Pediatric anxiety treatment for children and teens
Mayo Clinic's Pediatric Anxiety Disorders Clinic helps children and teenagers overcome anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) through proven, compassionate care.
If your child is struggling with anxiety, constant worry, fears or obsessive thoughts, effective help is available. The Pediatric Anxiety Disorders Clinic provides specialized, evidence-based treatment to help children and teens build confidence, reduce anxiety and return to everyday life.
How Mayo Clinic can help your child
Mayo Clinic's Pediatric Anxiety Disorders Clinic provides efficient, research-backed treatment. The approach, called exposure-based behavioral therapy, helps children face fears gradually in a safe, structured way. The goal is for them to feel more confident and less anxious over time. Rather than avoiding anxiety, children learn how to face it and manage it.
A couple of aspects of our care set our clinic apart:
- Parents are actively involved throughout treatment so they can support their child's progress, not only during sessions, but also at home and in daily life.
- We offer treatment in two forms to meet your needs. For families traveling to Rochester, Minnesota, we offer an intensive program of daily therapy sessions over five days. This helps children make meaningful progress in a shorter period of time. If you live near Rochester, we also offer a once-a-week program over 2 to 3 months.
Treatment approach
Comprehensive evaluation
Treatment begins with a detailed evaluation to understand your child's symptoms, history and current level of functioning. This process helps determine whether the program is the best fit for your child's needs and allows the care team to develop an individualized treatment plan.
Parent-Coached Exposure Therapy
Our treatment approach has been demonstrated to help children make faster progress than traditional treatment approaches. The process begins with a full evaluation to make sure our program fits your family's needs. During both assessment and treatment, we work with parents and youths together. We help you build the skills and confidence to address anxiety and OCD as a team.
At Mayo Clinic, we use a state-of-the-art, proven form of exposure therapy that we developed, called Parent-Coached Exposure Therapy. In each session, our trained clinicians work with youths and parents through a series of confidence-building exercises. These exercises involve facing fears or breaking OCD compulsions in a safe, supported way. For example, children with social anxiety might practice starting conversations with other group members. Visit our research page to learn about the data supporting our treatment program.
The goal of this approach is to help youth feel calmer and less anxious. They learn from experience that their fears are unlikely to happen. This method is the most effective treatment for problematic anxiety and OCD.
As parents take part in these sessions, they also gain the skills and confidence to support their child. This continued support is called parent coaching.
Group and individual care
Whenever possible, families join group sessions with about 5 to 7 other children and their parents or guardians. These groups help you see that you are not alone and that other families are coping with similar conditions. The sessions also offer a chance to practice real-life exposures and foster peer support and shared learning.
Exposure exercises are tailored to your child's needs. For example, an exercise might include:
- Giving a presentation to the group.
- Doing a homework assignment without too much checking to make sure it is perfect.
- Sitting in a dark room alone.
- Touching public door handles.
- Walking in crowds.
- Others activities based on your child's needs.
We offer individual sessions when clinically appropriate and adjust the care plan based on each family's needs.
Medication support
Your child may meet with a psychiatrist if needed to determine whether medicine may be helpful as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. Decisions about medicine are made collaboratively with families and are tailored to each child's specific symptoms and goals.
5-day intensive treatment program
If you need to travel to Rochester, Minnesota, we offer a five-day intensive treatment program. This program delivers Parent-Coached Exposure Therapy over a single week while keeping the same treatment goals and evidence-based structure used in weekly care.
During the program, you and your family take part in multiple daily sessions that focus on exposure practice and parent coaching. Your child will have repeated opportunities to face specific fears in a supportive setting. This allows for rapid progress and confidence building.
Our goal is that by the end of the week, your child experiences a meaningful reduction in anxiety symptoms and you feel confident you can continue these exposure exercises at home, based on the hands-on practice you performed coaching your child throughout the week.
At the end of the program, you will leave with a structured plan to continue building on your progress at home. You will also receive guidance from the care team about follow-up care and ongoing support.
Weekly treatment program
If you live in the Rochester, Minnesota, area, you can participate in a weekly treatment program that provides consistent, structured care over time.
Following the initial evaluation, we provide an orientation session to develop an individualized treatment plan. The plan will include exposure exercises tailored to address your child's anxiety or OCD. You and your child then take part in once-weekly group sessions focused on practicing exposure exercises and building confidence.
Most families attend six to eight sessions, although the length of treatment varies depending on individual progress and goals. The program is designed to be flexible enough to meet the needs of busy families.
