Feelings of anxiety and worry are normal during significant transitions. It's expected that children and teenagers feel nervous before the first day of school. Some children, however, experience more intense fear and subsequently tantrum, refuse and lash out prior to the start of school. If this is occurring, and lasting into the first few weeks of the school year it may be time to seek expert help.  Below are some helpful reminders for your anxious kiddo leading up to the first day/week of school: 1. Avoidance is never the answer. Although the fear may be crippling, avoiding one's fe ..read more

From www.iocdf.org ​ Did you know that 1 in 100 adults likely have OCD? And up to 1 in 200 children? That’s a half a million children in the US alone. OCD can be a debilitating disorder, but there is treatment that can help. Unfortunately, it can take up to 14–17 years from the first onset of symptoms for people to get access to effective treatment, due to obstacles such as stigma and a lack of awareness about mental health, and OCD in particular. OCD Awareness Week is an international effort to raise awareness and understanding about obsessive compulsive disorder and related disorders ..read more

Following the adjustment to the potent smell of fruitful air fresher and classical music I spot the sign for the elevators. I’ve made it to the hotel. Fortunately, I don't have to push the button for “up” or even wait. There is a door open. Standing in front of the elevator door is a mother with her child. The child is frozen while she gazes into the elevator and watches her mother walk in first, uttering reassurances of safety to the young girl.  I recognize the fear immediately.  I hold the door for the young girl and reassure her we are not in any hurry. “Take your time,” I said. A ..read more

“How was your session?”  “Fine, I guess.”  “What did you do?”  “I don’t know, talked I guess.” Is your child or teenager attending therapy? Can you tell if it’s helpful? Frequently, parents feel uncertain of what occurs within the therapy office. They are likely equally concerned as they are curious. The concern can potentially be a source of frustration particularly when it can feel as though they are paying for someone to “chat” with their child. When progress isn’t obvious and the child continues to suffer, concern may graduate to worry.   The process of therapy is dynamic, individ ..read more

​Spring is here. The days are getting longer, flowers are blooming, and nature is waking from months of hibernation. The air is still crisp, though we have enjoyed a few unusually hot days in the Pacific Northwest thus far, and mornings are cool. With spring break come and gone,  parents are planning their child’s summer adventures. For many, the American tradition of summer camp is on the books. Unfortunately, for many others, camp is out of the question. These parents are dealing with one of the millions of American children who are plagued with anxiety, intense shyness, excessive w ..read more

Anxiety is a normative experience that we share  with each other and it becomes problematic when it impacts our day-to-day function or we develop anticipatory worry of its reemergence. Anxiety is the brain’s interpretation of perceived threat in the absence of danger. The physiological changes we experience (e.g., increased heart rate, sweating, racing thoughts, numbness in extremities) when running from a bear are never thought of as an anxious response. They may be initiated by fear but are bloody necessary! This need changes, however, when the same damaging symptoms arise before a p ..read more

OCD loves your smartphone. If an intrusive thought is the seasoned cedar logs on a beautiful camp fire then a compulsion is a plumbed line of gasoline. This combination makes for a raging fire both dependent on each other to burn. No more wood, no more fire. Lots of wood and no additional fuel, fire eventually burns out. This is common analogy used when describing OCD, and part of one’s treatment is to reduce compulsions, essentially choking the gasoline line, and suffocating the fire. OCD is cunning, tricky, and apparently hip. Similar to many baby-boomers, OCD took a little time gett ..read more

​But It's Mine. I Like It. Why Would You Try To Take It? They come in different colors, but mine is white. It’s shiny. Not the kind of shine that catches your eye; more like it’s elegant, even sexy. I take it everywhere I go. I even take it with me from room to room just in case it needs me. Yes, it has practical utility. It’s a device for communicating, for taking pictures, checking email, seeing in the dark, playing music, or even making sure there is nothing stuck in my teeth. But it’s more than that. It’s comforting. It’s hard to explain but it feels good to know it’s near. It ale ..read more

NW Anxiety Institute is extremely thrilled to be opening an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for children and adolescents with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and other anxiety disorders. NW Anxiety Institute’s program is the first of its kind in the Pacific NW and will offer daily intensive therapy for kids struggling with debilitating anxiety because of their OCD. At NW Anxiety, we specialize in Exposure Response Prevention. Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) is well established as the treatment of choice for OCD, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety, and other anxiety disorders, an ..read more