Generally speaking, people with anxiety might find that they are:

• Worrying more than they would like and can't seem to “turn it off”

• Avoiding situations, people, or decisions out of fear or uncertainty

• Struggling with perfectionism or feeling like nothing they do is ever quite good enough

• Noticing anxiety showing up in their body (tension, stomachaches, trouble sleeping, a racing heart, etc.)

• Replaying conversations or scenarios long after they're over

• Feeling like they’re holding it together on the outside but barely managing on the inside

If you’re a parent, you may notice your child is:

• Asking repeated reassurance-seeking questions like "what if something bad happens?" or "are you sure I'll be okay?”

• Avoiding social situations, new experiences, or activities they used to enjoy

• Refusing to go to school or avoiding school (e.g., frequent trips to the nurse's office or texting a parent to pick them up early)

• Acting clingy or struggling to separate from parents at ages when that's less expected

• Melting down or having big emotions that seem out-of-proportion to the actual event

• Struggling with sleep, such as trouble falling asleep, having nightmares, or wanting to sleep with parents

• Seeming “perfectionistic” or very upset by mistakes, grades, or performance

• Excessively worrying about things like safety, death, health, natural disasters, or the future

• Becoming irritable or angry out of nowhere

• Seeming "zoned out" or having trouble concentrating

• Physically freezing or shutting down in overwhelming situations

Stress usually has a clear source (like a deadline, a conflict, or a hard season of life) and tends to be temporary. Once a situation passes, so does the feeling.

Anxiety is different in that it tends to stick around even when things "should" feel fine, there’s no clear trigger, or when the worry feels much greater than the situation actually warrants. It can feel excessive, hard to control, and like it’s getting in the way of relationships, school, work, or daily life.

Something worth knowing is that you don't need to figure out which one it is to benefit from therapy either. Therapy can be helpful for anyone navigating stress too, not just clinical anxiety.

If your anxiety or stress is persistent, getting in the way of daily life, or feels hard to shake, that's worth talking to someone about.

Not necessarily. Some people find it helpful to explore where their anxiety came from. Others want to focus entirely on what's happening now and how to manage it. Therapy here is guided by what's most useful for you rather than a predetermined formula.

Most likely, yes. But it will happen gradually and at a pace that feels manageable. Avoidance is one of the main things that keeps anxiety going, so part of the work involves gently facing the things that feel hard. You won't be pushed into anything before you're ready.

Absolutely! In fact, evidence shows that therapy and medication together can work better than either alone. If you're already working with a prescriber, Dr. Steph can coordinate with them as needed. She can also help connect you with her trusted, local referral sources that she has built connections with.

The choice to take medication or not is a personal one, and you’ll be supported no matter your decision. In fact, therapy alone is also highly effective for anxiety. For many people, CBT is considered a first-line treatment with or without medication. You don't need to take medication to benefit from therapy here.

Also, while Dr. Steph can refer you to psychiatric prescribers, she does not personally prescribe any medication since she is a clinical psychologist. So, it won’t impact the care you receive at Evergrow and is always your call to make.

Yes. Anxiety looks different at every age and therapy is tailored accordingly. For younger kids, that often means parent involvement. For teens, it's about making therapy feel relevant and not like another obligation.