Our team
At the Pediatric Anxiety Disorders Clinic, you and your child will be cared for by a multidisciplinary team of experts. Our program director specializes in pediatric anxiety and OCD, while the medical director is an expert in child and adolescent psychiatry.
Depending on your needs, you may work with staff psychologists, therapists or research coordinators.
Our team continually researches pediatric anxiety conditions and OCD, so you and your child will receive the latest treatments proven to be effective.
Clinical trials
Children and families receiving care through the Pediatric Anxiety Disorders Clinic may have opportunities to take part in clinical trials. These studies improve treatment approaches, better understand the causes of anxiety disorders, and develop new tools for diagnosis and care.
Additional resource
Take the next step
If your child is struggling with anxiety or OCD, early treatment can make a lasting difference. Connecting with a specialized care team can help your child build confidence and return to daily activities with greater ease.
Request an appointment by calling us at 507-266-5100.
Phones are answered from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central time, Monday through Friday.
Mayo Clinic's Pediatric Anxiety Disorders Clinic provides advanced, evidence-based medical and psychological treatment for children and teenagers with the following conditions:
Find answers to common questions about the Pediatric Anxiety Disorders Clinic, including how the program works, what to expect during treatment and how to get started.
How do I know if my child has anxiety or OCD?
Many children experience worries or fears at times. However, anxiety or OCD may require treatment if symptoms are very distressing or interfere with daily life, such as attending school, sleeping, taking part in activities or interacting with others. A comprehensive evaluation can help determine whether your child would benefit from care.
What age groups do you treat?
Our clinic provides care for children and teenagers across a range of developmental stages, from children in preschool to high school. Treatment is tailored to the child's age, needs and level of functioning. Group-based treatments are available for youths ages 7 to 18.
What happens during the first visit?
The first visit includes a detailed evaluation of your child's symptoms, history and daily functioning. The care team will recommend a treatment plan and discuss next steps with you and your child.
What is exposure therapy?
Exposure therapy is a structured, evidence-based approach that helps children gradually face situations, thoughts or bodily sensations that cause anxiety. Over time, this process helps reduce fear and build confidence.
Why are parents involved in treatment?
Parent involvement is an important part of treatment. Parents learn how to support their children during and after therapy sessions, which helps reinforce progress and maintain improvements at home.
What is the 5-day intensive treatment program?
The five-day intensive program provides multiple daily therapy sessions over one week (Monday through Friday). This format allows children and families to make meaningful progress in a shorter period of time.
How long does treatment take?
The length of treatment varies based on each child's needs. Some families participate in a five-day intensive program with continued work after returning home, while others attend weekly sessions over 6 to 8 weeks, depending on the child's needs.
What is the best treatment for childhood anxiety disorders and OCD?
Our research suggests that parent-coached exposure therapy is more effective than the most studied cognitive-behavioral therapy. Medicines can be added to therapy as needed.
Do you offer virtual or in-person care?
Virtual or in-person initial assessment may be available based on your family's needs. Contact the clinic to learn about current options.
Is taking medicine required?
Medicine is not required for treatment to be successful. When appropriate, psychiatric consultation can help decide whether medicine may be helpful as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.
Does insurance cover treatment?
Insurance coverage varies. We recommend checking with your insurance provider to ensure your policy covers treatment.
Mayo Clinic works with hundreds of insurance companies and is an in-network provider for millions of people.
Can families from outside Minnesota receive care?
Yes. The five-day intensive treatment program helps to support families traveling from outside the region.
How do I schedule an appointment or make a referral?
Parents or physicians can request an appointment online or by calling 507-266-5100, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central time, Monday through Friday.
The treatment provided through Mayo Clinic's Pediatric Anxiety Disorders Clinic is based on the latest research on how to treat childhood anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) effectively and efficiently.
Studies from Mayo Clinic's Pediatric Anxiety Disorders Laboratory have shown that Parent-Coached Exposure Therapy can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms and improve functioning in children and adolescents. Our research also shows that more intensive treatments can be more effective. That means families can make meaningful progress in less time.
Mayo Clinic researchers continue to study anxiety disorders and OCD to improve care and expand access to treatment. Current research focuses on how treatment is delivered, factors that affect anxiety and ways technology can support care.
Developing parent-coached exposure therapy
To provide better options for children with anxiety disorders and OCD, a team of Mayo Clinic researchers and therapists reviewed how treatment is typically delivered. The team found that exposure therapy was the most important part of treatment (Ale et al., 2015; Whiteside et al., 2020). Based on these findings, the team developed a pilot study of parent-coached exposure therapy. The pilot suggested that it would be possible to help youth improve more quickly if exposure therapy started early and included parents (Whiteside et al., 2015).
