Anxiety in adolescents presents differently from anxiety in adults, and the differences matter for treatment. Teenagers dealing with anxiety more commonly show up as school refusal, avoidance of social situations that peers navigate without difficulty, irritability and oppositional behavior that masks underlying fear, and somatic complaints like stomachaches or headaches that become habitual before an appointment. Parents in Boca Raton who are watching their teenager withdraw, underperform academically, or struggle socially without an obvious explanation are sometimes looking at anxiety rather than defiance or laziness. A psychologist with adolescent experience can distinguish between them.
Dr. Steinbok sees adolescents at his Boca Raton practice alongside adult patients, and his approach to teenage anxiety is oriented toward understanding what the anxiety is about rather than simply reducing the symptoms. Anxious adolescents who have been through skills-based programs without lasting improvement often respond differently to psychodynamic work, which gives them a context for making sense of their experience rather than only tools for managing it. Families across South Florida looking for an anxiety psychologist in Boca Raton for their teenager will find that Dr. Steinbok's clinical depth and direct adolescent experience represent a meaningful alternative to general counseling.
