Anxiety and Depression Plan

Anxiety and Depression Plan

16 Sessions

Everyone experiences anxiety and sadness. When they’re functioning as they should, these emotions enhance our lives—helping us focus during important moments or reflect after difficult ones. But when they become overwhelming or hard to manage, they can start to interfere with your daily life and overall wellbeing. 

Our Anxiety and Depression plan uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a proven, evidence-based approach that helps people of all ages understand what’s happening emotionally and mentally when anxiety or depression shows up—and how to respond in healthier ways.

Through CBT, you or your child will build emotional awareness, become more flexible in responding to thoughts, reduce avoidance, and learn healthier ways to cope with physical sensations and challenging feelings. The plan includes 16 weekly sessions for teens and adults, and a developmentally tailored approach for children starting at 5 sessions.

Sessions are delivered virtually, with limited in-person availability.

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Emotional sensitivity isn't a weakness but a wisdom - it allows us to listen to signals others miss and sense what hides beneath the surface. - Adam Grant

Anxiety and depression can look different for everyone, but they often show up in ways that make life feel harder, smaller, or more exhausting. You might find yourself constantly on edge, overthinking every decision, or avoiding situations that feel too overwhelming. Or maybe you’ve felt low for weeks—unmotivated, disconnected, or stuck in negative thought patterns that are hard to shake. If you’re noticing these patterns in yourself or your child, this plan can help you understand what’s driving these thoughts and feelings and give you tools to feel more in control again.

Common indicators for this plan include:

  • Persistent feelings of sadness or worry most days
  • Burnout or uncontrollable stress
  • Recurring “catastrophic” thoughts or rumination
  • Physiological signs of distress unrelated to actual threats
  • Avoidant behaviors limiting full participation in work, school, or social activities
  • Diminished feelings of pleasure (anhedonia)
  • Sleep disruption or appetite changes
  • Excessive self-criticism 
  • Interpersonal withdrawal or conflict that’s out of the norm
  • Difficulty concentrating 
  • Thoughts of self-harm or suicide 
Why you might choose this plan
What to expect

Anxiety and depression can look different in children and teens than they do in adults. Younger children may express emotional distress through physical symptoms—like stomach pain or headaches—or changes in behavior. Teenagers might become more withdrawn, unusually irritable, overly perfectionistic, or engage in increased risk-taking. Emotional challenges can also show up as school refusal, sleep issues, or resistance around bedtime.

We tailor our treatment differently depending on age. For kids, we keep things playful and age-appropriate while working closely with parents. Teenagers, on the other hand, respond better when we collaborate with them directly, respecting their growing independence while helping them develop the skills and confidence they need.

In-person, telehealth or both
How long does therapy take?

Therapy can be more than a space to reflect. It also can offer specific strategies and skills to help you manage anxiety and depression. That’s the goal of CBT, the structured, evidence-based approach we use at Therapy Lab.

CBT sessions begin by helping you better understand your emotions and how they show up in your body and thoughts. From there, you’ll build skills like cognitive flexibility and experiment with new, healthier behaviors. This step-by-step approach helps you see how thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and actions all work together—and how small shifts can break the patterns that keep you feeling stuck.

Therapy Lab clinicians hold advanced degrees in clinical psychology, clinical child psychology, and related science-based clinical practices. They receive ongoing specialized training in evidence-based CBT protocols for all age groups. To learn more about CBT or the Unified Protocol, please see the resources below.

About Therapy Lab therapists
  • Barlow, D. H., Farchione, T. J., Bullis, J. R., Gallagher, M. W., Murray-Latin, H., Sauer-Zavala, S., & Cassiello-Robbins, C. (2017). The unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders compared with diagnosis-specific protocols for anxiety disorders: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 74(9), 875-884.

  • Ehrenreich-May, J., Rosenfield, D., Queen, A. H., Kennedy, S. M., Remmes, C. S., & Barlow, D. H. (2017). An initial waitlist-controlled trial of the unified protocol for the treatment of emotional disorders in adolescents. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 46, 46-55.

  • Kennedy, S. M., Bilek, E. L., & Ehrenreich-May, J. (2019). A randomized controlled pilot trial of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Children. Behavior Modification, 43(3), 330-360.

  • Newby, J. M., McKinnon, A., Kuyken, W., Gilbody, S., & Dalgleish, T. (2015). Systematic review and meta-analysis of transdiagnostic psychological treatments for anxiety and depressive disorders in adulthood. Clinical Psychology Review, 40, 91-110.
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  • Peris, T. S., Compton, S. N., Kendall, P. C., Birmaher, B., Sherrill, J., March, J., ... & Piacentini, J. (2015). Trajectories of change in youth anxiety during cognitive-behavior therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 83(2), 239-252.

Locations
‍California • Michigan • Washington • Massachusetts • Texas • Arizona • New York • Maryland

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