Angela Lucarini, MA, LPC, NCC
Now more than ever, kids and teens are inundated with potential sources of anxiety, whether it be at home, in classrooms or on screens. Professionals at Newtown Therapy and Wellness Center offer their expertise in identifying and working through these anxieties.
According to Angela Lucarini, MA, LPC, NCC, parents can keep an eye out for warning signs like excessive worry, irritability, difficulty concentrating, trouble sleeping, frequent headaches; or stomachaches without a clear medical cause; avoidance of certain situations; increased reassurance-seeking; or a noticeable decline in school performance.
There are a number of coping exercises available to kids and teens looking to manage their anxiety.
“One of the most effective approaches is helping children and teens build a toolbox of coping strategies before anxiety feels overwhelming,” Angela says. “Different techniques work for different individuals, so it’s helpful to encourage experimentation.”
For example, she suggests some people might benefit from taking slow, deep breaths to help calm the nervous system, while others use grounding exercises and mindfulness skills.
“I often encourage parents to start with observations rather than assumptions,” Angela says. “Children and teens benefit from hearing that difficult feelings are manageable and that support is available.”
Liz Dooley, M.Ed.
Anxiety and depression are two primary concerns when it comes to the mental health of high-achieving students, says Liz Dooley, M.Ed.
“Anxiety arises when kids and teens overstate the consequences of a failure,’” Liz explains. “Depression can arise when kids perceive they’ve failed in some way, when they compare themselves to peers or when they prioritize achievement to such a degree that they abandon their own physical and emotional needs.”
Anxiety is especially rampant when children and teens seek external validation for their self-worth, anchoring it to accolades such as good grades and awards.
“If kids don’t receive validation, they may question their own worthiness and their likelihood of being loved and respected by those around them, including their parents,” Liz says. “As parents, our goal is to help make self-worth ‘an inside job,’ something that's anchored deeply and doesn’t swell with praise and crash with criticism.”
Helping kids along this journey can be as simple as a small shift in language, moving the focus from an outcome to their inherent worth, she says.
“It’s subtle, but it matters because it reminds kids that your love for them is not dependent on any particular outcome,” Liz says.
Melissa Graham, LPC, CMPC
Athletics are another area that can lead to anxiety in children and teens, especially when playing sports at high levels.
“Although mental health and performance are separate, they overlap significantly,” says Melissa Graham, LPC, CMPC. “For example, a youth athlete who struggles with confidence or performance anxiety often struggles with other forms of anxiety or generally lacks self-esteem. This is why it's so important for athletes, even at the youth level, to work with a clinician who treats both clinical mental health challenges and mental performance/sport psychology.”
Performance-related anxiety often sits at the intersection of internal and external pressure.
“When talking to most of my athlete clients, the pressure they feel to perform well comes from within and not from anyone else,” Melissa explains. “However, with there being a lot tied to athletic performance, like college scholarships or parents’ time and money, athletes often feel pressure not to let others down.”
This anxiety is compounded as the landscape of youth sports becomes increasingly competitive and public.
“Additionally, as sports become increasingly competitive at younger ages, a new level of pressure is placed on kids who simply want to have fun,” Melissa continues. “Sports can quickly become a job, whether through college scholarships, NIL deals or professional contracts. This adds a new layer of pressure to performance at such a young age. These are challenges that kids aren't meant to deal with and they need support.”
As a certified mental performance consultant (CMPC), Melissa helps clients shift unhelpful thought patterns to improve both daily function and physical performance.
“My goal as a therapist is not only to help clients alleviate symptoms, but also to help them become the best versions of themselves and thrive in sports and beyond,” she says.
Despite these challenges, team sports play an important role in children’s growth, helping them develop problem-solving, communication and leadership skills.
“Organized sports help children connect with their peers to achieve a common goal and help build confidence by facilitating goal setting, achievement and seeing progress over time,” Melissa says. “These skills often translate well into academic and work environments later on.”
"My advice is to zoom out. Most of our lives happen after our formal education ends. Once our basic needs are met, our long-term happiness comes from friends, family, hobbies and feelings of connection, belonging and purpose. If you focus only on achievement, you’re missing the best of it."