Separation Anxiety Therapy
Helping Children and Teens Break Free From Fear of Being Apart
- Anxiety counseling for every age, and EMDR with our EMDR-trained therapist
- In-person in New Lenox and telehealth across Illinois
- In-network with Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare and UMR
- No waiting list, and we reply within 24 hours
Reviewed by Sidra Shoaib, LPC, Anxiety & Emotional Regulation Counselor · Updated October 2026
Understanding Separation Anxiety and
Why It Needs Real Support
Separation anxiety therapy in New Lenox, IL helps children and teens who panic at being apart from a parent feel safe again. It is far more common than most families realize, and it responds well to the right support. Maybe drop-off has turned into a daily battle. Maybe sleepovers, school trips, or even being in a different room of the house feel impossible right now. Separation anxiety therapy helps your child build the confidence to move through the world without fear running the show.
Separation anxiety is not your child being dramatic or manipulative. It is a real anxiety condition that responds well to the right support. With the right support, children and teens can learn to feel safe and confident even when separated from the people they love. We are here to help. Serving clients throughout Will County, including Joliet, Frankfort, Mokena, and Lockport. Telehealth is available throughout Illinois. Some separation distress is a normal part of development in young children. It becomes separation anxiety disorder when the fear goes well beyond what is typical for a child’s age, causes real distress and lasts at least four weeks. The good news is that treatment works, and parent involvement is a big part of it.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions affecting adolescents, with nearly 1 in 3 teens experiencing an anxiety disorder at some point. Teen anxiety looks different than adult anxiety. It often shows up as avoidance, irritability, physical complaints like stomachaches, or perfectionism. Teen anxiety counseling gives teens and young adults the tools to understand their anxiety, identify their triggers, and build real coping skills that work in their actual lives.
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”
– Helen Keller
In-network with
- Aetna PPO
- Cigna / Evernorth
- BCBS PPO
- UnitedHealthcare
- UMR
- Initial assessment $200
- Ongoing sessions $150
Insurance and rates
Insurance Accepted
Davis-Smith Mental Health is in network with Aetna PPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO, Cigna and Evernorth, UnitedHealthcare, and UMR. Not every therapist is in every network, so we check your plan with you before your first session. If you’d rather pay privately, we can give you a Superbill to use with your out-of-network benefits.
WHEN TO REACH OUT
Signs Your Child or Teen May Have Separation Anxiety
Recognizing when anxiety is affecting your child’s daily life is the first step toward getting help. If your child or teen is experiencing any of the following, separation anxiety therapy may help:
Constant Worrying
Your teen worries about everything, including school, friendships, and the future, and cannot seem to turn it off, no matter how much reassurance they get.
Avoiding School or Social Situations
Refusing to go to school, skipping events, or making excuses to avoid anything that feels overwhelming or unpredictable.
Physical Complaints
Frequent stomachaches, headaches, or feeling sick with no clear medical cause, especially before stressful situations.
Trouble Sleeping
Racing thoughts at bedtime, difficulty falling asleep, or waking up in the middle of the night feeling anxious and unable to settle down.
Irritability and Meltdowns
Anxiety in teens often looks like anger or emotional outbursts rather than visible worry. May appear on edge constantly.
Perfectionism
Spending excessive time on assignments, intense fear of making mistakes, or giving up entirely when something feels too hard to get right.
Seeking Constant Reassurance
Repeatedly asking if things will be okay, needing confirmation before making decisions, or being unable to move forward without someone telling them it will be fine.
Panic Attacks
Sudden episodes of intense fear with physical symptoms like a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, or a feeling that something terrible is about to happen.
Withdrawing From Friends
Pulling away from friendships or activities they used to enjoy because anxiety makes socializing feel exhausting or overwhelming.
You Do Not Have to Figure This Out Alone
Parenting a child with separation anxiety is exhausting in a way that is hard to explain to anyone who has not lived it. You cannot leave the room without a meltdown. School mornings feel like a battle. You second-guess yourself constantly. You wonder whether to push for independence or give them more reassurance.
The truth is that reaching out for separation anxiety therapy is not a sign that you have failed your child. It is one of the most courageous and loving things a parent can do. Our therapists work with teens and families who are carrying a lot, and we meet every single one of you exactly where you are. You do not need to have the right words or a perfect explanation of what is going wrong. You just need to take one step. We will handle the rest.
The Power of Separation Anxiety Therapy
How Separation Anxiety Therapy Can Help
Separation anxiety therapy gives your child more than just coping strategies. It gives them a genuinely different sense of safety and the confidence to move through the world more independently. Here is how working with one of our therapists can make a real difference in your child’s daily life and your family’s routine:
Reducing Worry
Learning to recognize anxious thoughts and interrupt the worry cycle before it spirals into something that feels impossible to manage.
