Test Anxiety Therapy
Helping You Show What You Know, Even When the Pressure Is On
- 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 Test Anxiety and
Why It Needs Real Support
Test anxiety therapy helps students who know the material but freeze, blank, or panic the moment a test is in front of them. At Davis-Smith Mental Health in New Lenox, IL, we work with students who study hard, understand the content at home, and then watch it all disappear under the pressure of an exam. If you have ever walked out of a test knowing you could have done better, or felt your mind go completely blank on a question you knew cold the night before, this page is for you.
Test anxiety is not a sign that you are not smart enough or did not prepare enough. It is a real and treatable condition in which the stress response overwhelms your ability to think clearly and recall what you know. It can hit during quizzes, finals, standardized tests like the SAT and ACT, licensing exams, or any high-stakes assessment. It affects students at every level, from middle school through college and beyond, and it responds very well to the right support. We are here to help. We serve students throughout Will County, including Joliet, Frankfort, Mokena, and Lockport, with telehealth available across Illinois. Many students experience physical symptoms during test taking, like a racing heart, sweaty hands or an upset stomach, and that stress makes it hard to focus on what they studied. Therapy teaches techniques and strategies for calming the body and mind before and during exams.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions, and testing is one of the most common situations that sets them off. The frustrating truth is that test anxiety often hurts the students who care the most, turning preparation into panic and effort into disappointing grades. Test anxiety therapy helps you calm your body, quiet the catastrophic thoughts, and walk into an exam able to actually access what you have learned.
“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”
– John Wooden
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 You May Be Struggling With Test Anxiety
Test anxiety is more than pre-exam nerves. If several of these happen to you, test anxiety therapy may help:
Your Mind Goes Blank
Knowing the material thoroughly, then drawing a complete blank the moment the test is in front of you.
Racing Heart and Nausea on Test Day
Physical symptoms like a pounding heart, sweaty palms, shaky hands, or a churning stomach before or during exams.
Knowing It at Home but Freezing on the Test
Acing the practice questions and homework, then underperforming badly the moment it actually counts.
Reading Questions Over and Over
Looking at the same question again and again without absorbing it, unable to focus through the anxiety.
Rushing or Running Out of Time
Either racing through to escape the discomfort, or freezing and re-checking until time runs out.
Harsh ‘I’m Going to Fail’ Thoughts
A loop of catastrophic self-talk before and during the test that drowns out your ability to think.
Dread and Lost Sleep Before Exams
Lying awake the night before, or feeling sick with worry for days leading up to a big test.
Grades That Don’t Reflect Your Ability
A clear gap between how well you understand the material and the scores you actually walk away with.
Avoiding Studying Until the Last Minute
Procrastinating or putting off studying because even thinking about the test feels uncomfortable.
You Do Not Have to Figure This Out Alone
Struggling with test anxiety is exhausting in a way that is hard to explain to people who have never felt it. You know the material. You put in the work. But the moment you sit down and the test begins, something takes over, and all that preparation seems to vanish. Then you carry the frustration and self-doubt of a grade that does not reflect what you actually know, and the dread of the next exam starts all over again.
Reaching out for test anxiety therapy is not a sign of weakness or that you cannot handle school. It is a smart, practical step, and it works. Our therapists work with students who are tired of being betrayed by their own nerves, and we meet you exactly where you are, whether you are a student reaching out for yourself or a parent reaching out for your teen. You do not need to have it figured out first. You just need to take one step. We will help with the rest.
The Power of Test Anxiety Therapy
How Test Anxiety Therapy Can Help
Test anxiety therapy gives you more than study tips and breathing exercises. It changes your relationship with exams and with your own ability to perform under pressure. Here is the difference it can make:
Stopping the Mind-Blank
Learning to calm the stress response that wipes your memory, so you can actually access what you studied.
Calming Your Body on Test Day
Practical tools for the racing heart, shaky hands, and nausea, so physical symptoms stop derailing you.
Quieting Catastrophic Thoughts
Challenging the ‘I’m going to fail’ spiral and replacing it with focus you can sustain through the whole exam.
Test-Taking Strategies That Hold Up Under Pressure
Pacing, working through tough questions, and managing your time so anxiety does not run the clock.
Better Sleep Before Exams
Tools to settle a worried mind the night before, so you arrive rested instead of running on fear.
Confidence That Matches Your Effort
Building genuine self-trust so the work you put in finally shows up in your results.
Facing Tests Instead of Avoiding Them
Reducing the procrastination and avoidance that anxiety drives, so studying feels manageable again.
Skills for Every Exam Ahead
Building durable strategies you can carry into finals, standardized tests, college, and beyond.
How Test Anxiety Impacts Daily Life
Test anxiety reaches well beyond the exam room. It shows up as the dread that ruins the week before finals, the procrastination that comes from not wanting to face the material, and the sinking feeling when a grade comes back lower than you earned. For many students, repeated disappointing results start to chip away at how they see themselves, until they begin to believe they are just bad at tests, when the real issue is anxiety, not ability.
Studying, Grades, and Self-Belief
Test anxiety can make the whole process of learning feel heavier than it should. Studying gets tangled up with dread. Big exams loom for weeks. Some students cope by overpreparing and still feeling unready, while others avoid studying altogether because even thinking about the test is uncomfortable. Over time, the gap between effort and results can wear down motivation and confidence. The right support helps you break that pattern, so your grades start to reflect what you actually know.
Test anxiety therapy helps you calm the panic, stay focused, and finally show what you know when it counts.
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 Test Anxiety Therapy
At Davis-Smith Mental Health, we treat test anxiety as a specific and very solvable problem, not as a sign that you are not cut out for school. We start by understanding exactly how the anxiety plays out for you, from the build-up beforehand to what happens in the moment you sit down, because that is where the work begins.
As part of our anxiety therapy, we use approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help you identify and challenge the catastrophic thoughts that fuel test anxiety, paired with practical tools for calming your body, such as controlled breathing and grounding. We combine this with practical test-taking and study strategies, and where it helps, gradual practice under test-like conditions, so the skills hold up when the real exam arrives. We also keep an eye on related struggles such as depression and emotional regulation, which often sit alongside test anxiety.
Our goal is not just to get you through the next exam. It is to give you genuine, lasting confidence in your ability to perform under pressure, so testing stops being the thing that holds you back. We believe you are more capable than your test anxiety is currently letting you show. Sometimes you just need the right support to prove it.
We proudly serve students in New Lenox and the surrounding South Suburbs, with telehealth available throughout Illinois.
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 therapist for you.
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
Test Anxiety Therapy
Find the Support You Need
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 Test Anxiety
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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