Researchers then developed a clinical trial to compare Parent-Coached Exposure Therapy with traditional cognitive behavioral therapy. In the study, children and teens ages 7 to 17 received one of the two treatments. Researchers measured progress halfway through treatment and again 14 weeks after treatment started.
Researchers found clear differences between the two treatment approaches. Children who received Parent-Coached Exposure Therapy:
- Experienced more improvement.
- Improved faster.
- Needed fewer appointments.
- Participated more fully in daily activities.
- Often began to improve soon after starting exposure exercises.
Research suggests that Parent-Coached Exposure Therapy works well for both children and teens, including those with more severe symptoms. (Whiteside et al., 2024).
Additional studies from Mayo Clinic show that both our five-day intensive treatment program and once-weekly group treatment program can lead to significant improvement in anxiety and OCD symptoms. (Whiteside et al., 2014; Whiteside et al., 2018; Brennan et al., 2023)
Selected bibliography
- Ale, C. M., McCarthy, D. M., Rothschild, L., & Whiteside, S. P. H. (2015). Components of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Related to Outcome in Childhood Anxiety Disorders. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 18, 240-251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-015-0184-8
- Brennan, E., Bailey, K. J., Biggs, B. K., Cunningham, M. L., Dammann, J. E., Reneson-Feeder, S. T., Tiede, M. S., & Whiteside, S. P. H. (2023). An Uncontrolled Investigation of the Feasibility of Parent-Coached Exposure Therapy for Youth with Anxiety Disorders. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 32, 1681-1693. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-022-02396-w
- Gloe, L. M., Biggs, B. K., Geske, J. R., Reneson-Feeder, S. T., Dammann, J. E., Hofschulte, D. R., & Whiteside, S. P. H. (2026). Effects of Parent-Coached Exposure Therapy Versus CBT on Avoidance, Impairment, and Remission in Childhood Anxiety. Behavior Therapy, 57(1), 103-117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2025.07.002
- Gloe, L. M., Biggs, B. K., Lipinski, A. W., Pejic, J., Kor, A. K., Knapp, J., Lin, A. J., & Whiteside, S. P. H. (2025). Session Content in Parent-Coached Exposure Therapy Versus Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Childhood Anxiety Disorders. Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/23794925.2025.2579294
- Whiteside, S. P. H., McKay, D., De Nadai, A. S., Tiede, M. S., Ale, C. M., & Storch, E. A. (2014). A baseline controlled examination of a 5-day intensive treatment for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychiatry Research, 220(1-2), 441-446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2014.07.006
- Whiteside, S. P. H., Ale, C. M., Young, B., Dammann, J., Tiede, M. S., & Biggs, B. K. (2015). The feasibility of improving CBT for childhood anxiety disorders through a dismantling study. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 73, 83-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2015.07.011
- Whiteside, S. P. H., Biggs, B. K., Geske, J. R., Gloe, L. M., Reneson-Feeder, S. T., Cunningham, M., Dammann, J. E., Brennan, E., Ong, M. L., Olsen, M. W., & Hofschulte, D. R. (2024). Parent-coached exposure therapy versus cognitive behavior therapy for childhood anxiety disorders. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 104, 102877. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2024.102877
- Whiteside, S. P. H., Dammann, J. E., Tiede, M. S., Biggs, B. K., & Hillson Jensen, A. (2018). Increasing Availability of Exposure Therapy Through Intensive Group Treatment for Childhood Anxiety and OCD. Behav Modif, 42(5), 707-728. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145445517730831
- Whiteside, S. P. H., Gloe, L. M., & Biggs, B. K. (2026). Differentiating the Course of Symptom Improvement Between Two Treatments for Childhood Anxiety Disorders. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 82: 1142-1153. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.70140
- Whiteside, S. P. H., Sim, L. A., Morrow, A. S., Farah, W. H., Hilliker, D. R., Murad, M. H., & Wang, Z. (2020). A Meta-analysis to Guide the Enhancement of CBT for Childhood Anxiety: Exposure Over Anxiety Management. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 23(1), 102-121. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-019-00303-2
Publications
See a list of publications about child and adolescent anxiety disorders and OCD by Mayo Clinic doctors on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.
Mayo Clinic is dedicated to making sure you and your child can access the services you need, when you need them. Call us to discuss your needs and treatment options.
Phone: 507-266-5100
Phones are answered from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central time Monday to Friday. For non-urgent calls after hours, call 507-255-4151.