Building Confidence
Developing the self-trust to handle hard situations without avoidance, so your teen stops shrinking their world to feel safe.
Improving Sleep
Creating practical tools to calm a racing mind at night so your teen can actually rest and wake up ready to face the day.
Strengthening Relationships
Reducing the social anxiety that gets in the way of real connection so your teen can show up fully in their friendships.
Improving School Performance
Managing test anxiety, perfectionism, and the fear of failure so school feels like something your teen can handle again.
Learning New Coping Skills
Developing a real toolkit for managing anxiety in the moment rather than just white-knuckling through hard situations.
Reducing Physical Symptoms
Addressing the stomachaches, headaches, and physical tension that come with carrying chronic anxiety every single day.
Increasing Overall Functioning
Helping your teen show up more fully in every area of their life so anxiety stops being the thing that runs the show.
How Separation Anxiety Impacts Daily Life
Teen anxiety does not always look like panic. Sometimes it looks like shutting down, snapping over something small, avoiding schoolwork, checking grades over and over, or saying “I’m fine” when you know they are not. A lot of teens carry stress from school, friendships, sports, social media, and the pressure to figure out their future. Over time, those issues start to affect how well they sleep, focus, communicate, and feel about themselves.
School Stress & Academic Pressure
Anxiety can make everyday things feel harder than they should. Schoolwork piles up. Friendships feel more complicated. Sleep gets off. Motivation drops. Some teens pull away and avoid anything that feels stressful. Others get irritated, shut down, or push themselves so hard because they are afraid of letting people down.
Teen anxiety counseling helps teens manage stress, navigate tough challenges, and feel more confident in daily life.
New Client
How getting started works
It can be overwhelming coming to counseling. Here’s every step, from your first call to the sessions that follow.
Step 1
Reach out
Request a session online or call (815) 409-5940 to schedule your first appointment.
Step 2
Fill out your intake forms
Your welcome email has everything. Finish the forms at least 48 hours before your appointment, on a phone, tablet or computer, and share your preferred times and therapist.
Step 3
We check your benefits
If you’re using insurance, we check your benefits before confirming your appointment, so you have a good idea of your cost before your first visit.
Step 4
Your first session
Check in on the iPad in our waiting room. Your therapist walks you through confidentiality, answers your questions, and gets to know you and your goals.
Step 5
Plan next steps together
Most people start with weekly sessions, at least three to build a connection, then adjust together as things improve.
Warm, Real, and Built Around You
Our Approach to Separation Anxiety Therapy
At Davis-Smith Mental Health, we know that anxious teens often look fine on the outside while struggling deeply on the inside. Our separation anxiety therapy is personalized to each individual because no two teens experience anxiety the same way. Our therapists take time to build genuine trust before diving into the hard work because a teen who does not feel safe will not open up, and opening up is where the real progress happens.
As part of our anxiety therapy, we use approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help teens identify the thought patterns driving their anxiety and learn to challenge them. We also incorporate practical coping skills that teens can actually use in real situations, not just during sessions. We address anxiety alongside depression and emotional regulation since these often appear together in teens and young adults.
Our goal is not just to reduce your child’s separation anxiety. It is to help them build the kind of independence and confidence that will serve them long after therapy ends. We believe every anxious child has more resilience than their fear is currently letting them access.
We proudly serve clients in New Lenox, Joliet, Frankfort, Mokena, and Lockport with telehealth available throughout Illinois.
Sometimes they just need the right support to find it. Learn more about what to expect when you get started.
Personalized care
Licensed, caring therapists
Every therapist on our team works with anxiety. We will match you with the right person for your child.
Anxiety at the center
Anxiety is the foundation of everything we do.
EMDR-trained care
EMDR helps clients process what talk therapy alone can’t reach.
Every age and stage
From children and teens to young adults and adults.
In-person and telehealth
Our New Lenox office or secure online therapy for clients in Illinois.
Frequently Asked Questions About
Separation Anxiety Therapy
Find the Support Your Family Needs
Tell us a little about what is going on. We will match you with the right therapist and reach out to schedule.
Trouble seeing the form? Open it in a new window or call us at (815) 409-5940.
What People Are Saying About Us
5.0 Based on 6 Google reviews
“Davis-Smith Mental Health truly cares about their clients. The therapists are compassionate, skilled, and genuinely committed to helping you grow and heal. It’s clear that Jessica has built a team that shares her values and dedication. Highly recommend to anyone looking for meaningful support and real results.”
