get-answers form or a phone call. We'll ask a few questions, match you with a clinician who fits your needs and schedule, and verify your insurance benefits before your first visit, so cost is never a surprise.
Your first session
The first appointment is a conversation, not a test. Your clinician will ask what brought you in, a bit of history, and what you'd like to be different. There's no pressure to share everything at once. Together you'll sketch a plan.
Pace and progress
Most people begin with weekly sessions. Because CBT is skills-based, you'll practice between visits, and many people feel real movement within the first couple of months. As things improve, sessions taper. The goal is for you not to need us.
Good to know
Anxiety treatment: frequently asked questions
Do I need a diagnosis before starting anxiety therapy?+
No. Most people come in with symptoms, not labels, and that is a perfectly good place to start. Your clinician assesses as part of your ongoing care, and if a formal answer matters for your situation, our doctoral-level clinicians also provide diagnostic testing.
How long does anxiety treatment take?+
It varies with how long the anxiety has been in place and what it travels with, but CBT is among the briefer, best-studied therapies, and many people notice meaningful change within eight to twelve sessions. You and your clinician will review progress openly along the way, so you always know where things stand.
Do you treat anxiety in children?+
Yes, starting at age five. With younger children we often blend play therapy with parent guidance, so the skills carry into home and school rather than staying in the therapy room. Separation anxiety is a particular focus.
Can therapy be combined with medication?+
Yes, and for many people the combination works better than either alone. Because our prescribers and therapists work under the same roof, medication management coordinates in step with your therapy rather than running on a separate track.
Will my insurance cover anxiety treatment?+
We are in-network with BCBS PPO, Blue Choice, Aetna, Medicare, and United Behavioral Health. We verify your benefits before your first visit and tell you exactly what to expect, so there are no billing surprises.
Is telehealth effective for anxiety?+
For most people, yes. The research on CBT delivered by video is strong, and telehealth removes the very barriers anxiety likes to build, like the dread of the waiting room. We see clients by telehealth across Illinois as well as in person in Hinsdale and Woodstock.