Kasia Budyn · Posted on Google
“Jessica provides a safe and welcoming environment for all the teens she sees. She tailors treatment to each teen and is incredibly patient and open to their needs. I have seen first hand the work she does and the connection she has with kids. I cannot recommend her enough as someone who will care for your teen and your family!”
Google User · Posted on Google
“Davis-Smith Mental Health is a trusted resource for providing compassionate, high-quality therapy for teens and emerging adults. I know confidently that clients are supported with empathy, professionalism, and respect. Jessica leads her team with integrity and intention. She clearly prioritizes the well-being of her staff, which allows them to show up fully for the clients they serve. Their commitment to the healing journey is evident in every interaction. I’m grateful to have them as a referral partner and deeply value their work in the mental health community.”
Sherri Wick · Posted on Google
“Jessica is a dedicated therapist and absolutely loves working with teens. You are able to feel the love from the moment you walk through the door. She and her staff will provide a safe and private environment for that one on one attention you deserve.”
Melanie K. Hall · Posted on Google
“Jessica and her team are so passionate and helpful! I would recommend this practice to anyone looking!”
Biljana Krzywinski · Posted on Google
More ways we can help
Other Ways We Help
Anxiety Therapy
Anxiety is the most common reason families come to us, and it’s the foundation of everything we do. Whether your teen is avoiding school, your young adult can’t stop overthinking, or worry has taken over your daily life, we can help. Our therapists use CBT and EMDR to help clients understand what’s driving their anxiety and build real tools to manage it.
Teen Anxiety Counseling
The teen years are when anxiety tends to hit the hardest. School pressure, social stress, comparison, and the weight of figuring out who they are can leave teens feeling overwhelmed and stuck. We work with teens to understand what’s behind the anxiety and give them real skills they can actually use, at school, at home, and in the moments that feel like too much.
EMDR Therapy
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a well-researched approach for trauma, and it’s also used for anxiety. It works by helping the brain reprocess difficult memories and experiences that are keeping you stuck. Our EMDR-trained therapist works with teens, young adults, and adults.
Depression Therapy
Depression and anxiety often show up together. If your teen has lost interest in things they used to enjoy, is sleeping too much or too little, or seems hopeless about the future, therapy can help. We work with clients to find what’s underneath the depression and build a path forward that actually feels possible.
Trauma Counseling
Trauma is one of the most common drivers of anxiety in teenagers and young adults. It doesn’t always look like what you’d expect. It can show up as constant worry, anger, trouble concentrating, or emotional shutdown. Our therapists help clients work through trauma at their own pace, in a space where they feel safe.
Emotional Regulation
When anxiety runs high, emotions feel unmanageable. Some children, teens, and adults feel everything. Small frustrations become explosions. Sadness becomes despair. We help clients understand their patterns and develop strategies for handling intense feelings without shutting down or lashing out.
Relationship Counseling
Anxiety doesn’t just affect the person experiencing it. It changes how they show up in every relationship. We help teens, young adults, and adults work through the ways anxiety and other challenges are impacting their connections with family, friends, and partners.
Life Transitions
Starting high school. Leaving for college. A new job, a divorce, a move. Life transitions can trigger anxiety, depression, and self-doubt, even when the change is something you wanted. We help clients work through the uncertainty and build confidence in who they’re becoming.
Young Adult Counseling
The years between 18 and 30 come with a unique kind of pressure. A lot of young adults are dealing with anxiety they’ve carried since their teenage years but never had the chance to address. We help them get unstuck and start building a life that feels like theirs.
Learn More About Separation Anxiety
Homesickness in College: Essential Tips for a Smoother Start
Updated October 9, 2026
Homesickness in college is one of the most common feelings new students face, and it often starts before move-in day. You might be excited about everything…
Read More about Homesickness in College: Essential Tips for a Smoother Start
Anxiety About Change: 10 Grounding Ways to Feel Steady Again
Updated October 10, 2026
Anxiety about change is something almost everyone feels at some point, since change brings uncertainty about the future. To change often means the things you were…
Read More about Anxiety About Change: 10 Grounding Ways to Feel Steady Again
Coping Skills for Teens: Essential Tools for Real Life
Updated October 10, 2026
Learning real coping skills for teens is one of the most important things a young person can do, but most teens have never been taught how…
Read More about Coping Skills for Teens: Essential Tools for Real Life
You don’t have to figure this out alone
If something told you to keep reading this far, trust that feeling. Whether it’s for yourself, your teen, or your young adult, the hardest part is deciding to start. We are here when you are ready.
there is courage in change ♥
- Anxiety counseling for children, teens and adults
- Rated 5.0 on Google
- In-network with Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare and UMR
- Telehealth for clients in Illinois
- In-person in New Lenox
- EMDR therapy for anxiety and trauma
- We truly care about every client
- There is courage in change